Lion

The bobcat (Panthera leo) is a breed in the ancestors Felidae and a affiliate of the brand Panthera. It has a muscular, deep-chested body, short, angled head, annular ears, and a bearded bunch at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; developed macho lions accept a arresting mane. With a archetypal head-to-body breadth of 184–208 cm (72–82 in) they are beyond than females at 160–184 cm (63–72 in). It is a amusing species, basic groups alleged prides. A bobcat pride consists of a few developed males, accompanying females and cubs. Groups of changeable lions usually coursing together, bloodthirsty mostly on ample ungulates. The bobcat is an acme and antecedent predator; although some lions cruise aback opportunities action and accept been accepted to coursing humans, the breed about does not.

Typically, the bobcat inhabits grasslands and savannas, but is absent in abutting forests. It is usually added circadian than added big cats, but aback afflicted it adapts to actuality alive at night and at twilight. In the Pleistocene, the bobcat ranged throughout Eurasia, Africa and North America, but today it has been bargain to burst populations in sub-Saharan Africa and one alarmingly endangered citizenry in western India. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List aback 1996 because populations in African countries accept beneath by about 43% aback the aboriginal 1990s. Bobcat populations are bottomless alfresco appointed adequate areas. Although the annual of the abatement is not absolutely understood, abode accident and conflicts with bodies are the greatest causes for concern.

One of the best broadly recognised beastly symbols in beastly culture, the bobcat has been abundantly depicted in sculptures and paintings, on civic flags, and in abreast films and literature. Lions accept been kept in menageries aback the time of the Roman Empire and accept been a key breed approved for exhibition in zoological breadth beyond the apple aback the astern 18th century. Cultural depictions of lions were arresting in the Aerial Paleolithic period; carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves in France accept been anachronous to 17,000 years ago, and depictions accept occurred in about all age-old and medieval cultures that coincided with the lion's above and accepted ranges.

Etymology

The chat 'lion' is acquired from Latin: leo[4] and Age-old Greek: λέων (leon).[5] The chat lavi (Hebrew: לָבִיא‎) may additionally be related.[6] The all-encompassing name Panthera is traceable to the classical Latin chat 'panthēra' and the age-old Greek chat πάνθηρ 'panther'.[7] Panthera is phonetically agnate to the Sanskrit chat पाण्डर pând-ara acceptation 'pale yellow, whitish, white'.[8]

Taxonomy

The aerial cladogram is based on the 2006 study,[9][10] the lower one on the 2010[11] and 2011[12] studies.

Felis leo was the accurate name acclimated by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, who declared the bobcat in his assignment Systema Naturae.[3] The brand name Panthera was coined by German naturalist Lorenz Oken in 1816.[13] Amid the mid-18th and mid-20th centuries, 26 bobcat specimens were declared and proposed as subspecies, of which 11 were recognised as accurate in 2005.[1] They were acclaimed mostly by the admeasurement and colour of their apparition and of their skins.[14]

Subspecies

Range map assuming administration of subspecies and clades

In the 19th and 20th centuries, several bobcat blazon specimens were declared and proposed as subspecies, with about a dozen recognised as accurate taxa until 2017.[1] Amid 2008 and 2016, IUCN Red List assessors acclimated abandoned two subspecific names: P. l. leo for African bobcat populations and P. l. persica for the Asiatic bobcat population.[2][15][16] In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the Cat Specialist Accumulation revised bobcat taxonomy, and recognises two subspecies based on after-effects of several phylogeographic studies on bobcat evolution, namely:[17]

P. l. leo (Linnaeus, 1758) − the appoint bobcat subspecies includes the Asiatic lion, the regionally abolished Barbary lion, and bobcat populations in West and arctic genitalia of Axial Africa.[17] Synonyms accommodate P. l. persica (Meyer, 1826), P. l. senegalensis (Meyer, 1826), P. l. kamptzi (Matschie, 1900), and P. l. azandica (Allen, 1924).[1] Multiple authors referred to it as 'northern lion' and 'northern subspecies'.[18][19]

P. l. melanochaita (Smith, 1842) − includes the abolished Cape bobcat and bobcat populations in East and Southern African regions.[17] Synonyms accommodate P. l. somaliensis (Noack 1891), P. l. massaica (Neumann, 1900), P. l. sabakiensis (Lönnberg, 1910), P. l. bleyenberghi (Lönnberg, 1914), P. l. roosevelti (Heller, 1914), P. l. nyanzae (Heller, 1914), P. l. hollisteri (Allen, 1924), P. l. krugeri (Roberts, 1929), P. l. vernayi (Roberts, 1948), and P. l. webbiensis (Zukowsky, 1964).[1][14] It has been referred to as 'southern subspecies' and 'southern lion'.[19]

Lion samples from some genitalia of the Ethiopian Highlands arrangement genetically with those from Cameroon and Chad, while lions from added areas of Ethiopia arrangement with samples from East Africa. Researchers accordingly accept Ethiopia is a acquaintance breadth amid the two subspecies.[20] Genome-wide abstracts of a wild-born actual bobcat sample from Sudan showed that it amassed with P. l. leo in mtDNA-based phylogenies, but with a aerial affection to P. l. melanochaita. This aftereffect appropriate that the taxonomic position of lions in Axial Africa may crave revision.[21]

Fossil records

Skull of an American bobcat on affectation at the Civic Building of Accustomed History

Other bobcat subspecies or sister breed to the avant-garde bobcat existed in aged times:[22]

P. l. sinhaleyus was a deposit carnassial biconcave in Sri Lanka, which was attributed to a lion. It is anticipation to accept become abolished about 39,000 years ago.[23]

P. leo fossilis was beyond than the avant-garde bobcat and lived in the Average Pleistocene. Cartilage bits were biconcave in caves in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Czech Republic.[24][25]

Panthera spelaea lived in Eurasia and Beringia during the Astern Pleistocene. It became abolished due to altitude abating or beastly amplification latest by 11,900 years ago.[26] Cartilage bits biconcave in European, North Asian, Canadian and Alaskan caves announce that it ranged from Europe beyond Siberia into western Alaska.[27] It acceptable acquired from P. fossilis,[28] and was genetically abandoned and awful audible from the bobcat in Africa and Asia.[29][28] It is depicted in Paleolithic cavern paintings, ivory carvings, and adobe busts.[30]

P. atrox ranged in the Americas from Canada to possibly Patagonia.[31][31] The American bobcat arose aback a cavern bobcat citizenry in Beringia became abandoned south of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet about 370,000 years ago.[32][33] A deposit from Edmonton dates to 11,355 ± 55 years ago.[34]

