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General Information
This Species Account concerns primarily the Asiatic lion P.l. persica, but reference must be made to the Barbary (North African) lion P.l. leo, the nominate subspecies and the lion that appeared in Roman circuses.
The Barbary lion is extinct in the wild - the last record being one shot in Morocco in 1920.
Today the only living representatives of the lions once found throughout much of South-West Asia occur in India's Gir Forest.
These Asiatic lions are genetically distinct from the lions of Sub-Saharan Africa, although the difference is not large, being smaller than the genetic distance between human racial groups.
Based on genetic distance, the Asiatic lion is estimated to have separated from the African population as recently as 100,000 years ago.
Physical Characteristics
1. very clear light iris, rather than brown;
2. mane spreading behind the shoulders and covering the belly right to the
groin,
3. high occiput (back of the head), short legs and deep chest
4. The most striking morphological character, which is always seen in Asiatic
lions, but rarely in African lions, is a longitudinal fold of skin running
along its belly (O'Brien et al. 1987c).
5. In addition, male Asiatic lions have only moderate mane growth at the top
of the head, so that their ears are always visible, while many African males
develop full manes which completely obscure the ears.
Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions:
adult Gir males weigh 160-190 kg
while females weigh 110-120 kg
Social structure:
Live in family groups called prides,
headed by a single or more mature males. Due to
restricted space in Gir Forest, some solitary males
wander to different prides of females when the latter
come into heat.
Life Span: 10 - 15 years
Attempts to establish a scientific breeding programme have so far failed, although some zoos have bred specimens (W. Frey in litt. 1993
Mean pride size, measured by the number of adult females, tends to be smaller
than for African lions: most Gir prides contain just two adult females, with
the largest having five (Walker 1994: 18), compared to averages of 4-6 for
African protected areas.
Habitat
The Asian Lion can now be found only in the Gir Forest Sanctuary (300+ sq km) in northwest
India. A second sanctuary at Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary (also in India) will be created soon.
The Gir is dry deciduous forest dominated by teak, the predominance of which
is partially due to the silvicultural practices of the Gujarat State Forest
Department, which permits logging and replants clear-cut areas with teak.
Feeding and Breeding
Diet: Mainly deer and antelope, and also domestic livestock
Reproductive season:
Year-round, but based on sightings of cubs there is a birth peak from late
winter to early summer (Feb-early Apr: Ravi Chellam in litt. 1994)
Litter size:
(W): mean 2.5, range 1-5 (observed only after young cubs are fully mobile)
(Walker 1994: 18); (C): 2-6 (Chavan 1993)
Age at first reproduction:
(W): field workers estimate females 4 years, males 5 to 8 years; (C): 3 years
(males and females) (Walker 1994: 18)
Adult sex ratio:
1 male: 2.2 females
Conservation
A victim of sport hunting in the past. Highly endangered, only about 300 Asian lions in the sanctuary. Disease, natural disasters and poor gene pool are obstacles to breeding programs.
Interesting Facts
Smaller and has a shaggier coat than the African lion, some males have black manes with more hair at the elbows. Tend to hunt in smaller groups as prey is small. In danger of being wiped out by a single epidemic.
Insight
The Lion's Lookout branches off from the main trail . A short uphill walk lead the guests to a spot which overlooks the tram route and into the lions' habitat. They blend well into the habitat and it takes a while before anyone can make out their silhouettes . Territorial roaring occurs throughout the evening soon after sunset.
Bibliography
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