Serengeti National Park, known far and wide as having the oldest ecosystem in the world with a diverse range of flora and fauna, is also home to over 3,000 lions. From this number, hundreds of prides can be found, giving the park the proud privilege of having one of the largest lion populations in the entire continent.
Then read on and find out…
Firstly, Why Is a Group of Lions Called a “Pride”…
Why not a “cat”-alogue (a set of cats)?
Or a “league of lions” (an alliteration that smoothly rolls off the tongue)?
Or even a “monarchy” (they ARE kings and queens after all)?
Nobody really knows how this term of venery came about. The most plausible or widely accepted explanation about the etymology of this collective phrasing comes from the 1400s, when animals are described using the “personality” or perceived characteristics of the animal in question. During this period, terms like “a shrewdness of apes/monkeys”, “a murder of crows” and “a bask/float of crocodiles”, among others, became popular.
The size of a pride can vary greatly. On average, a typical pride is comprised of around four females, two males and a few Cubs. And then there are the big ones, the super prides, which can number up to 43 individuals and take up a large and prominent territory. Due to the difficulties in defending and feeding a pride this large, super prides are very rare and quite often, end up getting broken up and scattered into smaller groups during lean times.
Like a lot of the planet’s wild creatures, the lion population all over the world, has been on a steady decline for decades. Trophy hunting, climate change, loss of habitat, and human-lion conflict are among the many reasons why even Serengeti’s formidable prides are not spared from this troubling trend.
Add these to the fact that lions, in general, have very short life spans and cub mortality rates, make protecting the prides a necessary project that requires top priority.
To know more about the various wildlife you can see and activities you can experience in the Serengeti email us or visit onenaturehotels.com.
