World Lion Day 2022. Lions are known as the "king of beasts" or king of the jungle". They are the second largest cats in the world after tigers. In 2020, the population of Asiatic lions has increased by almost 29% in Gujarat's Gir forests. Geographically, the distribution area of the lions also increased by 36%.
Largely, they are founded in the restricted Gir forest and its surrounding areas. The Asiatic lion found in India was re-listed as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). No doubt the lion has been a symbol of strength, power, and ferocity.
Lion populations have dropped by more than 40% in the last two decades.
— United Nations (@UN) August 10, 2022
Unrestricted exploitation of wildlife threatens our biological diversity & causes ecological imbalance.
On Monday's #WorldLionDay, see how @UNEP works to protect our ecosystems. https://t.co/kv0mWte4iA pic.twitter.com/m7sfOzTMb7
World Lion day 2022: About Asiatic Lion
The scientific name of the Asiatic lion is Panthera leo persica. Its height is approx 110 cm. It is listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and as Endangered on IUCN Red List. They are slightly smaller than African lions.
Weight of Adult males 160 to 190 kg and females 110 to 120 kg.
The maximum total length recorded of a male Asiatic lion is 2.92 m including the tail.
One of the striking morphological characters which are always seen in Asiatic lions and rarely in African lions is a longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly.
At the top of the head, males have only moderate mane growth and due to this, their ears are always visible.
The paintings, literature, and records of the hunting of lions tell that the lions were the royal animal during the Mauryan and the Gupta period. They also enjoyed an important place during the Mughal period.
World Lion Day 2022: Some interesting facts about Lions
1. They are the only known cat species where individuals also roar together even their young cubs join them with their mews. The calling sequence lasts about 40 seconds.
2. A roar can be heard from 5 miles away.
3. Most of the hunting is done by lions at night as their eyes have adapted to the dark. This provides them a huge advantage over their prey.
4. More of the hunting they do during storms because the noise and wind make it harder for prey to see and hear them.
5. Lions are big eaters. They can eat up to 40kg of meat which is around a quarter of their body weight.
6. Their tongue has papillae which are sharply pointed rasps. They are used to scrape meat off the bones.
7. Lions are highly adaptable. They can live in extremely dry areas like the Kalahari Desert. Here, they get most of the water from prey and also drink from plants like the Tsamma melon.
8. Young lions have spots and rosettes on their sandy coats, but these generally disappear as they mature.
World Lion Day 2022: Why is the conservation of the Lion important?
Lion ensures the ecological balance because it helps to control the populations of browsers and grazers. The conservation of lion ensures the protection of natural forest areas and habitats and also help in the conservation of biodiversity.
Lion has been a part of its cultural identity. They are also a part of Indian mythology.
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