African lions live in groups called prides. A pride may consist of as few as five animals or as many as 37. The benefits of living in a pride include cooperative hunting, defense of territory and communal care of young. By working together, females are able to bring down large prey such as zebra, wildebeests, impala and waterbuck. Lions are also known to take advantage of carrion when prey is scarce or if a lion is injured and unable to hunt. The main duties of the dominant male are to defend the pride's territory and young from rival males. 

A long time ago, there were millions of lions living throughout Africa, except in the Sahara Desert. Today, there are fewer than 200,000 lions living in all of Africa due to habitat loss and hunting.

Many people are surprised to learn that there was once a North American lion. They were much larger than today's lions and were the only North American predator large enough to hunt big bison. 

The North American lion disappeared about 8,000 years ago.

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