DISCOVER THE SECRET LIVES OF AFRICA'S CATS in ANIMAL PLANET's new programme The Truth about Lions

Skillful hunters, violent and terrifying maneaters, but devoted parents.  Lions are the most studied of all big cats, yet most of us are only familiar with their hunting behaviour and know little of their intricate life. Lions are strangely social, the only wild cats to live in family groups. Why is it that they became so social? Animal Planet in its exclusive programme THE TRUTH ABOUT LIONS travels beyond the stereotypes, bringing together the work of dozens of scientists and decades of research to offer a completely new perspective on lions’ behaviour and their unique lifestyle.  

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIONS will air on Animal Planet on Sunday, November 6th and 13th at 9 pm. 

 

Over the last 30 years, Animal Planet presenter and Big Cat Diary series host, Jonathan Scott has been watching, sketching, photographing and filming big cats’ behaviour.  In this new programme, THE TRUTH ABOUT LIONS, Jonathan presents an up-close explanation of the workings of the lions’ pride.  With the help of the latest lion research from Professor Craig Packer and his team at the Serengeti Lion Project, Jonathan takes a fresh look at the lions he knows so well. 

 

Jonathan Scott investigates the most famous lion pride in the world - the Marsh Pride of the Masai Mara in East Africa. He discovers that unlike many big cats, lions are incredibly sociable creatures. He believes that this is the key to almost everything about their biology – from how they look, to how they hunt, live and even how and when they die. Following individual lions over the course of a year, the programme watches how they behave, revealing how they interact with other lions and how their behaviour changes from the difficult dry season to the relative plenty of the wet season. Night filming reveals remarkable nocturnal behaviour bringing a genuinely new viewpoint on their lives. 

 

Why is it that lions, alone amongst all the wild cats, are so intensely social? THE TRUTH ABOUT LIONS looks at the possibilities from co-operative hunting to raising cubs, and explores the lion’s world from their point of view. The lion’s social nature has made the species a complicated yet fascinating beast. Within the pride it’s the females who run the show, while males have a warrior role. This social structure allows prides to control large areas where game is abundant.

 

In the last century lion numbers have declined by as much as 90%. With the encroaching threat to the survival of the species, THE TRUTH ABOUT LIONS reveals how a new understanding of their lives is the secret to ensuring this a successful future for this fascinating animal.

 

Did you know? 

Whilst other big cats live solitary lives, lions don’t. They live in large family prides.

Cooperative hunting has long been considered by many as the reason why lions live in prides.

Lions’ roars are far more sophisticated than first thought. Lions can count the number of roars they hear, keeping track of the local strangers, competitors and companions.

The lions’ roar is amazingly primal, a terrifying sound, it’s a declaration of territory ownership.

African Savannah is home to perhaps the most famous lions in the world, the Marsh Pride

Every lion has its own unique pattern of whisker spots, which acts just like a human fingerprint.

Unlike the females who live their whole life in the same pride, the adult males have to fend off challenges from younger rivals and on average their tenure as a pair is rarely longer than two years.

Lions are not the only species with murderous stepfathers, there are other species of cats that are infanticidal like leopards, tigers and housecats.

The most violent encounters amongst lion prides are always over territory.

On average male lions are four years old when they take over a pride and remain in control for roughly two years before being evicted by younger rivals.