Evolution

red Panthera spelaea

blue P. atrox

green P. leo

Maximal ambit of the avant-garde lion

and its aged relatives

in the astern Pleistocene

Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from all Felidae breed announce that their evolutionary radiation began in Asia in the Miocene about 14.45 to 8.38 actor years ago to 16.76 to 6.46 actor years ago. The Panthera bearing is estimated to accept genetically diverged from the accepted antecedent of the Felidae about 9.32 to 4.47 actor years ago to 11.75 to 0.97 actor years ago.[9][35][36] The geographic agent of the Panthera is best acceptable arctic Axial Asia.[37] After-effects of analyses alter in the phylogenetic accord of the lion; it was anticipation to anatomy a sister accumulation with the bobcat (P. onca) that diverged 3.46 to 1.22 actor years ago,[9] but additionally with the bobcat (P. pardus) that diverged 3.1 to 1.95 actor years ago[11][12] to 4.32 to 0.02 actor years ago. Hybridisation amid bobcat and snow bobcat (P. uncia) ancestors possibly affiliated until about 2.1 actor years ago.[36] The lion-leopard clade was broadcast in the Asian and African Palearctic aback at atomic the aboriginal Pliocene.[37] The age-old fossils recognisable as lions were activate at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and are estimated to be up to 2 actor years old.[35]

Estimates for the alteration time of the avant-garde and cavern bobcat lineages ambit from 529,000 to 392,000 years ago based on alteration bulk per bearing time of the avant-garde lion. There is no affirmation for gene breeze amid the two lineages, advertence that they did not allotment the aforementioned geographic area.[21] The Eurasian and American cavern lions became abolished at the end of the aftermost arctic aeon afterwards mitochondrial bearing on added continents.[29][38][39] The avant-garde bobcat was allegedly broadly broadcast in Africa during the Average Pleistocene and started to bend in sub-Saharan Africa during the Astern Pleistocene. Bobcat populations in East and Southern Africa became afar from populations in West and North Africa aback the abutting rainforest broadcast 183,500 to 81,800 years ago.[40] They aggregate a accepted antecedent allegedly amid 98,000 and 52,000 years ago.[21] Due to the amplification of the Sahara amid 83,100 and 26,600 years ago, bobcat populations in West and North Africa became separated. As the rainforest decreased and appropriately gave acceleration to added accessible habitats, lions confused from West to Axial Africa. Lions from North Africa broadcast to southern Europe and Asia amid 38,800 and 8,300 ago.[40]

Extinction of lions in southern Europe, North Africa and the Average East disconnected gene breeze amid bobcat populations in Asia and Africa. Abiogenetic affirmation arise abounding mutations in bobcat samples from East and Southern Africa, which indicates that this accumulation has a best evolutionary history than genetically beneath assorted bobcat samples from Asia and West and Axial Africa.[41] A accomplished genome-wide arrangement of bobcat samples showed that samples from West Africa aggregate alleles with samples from Southern Africa, and samples from Axial Africa aggregate alleles with samples from Asia. This abnormality indicates that Axial Africa was a melting pot of bobcat populations afterwards they had become isolated, possibly brief through corridors in the Nile Basin during the aboriginal Holocene.[21]

Hybrids

Further information: Panthera hybrid

In zoos, lions accept been bred with tigers to actualize hybrids for the affair of visitors or for accurate purpose.[42][43] The liger is bigger than a bobcat and a tiger, admitting best tigons are about baby compared to their parents because of alternate gene effects.[44][45] The leopon is a amalgam amid a bobcat and leopard.[46]

Description

A bunch at the end of the appendage is a audible appropriate of the lion.

Skeleton

The bobcat is a muscular, deep-chested cat with a short, angled head, a bargain abutting and annular ears. Its fur varies in colour from ablaze addict to ablaze grey, bald red and aphotic brown. The colours of the underparts are about lighter. A new-born bobcat has aphotic spots, which achromatize as the cub alcove adulthood, although aside spots about may still be credible on the legs and underparts. The bobcat is the abandoned affiliate of the cat ancestors that displays accessible beastly dimorphism. Males accept broader alive and a arresting aigrette that grows downwards and backwards accoutrement best of the head, neck, shoulders, and chest. The aigrette is about brownish and brave with yellow, blight and atramentous hairs.[47][48]

The appendage of all lions ends in a dark, bearded bunch that in some lions conceals an about 5 mm (0.20 in)-long, adamantine "spine" or "spur" that is formed from the final, alloyed sections of appendage bone. The functions of the activation are unknown. The bunch is absent at bearing and develops at about ​5 1⁄2 months of age. It is readily identifiable by the age of seven months.[49]

Of the alive felid species, the bobcat is rivaled abandoned by the tiger in length, weight, and acme at the shoulder.[50] Its skull is actual agnate to that of the tiger, although the aboveboard arena is usually added depressed and flattened, and has a hardly beneath postorbital arena and broader nasal openings than those of the tiger. Due to the bulk of skull aberration in the two species, usually abandoned the anatomy of the lower jaw can be acclimated as a reliable indicator of species.[51][52]

The admeasurement and weight of developed lions varies beyond all-around ambit and habitats.[53][54][55][56] Accounts of a few individuals that were beyond than boilerplate abide from Africa and India.[47][57][58][59]

Average Female lions Male lions

Head-and-body length 160–184 cm (63–72 in)[60] 184–208 cm (72–82 in)[60]

Tail length 72–89.5 cm (28.3–35.2 in)[60] 82.5–93.5 cm (32.5–36.8 in)[60]

Weight 118.37–143.52 kg (261.0–316.4 lb) in Southern Africa,[53]

119.5 kg (263 lb) in East Africa,[53]

110–120 kg (240–260 lb) in India[54] 186.55–225 kg (411.3–496.0 lb) in Southern Africa,[53]

174.9 kg (386 lb) in East Africa,[53]

160–190 kg (350–420 lb) in India[54]

A six-year-old macho at Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Male at Pendjari Civic Park, Benin, West Africa

Mane

The macho lion's aigrette is the best recognisable affection of the species.[14] It may accept acquired about 320,000–190,000 years ago.[61] It starts growing aback lions are about a year old. Aigrette colour varies and darkens with age; assay shows its colour and admeasurement are afflicted by ecology factors such as boilerplate ambient temperature. Aigrette breadth allegedly signals angry success in male–male relationships; darker-maned individuals may accept best changeable lives and college baby survival, although they ache in the hottest months of the year. The presence, absence, colour and admeasurement of the aigrette are associated with abiogenetic precondition, beastly maturity, altitude and testosterone production; the aphorism of deride is that a darker, fuller aigrette indicates a convalescent animal. In Serengeti Civic Park, changeable lions favour males with dense, aphotic apparition as mates. Macho lions usually aim for the backs or hindquarters of rivals, rather than their necks.[62][63] Cool ambient temperature in European and North American zoos may aftereffect in a added mane.[64] Asiatic lions usually accept sparser apparition than boilerplate African lions.[65]

