Rick Kline, age 9, of Fargo, N.D., for his question:
HOW LONG WILL A LION LIVE?
Called the "king of beasts," the lion is definitely the most famous member of the cat family. The handsome animal is a well known symbol of beauty and power.
In zoos and all parts of the world, the lion on the average will live happily in captivity and die of old age at about 20 to 25 years. In the wilds, where unfortunately because of hunters in the past you won't find too many, the average life expectancy is about 13 years.
Although some can be found in parts of Asia, most of the wild lions today live in east and central Africa. Most of them are in national parks and areas called reserves where they are protected from hunters.
The lion is the most companionable of all cats. From about 20 to 35 will live in a group called a pride. Each pride has from one to three adult males, a half dozen or so lionesses and perhaps a dozen cubs.
A lioness becomes an adult and mates with the pride males when she is three to four years old. Then after 105 to 112 days, she will deliver between two and five cubs. The babies are born blind and helpless, and remain that way for about six days. Each weighs about three pounds.
Lions do not have permanent dens. From time to time, the mother will move her cubs from one hiding place in the thicket to another. She carries them in her mouth, one at a time.
The cubs live on mother's milk from two to three months. Then the lioness will lead the babies to an animal she has killed for their first meal of meat.
There is a high death rate among cubs because they feed fast and some seem to suffer from diet deficiencies. This, however, seems to act as a natural check on numbers.
The cubs usually stay with their mothers until they are from 18 to 24 months old and able to hunt for themselves. When her cubs are grown, the lioness will mate again and start a new family.
All male cubs are chased from the territory by their fathers when they are between two and three years old. These young males then wander until they are fully grown and about five years old. Then they may challenge some pride males. If they win, they can take over the territory and the lionesses it contains.
Each pride stays in a specific territory. The territory contains the food and water that lions need. Where prey is plentiful, territories may be about 15 square miles. Where prey is scarce, the territory may cover 100 square miles.
Life within the pride is peaceful. Lions usually sleep or rest about 20 hours a day.
Lions usually walk about five miles a day. If they have had a big meal, they may rest for 24 hours. But if they are hungry, they may travel as far as 15 miles in search of food.
Each pride stays in its own territory and strange animals are not allowed to hunt in that area. Lions warn intruders to stay away by roaring or by squirting a mixture of scent and urine on bushes. The strangers then know that the territory is occupied.