A male lion with a golden mane sits on the ground, looking left.

African lion (Panthera leo), Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Creator: Charles J. Sharp

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Species record

Lion

Panthera leo

Explore the Lion (Panthera leo) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

Lions are large, social cats that live in family groups called prides. Most wild lions occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with a small population remaining in India. They use grasslands, savannas, open woodland, and scrub where cover and prey are available. The 2025 IUCN global assessment classifies the species as Vulnerable and reports a decreasing population trend; habitat loss and fragmentation, prey depletion, and killing associated with conflict with people are among the main threats.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Chordates
  3. Subphylum: Vertebrates
  4. Class: Mammals
  5. Order: Carnivorans
  6. Family: Cats
  7. Genus: Big cats
  8. Species: Panthera leo

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
savanna, grassland, open woodland, scrubland
Selected regions
Africa
Selected countries
Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana

Conservation status

The Ark records: Vulnerable.

Did you know?

  • Lions live in family groups called prides.

More images

A male lion stands in tall grass with its mouth open, roaring.

An African male lion (Panthera leo) in Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Creator: Charles J. Sharp

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

View image source

Sources and attribution