WHO’S THE DADDY?
The leadership of a lion pride passes down the female line, from mother to daughter. A pride of lions is essentially a matriarchal society. Young males are usually encouraged to leave when they reach the age of two or three, before they can threaten older males. Once forced out, a young male will, if lucky, join up with his male relatives, leading a nomadic existence, until they are ready to take over a pride elsewhere. Male lions are noticeably larger and heavier than females: a typical mature male weighs in at between 150-225kg (330-495lb), while an adult female is roughly 20 per cent smaller. The largest male lions ever recorded tipped the scales at over 270kg (595lb) – three to four times the weight of an adult human. When hunting, lions can run at more than 55kph, but only for a maximum of 100m. Most chases happen over a far shorter distance – usually less than 50m because if a lion has to run any further it will usually overheat. Lions are built for short distances, not stamina. Mating in lions is a complex and sometimes bizarre process. When a lioness is in season, she emits tell-tale scents, and a male will stick to her like glue for up to six days to ensure no one else gets a look-in. The act itself wins no prizes for tenderness: the male often grabs the female by the scruff of her neck, provoking an aggressive reaction. Lion cubs are born about 16 weeks after conception and are much smaller than you might expect – Charm’s cubs weighed just 1.5kg (3.3lb) each – and are unable to see, with their eyes not opening until they’re a week to ten days old. They are incredibly vulnerable, and any predator that finds them will attack and eat them, from eagles and pythons to leopards and hyenas. When a new male takes over a pride, he usually kills the offspring of predecessors, to ensure all future members are related to him. He may even kill his own offspring – if he can’t be sure he is the real father.