Asiatic Lions at Dudley Zoo 31.01.26

A weekend visit to #dudleyzoo not far from where i live, gave a wonderful photo opportunity to see these two beauties out and about for a change, i know cats can sleep a vast part of the day !! Had to wonder around their area quite a bit as they always seemed to be hiding from having their photos taken but managed a few and a very nice video of the lady having a bit of a play which is on another post, she looks pretty fierce, but really only having a bit of a yawn 😄

IUCN Red List status: Endangered

 The range of the Asiatic lion formerly stretched across the coastal forests of northern Africa and northern Greece across southwest Asia to eastern India. Today the only living representatives of the lions once found throughout much of South-West Asia occur in the Gir Forest of Western India.

Asiatic lions are smaller and lighter than their African counterparts and have a shaggier coat with a distinctive fold of skin that runs along the belly. They have a longer tassel of hair on the end of their tails and longer tufts of hair on the elbows and males have shorter manes. They are apex predators, using their retractable claws , powerful jaws and sharp teeth to bring down prey such as sambar and chital deer, nilgai antelope, gazelle, wild boar, water buffalo and occasionally domestic livestock. Females normally give birth to two or three cubs after a gestation period of 100-119 days. They stay with their parents for about a year while to hone their hunting skills and reach maturity at three to four years.

Threats:

Today it is estimated that just 300-600 individuals survive in the Gir Forest, a site sadly threatened by habitat destruction, encroachment by humans and poaching. They are also susceptible to unpredictable events, such as an epidemic or large forest fire, due to their limited population.

Our Impact:

Dudley Zoo & Castle is proud to be part of the the EAZA European breeding programme for this charismatic species.