Where can I see the African Lion

The African Lion is the lion subspecies that is found in the African continent. The Asiatic Lion is the only other subspecies of lions known to exist, and it can be found in Asia. You may have heard about the Barbary lion before - this was actually a North African subspecies of lion, but is now extinct in the wild.

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The average weight for an adult male African Lion is 330 pounds (150 kg), and 325 pounds (147 kg) for females. These numbers can vary based on whether or not they are getting plenty of food as well as their genes and age. Like all cats, their size will fluctuate depending on conditions such as those two things mentioned above. Lions live around 10-14 years in the wild, and up to 20 years in captivity.

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There are two subspecies of African Lions, West African and Central/Southern African. The West African Lion has shorter hair, a less impressive mane, and is smaller than the Central/Southern subspecies. The West African Lion can be found in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. Although there are fewer numbers of these lions remaining in the wild due to poaching and habitat loss - they are considered endangered by the IUCN Red List . There are around 400 of these lions left living freely in their natural habitats - which includes Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park.

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The Central/Southern African Lion is much bigger than its Western cousin, and has a much more impressive mane. The African Lion population that is found in Central/Southern Africa includes the well known Serengeti National Park