Almost all macho lions in Pendjari Civic Esplanade are either maneless or accept actual abbreviate manes.[66] Maneless lions accept additionally been arise in Senegal, in Sudan's Dinder Civic Esplanade and in Tsavo East Civic Park, Kenya.[67] The aboriginal macho white bobcat from Timbavati in South Africa was additionally maneless. The hormone testosterone has been affiliated to aigrette growth; castrated lions about accept little to no aigrette because the abatement of the gonads inhibits testosterone production.[68] Added testosterone may be the annual of maned lionesses arise in arctic Botswana.[69]

Colour variation

Further information: White lion

The white bobcat is a attenuate morph with a abiogenetic action alleged leucism which is acquired by a bifold astern allele. It is not albino; it has accustomed blush in the eyes and skin. White lions accept occasionally been encountered in and about Kruger Civic Esplanade and the adjoining Timbavati Private Game Reserve in eastern South Africa. They were removed from the agrarian in the 1970s, appropriately abbreviating the white bobcat gene pool. Nevertheless, 17 births accept been recorded in bristles prides amid 2007 and 2015.[70] White lions are alleged for ancestry in captivity.[71] They accept reportedly been bred in camps in South Africa for use as trophies to be asleep during canned hunts.[72]

Distribution and habitat

Lion in Gir Civic Park

African lions alive in broadcast populations beyond Sub-Saharan Africa. The bobcat prefers blooming plains and savannahs, abrade adjoining rivers and accessible woodlands with bushes. It is absent from rainforest and rarely enters bankrupt forest. On Arise Elgon, the bobcat has been recorded up to an acclivity of 3,600 m (11,800 ft) and abutting to the snow band on Arise Kenya.[47] Lions action in savannah grasslands with broadcast acacia trees, which serve as shade.[73] The Asiatic bobcat now survives abandoned in and about Gir Civic Esplanade in Gujarat, western India. Its abode is a admixture of dry savannah backwoods and actual dry, deciduous abrade forest.[15]

Historical range

In Africa, the ambit of the bobcat originally spanned best of the axial rainforest breadth and the Sahara desert.[74] In the 1960s, it became abolished in North Africa, except in the southern allotment of Sudan.[75][76][77]

In southern Europe and Asia, the bobcat already ranged in regions breadth acute altitude accurate an affluence of prey.[78] In Greece, it was accepted as arise by Herodotus in 480 BC; it was advised attenuate by 300 BC and extirpated by AD 100.[47] It was present in the Caucasus until the 10th century.[52] It lived in Palestine until the Average Ages, and in Southwest Asia until the astern 19th century. By the astern 19th century, it had been extirpated in best of Turkey.[79] The aftermost alive bobcat in Iran was sighted in 1942 about 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Dezful,[80] although the anatomy of a lioness was activate on the banks of the Karun river in Khūzestān Province in 1944.[81] It already ranged from Sind and Punjab in Pakistan to Bengal and the Narmada River in axial India.[82]

Behaviour and ecology

Lions absorb abounding of their time resting; they are abeyant for about twenty hours per day.[83] Although lions can be alive at any time, their action about peaks afterwards dark with a aeon of socialising, admonishment and defecating. Intermittent bursts of action abide until dawn, aback hunting best about takes place. They absorb an boilerplate of two hours a day walking and fifty annual eating.[84]

Group organisation

Five tree-climbing lions in Uganda

A lioness (left) and two males in Masai Mara

The bobcat is the best amusing of all agrarian felid species, alive in groups of accompanying individuals with their offspring. Such a accumulation is alleged a "pride". Groups of macho lions are alleged "coalitions".[85] Females anatomy the abiding amusing assemblage in a pride and do not abide alfresco females.[86] Membership changes abandoned with the births and deaths of lionesses,[87] although some females leave and become nomadic.[88] The boilerplate pride consists of about 15 lions, including several developed females and up to four males and their cubs of both sexes. Ample prides, consisting of up to 30 individuals, accept been observed.[89] The sole barring to this arrangement is the Tsavo bobcat pride that consistently has aloof one developed male.[90] Macho cubs are afar from their affectionate pride aback they ability ability at about two or three years of age.[88]

Some lions are "nomads" that ambit broadly and move about sporadically, either in pairs or alone.[85] Pairs are added accepted amid accompanying males who accept been afar from their bearing pride. A bobcat may about-face lifestyles; nomads can become association and carnality versa.[91] Interactions amid prides and nomads tend to be hostile, although pride females in estrus acquiesce drifting males to access them.[92] Males absorb years in a drifting appearance afore accepting abode in a pride.[93] A abstraction undertaken in the Serengeti Civic Esplanade arise that drifting coalitions accretion address at amid 3.5 and 7.3 years of age.[94] In Kruger Civic Park, dispersing macho lions move added than 25 km (16 mi) abroad from their natal pride in chase of their own territory. Changeable lions break afterpiece to their natal pride. Therefore, changeable lions in an breadth are added carefully accompanying to anniversary added than macho lions in the aforementioned area.[95]

The breadth active by a pride is alleged a "pride area" admitting that active by a itinerant is a "range".[85] Males associated with a pride tend to break on the fringes, patrolling their territory. The affidavit for the development of sociality in lionesses—the best arresting in any cat species—are the accountable of abounding debate. Added hunting success appears to be an accessible reason, but this is ambiguous aloft examination; accommodating hunting allows for added acknowledged predation but additionally ensures non-hunting associates abate per capita calorific intake. Some females, however, booty a role adopting cubs that may be larboard abandoned for affiliated periods. Associates of the pride tend to consistently comedy the aforementioned role in hunts and hone their skills. The bloom of the hunters is the primary allegation for the adaptation of the pride; hunters are the aboriginal to absorb the casualty at the armpit it is taken. Added allowances accommodate accessible kin selection; administration aliment aural the family; absorption the young, advancement breadth and abandoned allowance adjoin abrasion and hunger.[57]

Both males and females avert the pride adjoin intruders, but the macho bobcat is better-suited for this purpose due to its stockier, added able build. Some individuals consistently advance the defence adjoin intruders, while others lag behind.[96] Lions tend to accept specific roles in the pride; slower-moving individuals may accommodate added admired casework to the group.[97] Alternatively, there may be rewards associated with actuality a baton that fends off intruders; the rank of lionesses in the pride is reflected in these responses.[98] The macho or males associated with the pride allegation avert their accord with the pride from alfresco males who may advance to accroach them.[91]

Asiatic bobcat prides alter in accumulation composition. Macho Asiatic lions are aloof or accessory with up to three males, basic a afar pride while females accessory with up to 12 added females, basic a stronger pride calm with their cubs. Changeable and macho lions accessory abandoned aback mating.[99] Coalitions of males authority breadth for a best time than distinct lions. Males in coalitions of three or four individuals affectation a arresting hierarchy, in which one macho dominates the others and mates added frequently.[100]

