Throughout the history of man, the lion has been considered the symbol of strength. We say “strong as a lion ” or “lion hearted”. In courts throughout the world, the lion was used on shields and crests and banners to indicate power.

Probably this was not because anybody could prove that a lion could defeat all other animals in combat, but because lions strike such terror in man and in other beasts.

The ancient Egyptians believed the lion was sacred, and during the time when Christ was born, lions lived in many parts of Europe. By the year 500, however, they had all been killed.

Today, the only places where lions are plentiful are in Africa and in one region of India.Lions are members of the cat family. The average length of a grown-up lion is about nine feet and they weigh between 400 and 500 pounds. The males are larger than the females. People who hunt lions can always tell whether they are tracking a male or female by the size of the tracks. The male has larger font feet than the female.

The lion's voice is a roar or a growl. Unlike other cats, it doesn't purr, and rarely climbs trees. Unlike other cats, too, it takes readily to deep water. Lions feed on grazing animals, so they live in more or less open country and not in forests. And because they drink once a day, they always live near some supply of water.

Lions rest by day and do their hunting by night. Lions may live singly, or in pairs, or in groups of four to a dozen which are known as “prides”. The main food supply of lions comes from zebras, gazelles, and antelopes. Sometimes a lion will attack a giraffe, but it won't attack an elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus. When a lion isn't hungry, he pays no attention to other animals.

When hunting, a lion may lay hidden until an animal passes close by, or it may crawl and wiggle up to its victim and then make a sudden rush. When it makes that rush, it can go as fast as 40 miles an hour.!

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