Happy World Lion Day!! World Lion Day is celebrated every year on 10 August to raise awareness of lion populations. Lions are important for stability of natural ecosystem. Because in just two decades, lion populations decreased by 43 percent. Therefore, listed as vulnerable to extinction by The IUCN red list. The main causes are poaching and they are losing their habitats due to expanding human populations and the resulting growth of agriculture, settlements, and roads.
Who doesn’t love the majestic lion, with his proud mane and spine-tingling roar? Throughout history, Lions has been associated with plenty of positive characteristics such as courage, pride, strength and leadership.
Symbolically and metaphorically, lions played important roles for thousands of years throughout numerous civilizations. A great example would be the Sphinx in Egypt. In ancient times, they were linked to the Sun God and even carved into golden crowns of past kings and queens.
In addition to all of the above, the lion possesses some very unique traits and personalities. Here are a few interesting facts about our favourite King of the Jungle.
- Despite its monicker as King of The Jungle, they actually found and roam in grasslands and open plains.
- We know that lions can run at really high speeds, but just how fast? The answer is 50 miles per hour. They can even leap as far as 36 feet!
- Super cool fact: A lion’s heel doesn’t actually touch the ground when he walks!
- White African Lions do exist. Have you seen pictures of them before?
- Want to know how old a lion is? Have a look at his mane. The darker the mane, the older the lion.
- A lion’s roar can hear up to 5 miles away! If you were to hear one in the wild, it would stop you in your tracks.
- Lions can grow up to 4 feet high, 7 foot long and weigh up to 500 pounds. That’s a lot of muscle and sheer power!
- Unlike their cousins the tigers, lions are in no way solitary creatures. They live in “prides” of about 15 other lions, lionesses and cubs.
- Lion are lazy! They sleep for 20 hours a day and in fact, lions aren’t the ones to hunt. Lionesses are the ones on hunting duty, but despite that, the lions are the ones who get to eat first.
Want to get up close to a real living and breathing lion? Take a safari journey package or a night safari package at the Bali Safari Park in Gianyar, Bali, to see these beautiful and majestic creatures and other wild animals from around the world as they roam freely in wide, open spaces that are very much like the wild African savannah.