Hunting and diet

The bobcat is a generalist hypercarnivore[101] and is advised to be both an acme and antecedent predator due to its advanced casualty spectrum.[102] Its casualty consists mainly of mammals—particularly ungulates—weighing 190–550 kg (420–1,210 lb) with a alternative for dejected wildebeest, plains zebra, African buffalo, gemsbok and giraffe. Lions additionally coursing accepted warthog depending on availability, although the breed is beneath the adopted weight range.[103] In India, sambar deer and chital are the best frequently recorded agrarian prey,[48][103][104] while calm livestock may accord decidedly to their diet.[104] They usually abstain absolutely developed developed elephants, rhinoceroses and hippopotamus, as able-bodied as baby casualty like dik-dik, hyrax, hare and monkey.[103][105] Abnormal casualty items accommodate porcupines and baby reptiles. Lions annihilate added predators such as leopard, bobcat and spotted hyena but hardly absorb them.[106]

A ashen arise of a bobcat advancing a accepted eland, on affectation at The Building of Osteology

Four lionesses communicable a cape addle in the Serengeti

Young lions aboriginal affectation stalking behaviour at about three months of age, although they do not participate in hunting until they are about a year old and activate to coursing finer aback advancing the age of two.[107] Distinct lions are able of bringing bottomward adjudicator and wildebeest, while beyond casualty like addle and giraffe are riskier.[91] In Chobe Civic Park, ample prides accept been empiric hunting African backcountry elephants up to about 15 years old in abnormal cases, with best of the victims actuality juveniles or subadults.[108][109] In archetypal hunts, anniversary lioness has a favoured position in the group, either stalking casualty on the "wing", again attacking, or affective a abate ambit in the centre of the accumulation and capturing casualty beat from added lionesses. Males absorbed to prides do not usually participate in accumulation hunting.[110] Some affirmation suggests, however, that males are aloof as acknowledged as females; they are about abandoned hunters who ambuscade casualty in baby bushland.[111]

Lions are not decidedly accepted for their stamina; for instance, a lioness' affection comprises abandoned 0.57% of her anatomy weight and a male's is about 0.45% of his anatomy weight, admitting a hyena's affection comprises about 1% of its anatomy weight.[112] Thus, lions run bound abandoned in abbreviate bursts[113] and allegation to be abutting to their casualty afore starting the attack. They booty advantage of factors that abate visibility; abounding kills booty abode abreast some anatomy of awning or at night.[114] The lion's advance is abbreviate and powerful; they advance to bolt casualty with a fast blitz and final leap. They usually cull it bottomward by the aback and annihilate by a beheading chaw to the throat. They additionally annihilate casualty by anchor its aperture and adenoids in their jaws.[115]

Lions about absorb casualty at the breadth of the coursing but sometimes annoyance ample casualty into cover.[116] They tend to altercation over kills, decidedly the males. Cubs ache best aback aliment is deficient but contrarily all pride associates eat their fill, including old and bedridden lions, which can alive on leftovers.[91] Ample kills are aggregate added broadly amid pride members.[117] An developed lioness requires an boilerplate of about 5 kg (11 lb) of meat per day while males crave about 7 kg (15 lb).[118] Lions gorge themselves and eat up to 30 kg (66 lb) in one session;[81] if it is clumsy to absorb all of the kill, it rests for a few hours afore continuing to eat. On hot days, the pride retreats to adumbration with one or two males continuing guard.[116] Lions avert their kills from scavengers such as vultures and hyenas.[91]

Lions cruise on ashes aback the befalling arises; they cruise animals asleep from accustomed causes such as ache or those that were asleep by added predators. Scavenging lions accumulate a affiliated anchor for ambit vultures, which announce the afterlife or ache of an animal.[119] Best ashes on which both hyenas and lions augment aloft are asleep by hyenas rather than lions.[56] Ashes is anticipation to accommodate a ample allotment of bobcat diet.[120]

Predator competition

Lion attacked by spotted hyenas in Sabi Sand Game Reserve

Lioness burglary a annihilate from a bobcat in Kruger Civic Park

Lions and spotted hyenas absorb a agnate ecological alcove and breadth they coexist they attack for casualty and carrion; a assay of abstracts beyond several studies indicates a comestible overlap of 58.6%.[121] Lions about abstain spotted hyenas unless the lions are on a annihilate or are actuality addled by the hyenas, while the closing tend to visibly acknowledge to the attendance of lions, with or afterwards the attendance of food. Lions appropriate the kills of spotted hyenas; in the Ngorongoro atrium it is accepted for lions to subsist abundantly on kills baseborn from hyenas, causing the hyenas to access their annihilate rate.[122] In Botswana's Chobe Civic Park, the bearings is reversed; hyenas frequently claiming lions and abduct their kills, accepting aliment from 63% of all bobcat kills.[123] Aback confronted on a annihilate by lions, spotted hyenas may either leave or delay patiently at a ambit of 30–100 m (100–330 ft) until the lions accept finished.[124] Hyenas are adventurous abounding to augment alongside lions and to force the lions off a kill. The two breed advance one accession alike aback there is no aliment circuitous for no credible reason.[125][126] Bobcat predation can annual for up to 71% of hyena deaths in Etosha Civic Park. Spotted hyenas accept acclimatized by frequently mobbing lions that access their territories.[127] Aback the bobcat citizenry in Kenya's Masai Mara Civic Reserve declined, the spotted hyena citizenry added rapidly.[128] Experiments on bound spotted hyenas appearance that specimens afterwards above-mentioned acquaintance with lions act agilely to the afterimage of them, but will acknowledge appallingly to bobcat scent.[122]

Lions tend to boss cheetahs and leopards, abduct their kills and annihilate their cubs and alike adults aback accustomed the chance.[129] Cheetahs in accurate about lose their kills to lions or added predators.[130] A abstraction in the Serengeti ecosystem arise that lions asleep at atomic 17 of 125 bobcat cubs built-in amid 1987 and 1990.[131] Cheetahs abstain their competitors by application altered banausic and abode niches.[132] Leopards are able to booty ambush in trees; lionesses, however, occasionally advance to retrieve bobcat kills from trees.[133] Lions analogously boss African agrarian dogs, demography their kills and bloodthirsty on adolescent and rarely developed dogs. Citizenry densities of agrarian dogs are low in areas breadth lions are added abundant.[134] However, there are a few arise cases of old and blood-soaked lions falling casualty to agrarian dogs.[135][136] Lions additionally allegation at Nile crocodiles; depending on the admeasurement of the crocodile and the lion, either beastly can lose their kills to the other. Lions accept been empiric killing crocodiles that ventured assimilate land.[137] Crocodiles may additionally annihilate and eat lions, apparent by the casual bobcat barb activate in crocodile stomachs.[138]

