Which animal is king of the beasts?

The largest member of the cat family, the lion, is called "King of the Beasts" as it is one of the largest meat-eating, or carnivorous, animals in the world. It has no enemies, except man, and normally kills only to eat. A lion can weight up to 275 kilos and measure 3.75 metres from its nose to the tip of its tail.

In historical times, lions lived in Europe, in the Balkans and in North Africa. Hunters have wiped them out everywhere now, except in Africa, south of the Sahara, and a very few in India.

A group of lions living together is called a "pride". Usually a pride contains two females and their cubs. The male lion joins the lionesses only to mate.