Do lions live in dens and caves or under shady trees?

Question

just wondering if lions live in dens and caves because I asked my teachers and they said yes. Then they asked me if i've seen lion king. But I thought that lions (from the nature movies) rest and live under trees?

Answer 1

both

Answer 2

Today, when we think of lions, we tend to think of the African veld and its wide spaces.  Remember, however, that lions recently inhabited much of Asia and some of Europe.  In a temperate or tropical area, living in the open makes sense, but "the lion's den" is more than just an expression.  Like most cats, they would prefer a protected place during inclement weather.  Now, if you were filming a show on lions, where would you rather look for them?

Answer 3

Just shady trees. Sometimes they live in dens, but not often. Almost all lions live in Africa in the savannah where there aren't any dens. Also, the lions refuse to make dens because they're quite lazy. It's easier for them to just lay down under trees and there is no downside to doing this. The only lions out of Africa are a group of lions who live in India and they can live in either. Lions generally just prefer shady trees though.

Answer 4

Your teachers are mistaken, and it is extremely unprofessional of them to suggest a Disney movie as a source of information about the natural world - do they also think lions make friends with warthogs and meerkats?

The only time a lion has a den is when a mother has very young cubs. The den may be a cave or just a dense patch of vegetation, and provides cover for the cubs whilst they are small and helpless. The mother will move the cubs to different dens from time to time in order to minimize the build-up of scent and parasites. Once they are large and old enough to be less vulnerable, the mother will take them to join the rest of the pride (this usually happens when the cubs are about 6 weeks old). From this time onwards, they will live in the open. They will of course rest in the shade of trees during the day, but this is not a 'home' as such - it's just a place to sleep out of the sun. The small population of Asiatic lions, found in India, live in the Gir Forest - they spend their lives under the trees rather than on the open savannah like lions in Africa, but again, they do not have a particular place to 'den' as such.