Lions are the only social wild cats. They live in family
groups called 'prides', which are made up of as many as 12 females and
their young, and up to three adult males.
Most lions are found in Africa, but small populations still exist in north
west India. They prefer habitats of grassy plains, savannah and open woodland,
but can occasionally be found in areas of semi-desert.
Lions have tawny yellow coats. Males have thick woolly manes that
darken with age, so old males are sometimes called black-maned lions.
The main role of male lions is to protect the pride, and their manes
make them look larger to other male rivals. If a new male does join
the pride he will kill all the cubs and mate with the females so he
becomes the dominant male, and father of all the young.