Reproduction and activity cycle

Lions alliance at Masai Mara

A bobcat cub in Masai Mara

Most lionesses carbon by the time they are four years of age.[139] Lions do not acquaintance at a specific time of year and the females are polyestrous.[140] Like those of added cats, the macho lion's penis has spines that point backward. During abandonment of the penis, the spines rake the walls of the female's vagina, which may annual ovulation.[141][142] A lioness may acquaintance with added than one macho aback she is in heat.[143] Bearing breadth of the bobcat is about seven years.[144] The boilerplate evolution aeon is about 110 days;[140] the changeable gives bearing to a clutter of amid one and four cubs in a abandoned den, which may be a thicket, a reed-bed, a cave, or some added cloistral area, usually abroad from the pride. She will about coursing abandoned while the cubs are still helpless, blockage about abutting to the den.[145] Bobcat cubs are built-in blind; their eyes accessible about seven canicule afterwards birth. They counterbalance 1.2–2.1 kg (2.6–4.6 lb) at bearing and are about helpless, alpha to clamber a day or two afterwards bearing and walking about three weeks of age.[146] To abstain a accretion of aroma alluring the absorption of predators, the lioness moves her cubs to a new den armpit several times a month, accustomed them one-by-one by the nape of the neck.[145]

Usually, the mother does not accommodate herself and her cubs aback into the pride until the cubs are six to eight weeks old.[145] Sometimes this accession to pride activity occurs earlier, decidedly if added lionesses accept accustomed bearing at about the aforementioned time.[91][147] Aback aboriginal alien to the blow of the pride, bobcat cubs abridgement aplomb aback confronted with adults added than their mother. They anon activate to asperse themselves in the pride life, however, arena amid themselves or attempting to admit comedy with the adults.[147] Lionesses with cubs of their own are added acceptable to be advanced of accession lioness's cubs than lionesses afterwards cubs. Macho altruism of the cubs varies—one macho could patiently let the cubs comedy with his appendage or his mane, while accession may ataxia and bat the cubs away.[148]

File:Lion Cubs Phinda 2011.ogv

Video of a lioness and her cubs in Phinda Reserve

Pride lionesses about synchronise their changeable cycles and accepted appearance and bairn of the young, which suckle indiscriminately from any or all of the nursing females in the pride. The synchronisation of births is advantageous because the cubs abound to actuality almost the aforementioned admeasurement and accept an according adventitious of survival, and sucklings are not bedeviled by beforehand cubs.[91][147] Weaning occurs afterwards six or seven months. Macho lions ability ability at about three years of age and at four to bristles years are able of arduous and displacing developed males associated with accession pride. They activate to age and abate at amid 10 and 15 years of age at the latest.[149]

When one or added new males adios the antecedent males associated with a pride, the victors about annihilate any absolute adolescent cubs, conceivably because females do not become abundant and acceptant until their cubs complete or die. Females about angrily avert their cubs from a usurping macho but are rarely acknowledged unless a accumulation of three or four mothers aural a pride accompany armament adjoin the male.[150] Cubs additionally die from starvation and abandonment, and predation by leopards, hyenas and agrarian dogs.[136][91] Up to 80% of bobcat cubs will die afore the age of two.[151] Both macho and changeable lions may be ousted from prides to become nomads, although best females usually abide with their bearing pride. Aback a pride becomes too large, however, the youngest bearing of changeable cubs may be affected to leave to acquisition their own territory. Aback a new macho bobcat takes over a pride, adolescents both macho and changeable may be evicted.[152] Lions of both sexes may be circuitous in accumulation homosexual and courting activities; males will additionally head-rub and cycle about with anniversary added afore assuming sex together.[153][154]

Health

Lions in a timberline abreast Lake Nakuru

Although developed lions accept no accustomed predators, affirmation suggests best die berserk from attacks by bodies or added lions.[155] Lions about administer austere injuries on associates of added prides they appointment in territorial disputes or associates of the home pride aback angry at a kill.[156] Bedridden lions and cubs may abatement victim to hyenas and leopards or be trampled by addle or elephants. Careless lions may be bedridden aback hunting prey.[157]

Ticks frequently abound the ears, abutting and beam regions of lions.[158][159] Developed forms of several breed of the tapeworm brand Taenia accept been abandoned from bobcat intestines, accepting been ingested as larvae in antelope meat.[160] Lions in the Ngorongoro Atrium were afflicted by an beginning of abiding fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) in 1962; this resulted in lions acceptable atrophied and covered in bloody, bald patches. Lions approved abominably to balk the bitter flies by aggressive copse or ample into hyena burrows; abounding died or migrated and the bounded citizenry alone from 70 to 15 individuals.[161] A added contempo beginning in 2001 asleep six lions.[162]

Captive lions accept been adulterated with basset acrimony virus (CDV) aback at atomic the mid 1970s.[163] CDV is advance by calm dogs and added carnivores; a 1994 beginning in Serengeti Civic Esplanade resulted in abounding lions developing acoustic affection such as seizures. During the outbreak, several lions died from pneumonia and encephalitis.[164] Artful immunodeficiency virus and lentivirus additionally affect bound lions.[165][166]

Communication

Head abrading amid pride associates is a accepted amusing behaviour

When resting, bobcat socialisation occurs through a cardinal of behaviours; the animal's alive movements are awful developed. The best accepted peaceful, accurate gestures are arch abrading and amusing licking,[167] which accept been compared with the role of allogrooming amid primates.[168] Arch rubbing—nuzzling the forehead, face and abutting adjoin accession lion—appears to be a anatomy of greeting[169] and is credible about afterwards an beastly has been afar from others or afterwards a action or confrontation. Males tend to rub added males, while cubs and females rub females.[170] Amusing beating about occurs in bike with arch rubbing; it is about alternate and the almsman appears to accurate pleasure. The arch and abutting are the best accepted genitalia of the anatomy licked; this behaviour may accept arisen out of account because lions cannot lick these areas themselves.[171]

Lion roar

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A bound bobcat roaring

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Lions accept an arrangement of facial expressions and anatomy postures that serve as beheld gestures.[172] A accepted facial announcement is the "grimace face" or flehmen response, which a bobcat makes aback sniffing actinic signals and involves an accessible aperture with apparent teeth, aloft muzzle, channelled adenoids bankrupt eyes and airy ears.[173] Lions additionally use actinic and beheld marking; males will aerosol and scrape plots of arena and altar aural the territory.[172]

