Where can you find lions? If you live in one of the larger metro areas, the quickest way would be to visit your local zoo. European zoos originated in the middle ages. Wealthy nobles collected exotic animals for display in what eventually became known as menageries. The practice began in France and Italy then spread to the rest of Europe. Many of these collections included lions. In the 13th century England’s King John (of Magna Carta fame) even kept them in the Tower of London. Currently there are roughly 1,100 lions in world’s zoos and wildlife parks.
What if you don’t live near a zoo or wildlife park?
From the 19th century through the early 21st, lions were also key attractions in traveling circuses. In the US the buildout of the rail network in the late 19th century enabled these shows to criss-cross the country. P. T. Barnum and William Cameron Coup, took full advantage of the railways launching P. T. Barnum’s Museum, Menagerie, and Circus.
Through the mid-20th century, the traveling circuses complete with death-defying human acts, clowns, animals, and other curiosities were wildly popular. The rapid acceptance of TV after WW2 intiated the decline of circus popularity. Combined with growing concern for the animals’ rights, these changes forced many circuses out of business. Those that survived into the 21st century dropped most of their animal acts and focused on more theatrical performances.
Back to Lions
Fine, but where are the lions? In the late Pleistocene (125,000- 11,700 years ago) the ancestors of the modern lion ranged across much of the globe. Here’s our first map, courtesy of Wikipedia.
The modern lion never made it to the new world. Still even in the time of Herodotus (5th century BC), lions were found in Greece. Six hundred years later they were gone. By the 10th century they vanished from their last European outpost in the Caucasus mountains. Lions held their own in the rest of their range until the 19th century when they began a rapid retreat. By the middle of the 20th century they were gone from all of northern Africa. Their only remaining foothold in Asia is India’s Gir National Park. Roughly 400 lions hang on in a little more than 500 square miles.
Our second map illustrates the range of the modern lion. Red shows the historical range (~2,500 years ago), while blue indicates the current range. Map is courtesy of Wikipedia.
So, if you want to see lions in their natural habitat, you better be prepared for a long flight.
As always thanks for reading.
Armen
Note to pay the bills: Toran is an agent in the secret Warder organization. His mother was an elf and his father the leader of the red lion clan of barbarians. He’s one of the key characters in the Warders series – a James Bond like thriller in a high fantasy setting. You can find a summary of the series here or find links to purchase books here.
Where I grew up in Cattaraugus County, the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, we had lions. I never saw one, but my dad did. He was coming home late one evening, drove around a bend in the two lane back road, and caught the mountain lion fully in his headlights as it crossed the road. That was about two miles away from my house, As a senior in high school I worked on a golf course next to Zoar Valley, one of the wildest parts of the State. I hated going back to the pump house in the woods at night. Thanks for the memories.
I think we’re talking about slightly different cats – Panthera Leo (the lions with manes) and the Puma Concolor found in the western hemisphere and locally known as cougar, mountain lion, catamount, etc. That said, I have heard of mountain lions in the southern tier of western NY, but none are native breeding cats, rather they’re believed to be exotic pets who escaped or were set free. Regardless, I’m glad my post connected with you and I hope you and your family are safe and doing well.
Armen: Your post reminded me of my childhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The late Emperor Haile Selassie had a number of lions in a large circular cage on the palace grounds. We used to wake up to the lions’ roars to prepare for school. Though the sound came from kilometers away, it was perfectly audible — exactly like the MGM lion’s roar but lasting several minutes — and one could feel it vibrate inside the body. After 50 years, I still remember the power in those roars! As a child, I was under the impression that the emperor kept the lions as his alarm clock. Of course, the emperor aka the Lion of Judah, had a much more important reason. The lion was the symbol of his dynasty.
Hi Varouj, thanks for taking time to read my post and comment. I recall reading somewhere that a male lion’s roar can be heard for about five miles or a little over 8 Km. I hope you’re doing well.