Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Description

Lions are the largest African cats, weighing 330-550 pounds, with an average lifespan of 15 years. They are the only members of the cat family with manes.

The only social cats, lions live in groups called prides.  Prides are formed by groups of related females, and each pride has its own home range. Each pride generally will have no more than two adult males. While the females usually live with the pride for life, the males often stay for only two to four years. When males are forced to leave the pride they are born into, they form groups with other males and roam.

The males’ job in the pride is to defend the pride's territory, which includes as many as 100 square miles of grasslands, scrub, savanna, and open woodlands.  Females form groups to do the hunting, which is carried out at night in the cooler weather.  The lionesses work together to overtake prey more effectively.  By forming a team, they are capable of successfully attacking much larger animals, even elephants.  The pride then shares the kill, with the males eating first, females next, and cubs eating what remains.

The lions that dwell in Gorongosa National Park have distinct manes.  Their manes are shorter than those of lions in other parts of Africa. Some believe that shorter manes make it easier to maneuver through the park’s thick brush. It is unclear whether Gorongosa’s lions are born with the genes for shorter manes or whether the thick brush, in effect, trims their manes short during their lifetime.

How to See

Lions are the most common predator in savannah and grassland habitats. They can be found wherever large herbivores live. In Gorongosa National Park lions can be seen from the game roads taking afternoon naps in the savanna or surveying herds of animals on the Urema floodplain. 

When the vehicle is stopped, use your senses.  Listen for an impala alarm call (very loud and often directed at lions). You may also be able to smell a kill. Watch other animals—they can be a good indicator that a lion is around. Look for vultures in trees in the middle of the day.  If herd animals, such as impalas, zebras, and buffalos are all staring in one direction, chances are good they are looking at lions.

If you do see a lion on your trip, it is important to respect their space. Lions are predators and can see humans as prey too. Stay in your vehicle at all times and be careful not to intrude on the lion’s space. If a lion begins to approach, the best thing to do is to drive away. 

Status

IUCN: Least Concern
Africa: Common
Mozambique: Common
Gorongosa: Uncommon

Conservation

Gorongosa National Park was once known for its huge prides of lions—more than 500 were recorded in the Park in 1972. During Mozambique’s long civil war, populations of large herbivores decreased dramatically to only 40, resulting in the departure of the park’s lions to find prey elsewhere. Anti-poaching measures in addition to improved park management have resulted in a healthy but small population of lions in the park. Since 2006, we have reintroduced buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra into Gorongosa National Park.  The reintroductions of large herbivores should result in an increase in the lion population over the next several years.