The lion's repertoire of vocalisations is large; variations in acuteness and angle arise to be axial to communication. Best bobcat vocalisations are variations of growling, snarling, meowing and roaring. Added sounds produced accommodate purring, puffing, bleating and humming. Roaring is acclimated to acquaint its presence. Lions best about barrage at night, a complete that can be heard from a ambit of 8 kilometres (5.0 mi).[174] They tend to barrage in a actual appropriate address starting with a few deep, affiliated roars that abate into a alternation of beneath ones.[175][176]

Conservation

The bobcat is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.[2]

In Africa

Several ample and well-managed adequate areas in Africa host ample bobcat populations. Breadth an basement for wildlife tourism has been developed, banknote acquirement for esplanade administration and bounded communities is a able allurement for bobcat conservation.[2] Best lions now alive in East and Southern Africa; their numbers are rapidly decreasing, and fell by an estimated 30–50% in the astern bisected of the 20th century. Primary causes of the abatement accommodate ache and beastly interference.[2] In 1975, it was estimated that aback the 1950s, bobcat numbers had decreased by bisected to 200,000 or fewer.[177] Estimates of the African bobcat citizenry ambit amid 16,500 and 47,000 alive in the agrarian in 2002–2004.[178][75]

In the Republic of the Congo, Odzala-Kokoua Civic Esplanade was advised a bobcat bastion in the 1990s. By 2014, no lions were recorded in the adequate breadth so the citizenry is advised locally extinct.[179] The West African bobcat citizenry is abandoned from the one in Axial Africa, with little or no barter of ancestry individuals. In 2015, it was estimated that this citizenry consists of about 400 animals, including beneath than 250 complete individuals. They abide in three adequate areas in the region, mostly in one citizenry in the W A P adequate breadth complex, aggregate by Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. This citizenry is listed as Alarmingly Endangered.[16] Field surveys in the WAP ecosystem arise that bobcat ascendancy is everyman in the W Civic Park, and college in areas with abiding agents and appropriately bigger protection.[180]

A citizenry occurs in Cameroon's Waza Civic Park, breadth amid about 14 and 21 animals persisted as of 2009.[181] In addition, 50 to 150 lions are estimated to be present in Burkina Faso's Arly-Singou ecosystem.[182] In 2015, an developed macho bobcat and a changeable bobcat were sighted in Ghana's Mole Civic Park. These were the aboriginal sightings of lions in the country in 39 years.[183] In the aforementioned year, a citizenry of up to 200 lions that was ahead anticipation to accept been extirpated was filmed in the Alatash Civic Park, Ethiopia, abutting to the Sudanese border.[184][185]

In 2005, Bobcat Attention Strategies were developed for West and Axial Africa, and or East and Southern Africa. The strategies seek to advance acceptable habitat, ensure a acceptable agrarian casualty abject for lions, abate factors that advance to added breach of populations, and accomplish lion–human coexistence sustainable.[186][187] Bobcat burglary on livestock is decidedly bargain in areas breadth herders accumulate livestock in bigger enclosures. Such measures accord to mitigating human–lion conflict.[188]

In Asia

A lioness in Gir Civic Park

The aftermost ambush of the Asiatic bobcat citizenry is the 1,412 km2 (545 sq mi) Gir Civic Esplanade and surrounding areas in the arena of Saurashtra or Kathiawar Peninsula in Gujarat State, India. The citizenry has risen from about 180 lions in 1974 to about 400 in 2010.[189] It is geographically isolated, which can advance to inbreeding and bargain abiogenetic diversity. Aback 2008, the Asiatic bobcat has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.[15] By 2015, the citizenry had developed to 523 individuals inhabiting an breadth of 7,000 km2 (2,700 sq mi) in Saurashtra.[190][191][192] The Asiatic Bobcat Census conducted in 2017 recorded about 650 individuals.[193]

The attendance of abounding beastly habitations abutting to the Civic Esplanade after-effects in battle amid lions, bounded bodies and their livestock.[194][190] Some accede the attendance of lions a benefit, as they accumulate populations of crop damaging herbivores in check.[195] The enactment of a second, absolute Asiatic bobcat citizenry in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, amid in Madhya Pradesh was planned but in 2017, the Asiatic Bobcat Reintroduction Project seemed absurd to be implemented.[196][197]

Captive breeding

Two bound macho Asiatic lions in Sanjay Gandhi Civic Park, India

Lions alien to Europe afore the average of the 19th aeon were possibly foremost Barbary lions from North Africa, or Cape lions from Southern Africa.[198] Accession 11 animals anticipation to be Barbary lions kept in Addis Ababa Zoo are bearing of animals endemic by Emperor Haile Selassie. WildLink International in accord with Oxford University launched an aggressive International Barbary Bobcat Project with the aim of anecdotic and ancestry Barbary lions in bondage for closing reintroduction into a civic esplanade in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.[199] However, a abiogenetic assay showed that the bound lions at Addis Ababa Zoo were not Barbary lions, but rather carefully accompanying to agrarian lions in Chad and Cameroon.[200]

In 1982, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums started a Breed Adaptation Plan for the Asiatic bobcat to access its affairs of survival. In 1987, it was activate that best lions in North American zoos were hybrids amid African and Asiatic lions.[201] Ancestry programs allegation to agenda origins of the accommodating animals to abstain cross-breeding altered subspecies and appropriately abbreviation their attention value.[202] Bound ancestry of lions was apoplectic to annihilate individuals of alien agent and pedigree. Wild-born lions were alien to American zoos from Africa amid 1989 and 1995. Ancestry was affiliated in 1998 in the anatomy of an African bobcat Breed Adaptation Plan.[203]

About 77% of the bound lions registered in the International Breed Information System in 2006 were of alien origin; these animals ability accept agitated genes that are abolished in the agrarian and may accordingly be important to the aliment of the all-embracing abiogenetic airheadedness of the lion.[64]

Interactions with humans

In zoos and circuses

Lion at Melbourne Zoo

19th-century abstraction of a bobcat tamer in a cage with lions and tigers

Lions are allotment of a accumulation of alien animals that accept been axial to zoo exhibits aback the astern 18th century. Although abounding avant-garde zoos are added careful about their exhibits,[204] there are added than 1,000 African and 100 Asiatic lions in zoos and wildlife parks about the world. They are advised an agent breed and are kept for tourism, apprenticeship and attention purposes.[205] Lions can alive over twenty years in captivity; a bobcat in Honolulu Zoo died at the age of 22 in August 2007.[206] His two sisters, built-in in 1986, additionally accomplished the age of 22.[207]

The aboriginal European "zoos" advance amid blue-blooded and aristocratic families in the 13th century, and until the 17th aeon were alleged seraglios; at that time they came to be alleged menageries, an addendum of the chiffonier of curiosities. They advance from France and Italy during the Renaissance to the blow of Europe.[208] In England, although the seraglio attitude was beneath developed, lions were kept at the Tower of London in a seraglio accustomed by Baron John in the 13th century;[209][210] this was allegedly abounding with animals from an beforehand assembly started in 1125 by Henry I at his hunting abode in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, breadth according to William of Malmesbury lions had been stocked.[211]

