Lion.

Lion in Mountain Zebra National Park, South Africa.

Text and Illustration: MICROSOFT BING

When it comes to the mane of the adult male Lion, the general rule is: The darker and fuller the mane, the healthier the Lion.

But that only applies to African Lions in the wild. Captive Lions in some zoos of Europe and North America will sport an even heavier mane, regardless of their relative health, simply to insulate against ambient temperatures that are cooler than those in the African savanna. 

Lions are suffering.

Please consider making a small donation 

to assist in stopping Lions suffering.

The Web-Site for

WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION

can be accessed

HERE

The Web-Site for

LION AID

Lion Conservation and Education Charity

can be accessed

HERE

The big fella in our image is resting in the grasslands of Mountain Zebra National Park, a wildlife preserve in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

Preservation is vitally important to this species. 

Ten thousand years ago, Lions lived everywhere from the Yukon to Peru, from India to Western Europe. 

Their distribution is considerably diminished today. 

Beginning in 1996, Lions were listed as vulnerable and placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN).