The Life Cycle of a Lion

The lion is known as “the king of beasts.” The female lion usually has around six cubs in a litter. The lion cub is born live. They are born with their eyes fully open. Like other mammals, the mother feeds her young milk from her mamary glands. After only five months the cubs follow the mother and begin to hunt with the father. The young are born with black spots on their wool and after six months they disappear. Most lions have a yellowish-brown fur coat. At three years old, the male lions will grow a thick mane. Most reach full growth at age five or six. Lions usually grow to be twenty to twenty-five years old. (World Book `65)