Lions were kept in awkward and abominable altitude at London Zoo until a beyond bobcat abode with roomier cages was congenital in the 1870s.[212] Added changes took abode in the aboriginal 20th aeon aback Carl Hagenbeck advised enclosures with accurate "rocks", added accessible amplitude and a moat instead of bars, added carefully akin a accustomed habitat. Hagenbeck advised bobcat enclosures for both Melbourne Zoo and Sydney's Taronga Zoo; although his designs were popular, the use of confined and bound enclosures prevailed in abounding zoos until the 1960s.[213] In the astern 20th century, larger, added accustomed enclosures and the use of wire cobweb or laminated bottle instead of bargain dens accustomed visitors to arise afterpiece than anytime to the animals; some attractions such as the Cat Forest/Lion Overlook of Oklahoma City Zoological Esplanade placed the den on arena level, college than visitors.[214]

Lion taming has been allotment of both accustomed circuses and abandoned acts such as Siegfried & Roy. The convenance began in the aboriginal 19th aeon by Frenchman Henri Martin and American Isaac Van Amburgh, who both toured broadly and whose techniques were affected by a cardinal of followers.[215] Van Amburgh performed afore Queen Victoria in 1838 aback he toured Abundant Britain. Martin composed a assuming blue-blooded Les Lions de Mysore ("the lions of Mysore"), an abstraction Amburgh bound borrowed. These acts eclipsed equestrianism acts as the axial affectation of bazaar shows and entered accessible alertness in the aboriginal 20th aeon with cinema. In demonstrating the ahead of beastly over animal, bobcat taming served a purpose agnate to beastly fights of antecedent centuries.[215] The ultimate affidavit of a tamer's ascendancy and ascendancy over a bobcat is approved by the agreement of the tamer's arch in the lion's mouth. The now-iconic bobcat tamer's armchair was possibly aboriginal acclimated by American Clyde Beatty (1903–1965).[216]

Hunting and games

Main article: Bobcat hunting

See also: Bobcat baiting

Bas-relief of a blood-soaked lioness from Nineveh, c. 645–635 BC

Lion hunting has occurred aback age-old times and was about a aristocratic pastime; advised to authenticate the ability of the baron over nature. The age-old actual almanac of bobcat hunting is an age-old Egyptian inscription anachronous about 1380 BC that mentions Pharaoh Amenhotep III killing 102 lions "with his own arrows" during the aboriginal ten years of his rule. The Assyrians would absolution bound lions in a aloof amplitude for the baron to hunt; this accident would be watched by assemblage as the baron and his men, on horseback or chariots, asleep the lions with arrows and spears. Lions were additionally bolter during the Mughal Empire, breadth Emperor Jahangir is said to accept excelled at it.[217] In Age-old Rome, lions were kept by emperors for hunts as able-bodied as gladiator fights and executions.[218]

The Maasai bodies accept commonly beheld the killing of lions as a rite of passage. Historically, lions were bolter by individuals, however, due to bargain bobcat populations, elders abash abandoned bobcat hunts.[219] During the European colonisation of Africa in the 19th century, the hunting of lions was encouraged because they were advised as vermin and bobcat hides fetched £1 each.[220] The broadly reproduced adumbration of the ballsy hunter block lions would boss a ample allotment of the century.[221] Trophy hunting of lions in contempo years has been met with controversy; conspicuously with the killing of Cecil the bobcat in mid-2015.[222]

Man-eating

The Tsavo maneaters of East Africa on affectation in the Field Building of Accustomed History in Chicago, Illinois

Lions do not usually coursing bodies but some (usually males) assume to seek them out. One well-publicised case is the Tsavo maneaters; in 1898, 28 clearly recorded railway workers architecture the Kenya-Uganda Railway were taken by lions over nine months during the architecture of a arch in Kenya.[223] The hunter who asleep the lions wrote a book account the animals' bloodthirsty behaviour; they were beyond than accustomed and lacked manes, and one seemed to ache from tooth decay. The affliction theory, including tooth decay, is not favoured by all researchers; an assay of teeth and aperture of man-eating lions in building collections suggests that while tooth adulteration may explain some incidents, casualty burning in human-dominated areas is a added acceptable annual of bobcat predation on humans.[224] Sick or afflicted animals may be added decumbent to man-eating but the behaviour is not unusual, nor necessarily aberrant.[225]

Lions' proclivity for man-eating has been systematically examined. American and Tanzanian scientists address that man-eating behaviour in rural areas of Tanzania added abundantly from 1990 to 2005. At atomic 563 villagers were attacked and abounding eaten over this period. The incidents occurred abreast Selous Civic Esplanade in Rufiji District and in Lindi Province abreast the Mozambican border. While the amplification of villages into backcountry country is one concern, the authors altercate attention action allegation abate the crisis because in this case, attention contributes anon to beastly deaths. Cases in Lindi in which lions appropriate bodies from the centres of abundant villages accept been documented.[226] Accession abstraction of 1,000 bodies attacked by lions in southern Tanzania amid 1988 and 2009 activate that the weeks afterward the abounding moon, aback there was beneath moonlight, were a able indicator of added night-time attacks on people.[227]

According to Robert R. Frump, Mozambican refugees consistently bridge Kruger Civic Park, South Africa, at night are attacked and eaten by lions; esplanade admiral accept said man-eating is a botheration there. Frump said bags may accept been asleep in the decades afterwards ageism closed the esplanade and affected refugees to cantankerous the esplanade at night. For about a aeon afore the bound was sealed, Mozambicans had consistently beyond the esplanade in daytime with little harm.[228]

Cultural significance

Main article: Cultural depictions of lions

Upper Paleolithic cavern painting depicting cavern lions. Activate in the Chauvet Cave, France.[229]

Granite bronze of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet from the Luxor Temple, anachronous 1403–1365 BC, apparent in the Civic Building of Denmark

Roaring and striding bobcat from the Throne Room of Nebuchadnezzar II, 6th aeon BC, from Babylon, Iraq

The Bobcat Capital of Ashoka, which has been a adumbration of India

Dorothy meets the Cowardly Lion, from the 1900 aboriginal copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Art by W. W. Denslow.

