The lion rules the land with it's hunting prowess and roar. Kids learn about this. Lions are big cats known as the 'King of the Jungle. They are found in Africa. 2020-4-3 While most cats have slit pupils, lions actually have round pupils instead. It’s thought that this is because lions need to hunt for larger prey than domesticated cats, and those who may generally hunt around for smaller bites. This can also help them hunt better at night, making lions some of the best nocturnal hunters in the feline world.
Lion
Lions live on the grassy, open savannahs of Africa, not in the jungle. But the regal cat still sits atop the list of big-game trophies. Conservationists say that lion hunting is one of the most lucrative trophy hunts, with each outing bringing in up to $71,000 on average, which includes the trophy fee, a professional guide, transportation and lodging.
Dr. Walter J. Palmer, the American dentist who killed Cecil, a beloved lion, in Zimbabwe last month, reportedly paid around $54,000.
Overhunting has caused a decrease in the number of lions in some areas, especially Tanzania, according to a 2012 study, and hunting has been restricted there. But the researchers behind that study concluded that hunting was less of a risk than an outright ban.
Without the trophy hunt money, locals would increasingly poison lions, which are considered dangerous to humans and livestock, said Vernon Booth, a Zimbabwe-based ecologist.
Zimbabwe Wants Hunter Extradited for Killing Lion
Elephant
A big animal makes a big trophy, and elephants are among the most sought-after in Africa. But the biggest threat they face is not from hunters, it is from poachers.
Elephants are slaughtered by highly organized, armed, commercial poachers who sell ivory and organs, mostly to Chinese markets.
During President Obama's recent visit to Africa, the administration announced a rule change to conservation laws that would amount to a near total ban on the commercial trade of African elephant ivory in the United States.
The Price of Ivory: A New York Times series about elephant poaching in Africa.
White Rhinoceros
Status: Near threatened; Trophy: $125,000 and up
In southern Africa, the emergence of a regulated trophy hunting industry on private game ranches in the 1960s helped restore vast stretches of degraded habitats and even revive certain species, like the southern white rhinoceros, which had been hunted almost to extinction, conservationists say.
There are around 20,000 southern white rhinos remaining, according to the World Wildlife Fund. They are different from the endangered northern white rhino, of which there are only four left in the world after Nabire, a 31-year-old female rhino, died at a zoo in the Czech Republic last month. Her death occurred less than a year after Angalifu, a 44-year-old white rhino at the San Diego Zoo, died in December..
From the Archive: Rare White Rhino Avoids Extinction (June 5, 1990)
Leopard
Status: Near threatened; Trophy: $15,000 to $35,000
The leopard is the smallest of the Big Five trophy animals. It is often hunted with bait, a controversial practice in which a freshly dead animal like an impala is hung to lure a leopard within range of a hunter concealed in a hunting blind.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, which listed the leopard as 'near threatened,' said in 2008 that the animal's shrinking habitat, pest control efforts by farmers and others, and the threat of commercial hunting could make the species 'vulnerable.'
But in Zambia, the government recently announced that it was lifting a ban on hunting leopards in place since 2013, and said it would do the same for lions next year.
The ban was put in place because the government estimated that the population of big cats was too low to support a sustainable hunting industry. By May, when the country's tourism minister announced the end of the ban, aerial surveys estimated that the once-threatened leopard population was now more than 8,000.
Buffalo
Status: Least concern; Trophy: $12,500 to $17,000
The big five are the most prized because they are considered the most dangerous to hunt, and therefore the most expensive. A trophy impala could cost a hunter $400 and a kudu, a type of antelope, might go for $2,500, while a Cape buffalo can cost around $15,000 in South Africa.
It is legal to hunt most big game animals, including the big five, on private game reserves in South Africa, home to the biggest hunting industry on the continent.
The buffalo is sometimes considered the most dangerous of the big five, and it is the most popular with hunters. It is also the most plentiful, with its population under the least pressure, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, though the union noted that the number of buffalo is declining.
By Chirag NaiknavareSubmitted On January 11, 2018
He is not the biggest of the cat species. Siberian tigers are larger than African lions. In fact, he is not even the largest in the jungle. There are many other animals such as elephants, rhinos that are larger. Then why is the lion considered the king of the jungle? I wondered about this for quite some time during my childhood. As a matter of fact, they are pretty social and live in groups called as pride. There are around 10-15 lions in a pride and out of that only 2-3 are fully grown lions. Others are lionesses and cubs.
There are many stories told here in India about what is a lion's share. Actually when lionesses in a pride hunt, the lion comes in after the fact and takes away a part of the kill. That is called as a Lion's share. This disappointed me in the childhood. Not very macho by the big guy, right? So is it just the mane that makes him look majestic? But I have a healthy respect for elder generation and their opinions which are developed over the years of experience. Nobody has seriously challenged the fact that lions are the kings of the jungle. So there must be some reason why they are considered as the kings.
Lionesses are the ones who hunt and are mainly the breadwinners of the pride. They are smaller and more athletic and they hunt intelligently. Male lions will hunt only when it is required and when they are alone away from the pride. But they are unbelievably powerful and can take down a prey that will need 4-5 lionesses to kill.
There are several videos on YouTube and in other places of the internet which give you a clearer picture of these magnificent creatures. There is a video in which a lioness is trying to catch a wildebeest from a herd. But despite her experience due to the huge numbers, she is unable to do so. And while the filming goes on, a male lion comes out of nowhere and from a 100 strong wildebeests running away just plucks a prey out. I was aghast watching this. Just the show of courage and strength is breathtaking to watch.
There is another video that shows a group of wild buffalos attacking a pair of lion and lioness. The big guy just turned on the buffalos and showed a nerve I cannot imagine any other animal on earth has. He just kept them away with guts, power, and determination. No one, just no one in this world can do this.
There are several speculations about what will happen if a lion and a tiger of the same size fight. Tiger, although a powerful animal, cannot really beat the king. See the videos available. Lions are just fighting machines, natural born fighters who are meant to lead and they have courage. The tigers although better hunters; cannot outlast the lions because lions have a stamina for a longer duel. In any event, these two superb creations of nature do not meet each other often because tigers live in jungles and lions on grasslands.
It will be a tragedy if these creatures are not there to see for the next generations. Although efforts are taken to protect them, human curiosity is also a thing to consider during protection.
MLA Style Citation: Naiknavare, Chirag 'Why Is the Lion King of the Jungle?.' Why Is the Lion King of the Jungle?. 11 Jan. 2018 EzineArticles.com. 9 Apr. 2020 <http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-the-Lion-King-of-the-Jungle?&id=9864478>.
APA Style Citation: Naiknavare, C. (2018, January 11). Why Is the Lion King of the Jungle?. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-the-Lion-King-of-the-Jungle?&id=9864478
Chicago Style Citation: Naiknavare, Chirag 'Why Is the Lion King of the Jungle?.' Why Is the Lion King of the Jungle?EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-the-Lion-King-of-the-Jungle?&id=9864478