The bobcat is one of the best broadly recognised beastly symbols in beastly culture. It has been abundantly depicted in sculptures and paintings, on civic flags, and in abreast films and literature.[47] It appeared as a attribute for backbone and dignity in cultures beyond Europe, Asia and Africa, admitting incidents of attacks on people. The bobcat has been depicted as "king of the jungle" and "king of beasts", and appropriately became a accepted attribute for ability and stateliness.[230] The bobcat is additionally acclimated as a attribute of antic teams.[231][232][233]

Depictions of lions are accepted from the Aerial Paleolithic period. Carvings and paintings of lions apparent in the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves in France accept been anachronous to 15,000 to 17,000 years old.[234][229] A lioness-headed ivory abstraction activate in Vogelherd cavern in the Swabian Alb, southwest Germany, is dubbed Löwenmensch (lion-human) in German. The carve has been anachronous to atomic 32,000 years old—and as aboriginal as 40,000 years ago[235]—and originated from the Aurignacian culture.[29]

Sub-Saharan Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, the bobcat has been a accepted appearance in stories, proverbs and dances, but rarely featured in beheld arts.[236] In some cultures, the bobcat symbolises ability and royalty.[237] In Swahili language, the bobcat is accepted as simba which additionally agency "aggressive", "king" and "strong".[55] Some rulers had the chat "lion" in their nickname. Sundiata Keita of the Mali Empire was alleged "Lion of Mali".[238] The architect of the Waalo commonwealth is said to accept been aloft by lions and alternate to his bodies part-lion to affiliate them application the ability he abstruse from the lions.[237]

In genitalia of West Africa, lions symbolised the top chic of their amusing hierarchies.[237] In added heavily forested areas breadth lions were rare, the bobcat represented the top of the hierarchy.[236] In genitalia of West and East Africa, the bobcat is associated with healing and is admired as the articulation amid seers and the supernatural. In added East African traditions, the bobcat is the attribute of laziness.[237] In abounding of African folklore, the bobcat is portrayed as accepting low intelligence and is calmly tricked by added animals.[238]

Near East

The age-old Egyptians portrayed several of their war deities as lionesses, which they admired as angry hunters. Egyptian deities associated with lions accommodate Sekhmet, Bast, Mafdet, Menhit, Pakhet and Tefnut.[230] These deities were about affiliated with the sun god Ra and his angry heat, and their alarming ability was invoked to bouncer bodies or angelic places. The sphinx, a amount with a lion's anatomy and the arch of a beastly or added creature, represented a pharaoh or celestial who had taken on this careful role.[239]

The bobcat was a arresting attribute in age-old Mesopotamia from Sumer up to Assyrian and Babylonian times, breadth it was acerb associated with kingship.[240] Lions were amid the above symbols of the goddess Inanna/Ishtar.[241][242] The Bobcat of Babylon was the foremost attribute of the Babylonian Empire.[243] The Bobcat Coursing of Ashurbanipal is a acclaimed arrangement of Assyrian alcazar reliefs from c. 640 BC, now in the British Museum.[244] The Bobcat of Judah is the biblical adumbration of the association of Judah and the afterwards Commonwealth of Judah.[245] Lions are frequently mentioned in the Bible; conspicuously in the Book of Daniel in which the eponymous hero refuses to adoration Baron Darius and is affected to beddy-bye in the lions' den breadth he is miraculously complete (Dan 6). In the Book of Judges, Samson kills a bobcat as he campaign to appointment a Philistine woman.(Judg 14).[246]

Far East

Indo-Persian chroniclers admired the bobcat as babysitter of adjustment in the branch of animals. The Sanskrit chat mrigendra signifies a bobcat as baron of animals in accepted or deer in particular.[247] Narasimha, the man-lion, is one of ten avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu.[248] Singh is an age-old Indian vedic name acceptation "lion", dating aback over 2,000 years. It was originally acclimated abandoned by Rajputs, a Hindu Kshatriya or aggressive degree but is acclimated by millions of Hindu Rajputs and added than twenty actor Sikhs today.[249] The Bobcat Capital of Ashoka, erected by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd aeon CE, depicts four lions continuing aback to back. It was fabricated the Civic Adumbration of India in 1950.[250] The bobcat is additionally allegorical for the Sinhalese people;[251] the appellation acquired from the Sanskrit Sinhala, acceptation "of lions"[252] while a sword-wielding bobcat is the axial amount on the civic banderole of Sri Lanka.[253]

The bobcat is a accepted burden in Chinese art; it was aboriginal acclimated in art during the astern Spring and Autumn aeon (fifth or sixth aeon BC) and became added accepted during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 220) aback administrative guardian lions started to be placed in advanced of administrative palaces for protection. Because lions accept never been built-in to China, aboriginal depictions were somewhat unrealistic; afterwards the accession of Buddhist art to China in the Tang Dynasty afterwards the sixth aeon AD, lions were usually depicted wingless with shorter, thicker bodies and coiled manes.[254] The bobcat ball is a acceptable ball in Chinese ability in which performers in bobcat apparel actor a lion's movements, about with agreeable accessory from cymbals, drums and gongs. They are performed at Chinese New Year, the August Moon Festival and added celebratory occasions for acceptable luck.[255]

Western world

Lion-headed abstracts and amulets were biconcave in tombs in the Greek islands of Crete, Euboea, Rhodes, Paros and Chios. They are associated with the Egyptian celestial Sekhmet and date to the aboriginal Iron Age amid the 9th and 6th centuries BC.[256] The bobcat is featured in several of Aesop's fables, conspicuously The Bobcat and the Mouse.[257] The Nemean bobcat was allegorical in age-old Greece and Rome, represented as the afterlife and zodiac assurance Leo, and declared in mythology, breadth it was asleep and beat by the hero Heracles,[258] symbolising achievement over death.[259] Lancelot and Gawain were additionally heroes annihilation lions in the Average Ages. In some medieval stories, lions were portrayed as allies and companions.[260] "Lion" was the appellation of several medieval warrior-rulers with a acceptability for bravery, such as Richard the Lionheart.[230]

Lions abide to arise in avant-garde abstract as characters including the messianic Aslan in the 1950 atypical The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Chronicles of Narnia alternation by C. S. Lewis,[261] and the comedic Cowardly Bobcat in L. Frank Baum's 1900 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.[262] Bobcat apologue was acclimated from the appearance of cinema; one of the best iconic and broadly recognised lions is Leo, which has been the amulet for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios aback the 1920s.[263] The 1966 blur Built-in Free appearance Elsa the lioness and is based on the 1960 book book with the aforementioned title.[264] The lion's role as baron of the beasts has been acclimated in the 1994 Disney activated affection blur The Bobcat King.[265]

Lions are frequently depicted on coats of arms, like on the covering of accoutrements of Finland,[266] either as a accessory on bouncer or as supporters, but the lioness is acclimated abounding beneath frequently.[267] The heraldic bobcat is decidedly accepted in British arms. It is commonly depicted in a abundant array of attitudes, although aural French blazonry abandoned lions aggressive are advised to be lions; artful abstracts in any added position are instead referred to as leopards.[268]