Lions

Earlier this month, my kids and I took a trip to the zoo. We hadn't been to the zoo in years! My kids are both teens now, but it was so much fun to walk around, look at the animals, and reminisce about visiting the zoo during their younger years. We stopped at every exhibit, enjoying the beauty of the creatures, and sometimes laughing at the antics of the silly ones. It was a beautiful day, and I will cherish those memories. One animal that always stands out to me is the lion. The lioness was sitting on a rocky area, looking out at the scenery and people. She was behind some greenery, but we spotted her through the fence, and we watched her watching us. She looked so regal! The male lion was sprawled out on the grass, taking a nap. Not quite as majestic! I decided to dig in and learn a bit more about lions. Here is what I found out!

King of the Beasts

Lions are called Panthera leo, and they are from the cat family, specifically the Panthera genus. They are in this genus group along with the tiger, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard. They have been associated with strength since the earliest of times. They are called the "King of the Beasts" because of their large, well-muscled, strong bodies. They are at the top of the food chain, with no natural enemies. This makes them apex predators. They used to range across Europe, Asia, and Africa, but they are currently found mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Habitats and Prides

Lions can live in a variety of habitats, but they prefer savannahs, open grasslands, woodlands, or thick brush. They are the only cats that live in a group, called a pride. This makes me chuckle a bit because we have a cat in our home, and he most certainly would not want to live in a group of other cats. This trait of lions definitely makes them unique among cats. A pride usually contains several generations of female lions, called lionesses. There will be a few males mixed in for breeding, as well as the cubs that are still growing. A pride usually contains about 15 lions, but it can get as large as almost 40 lions.

You may wonder, why do lions live in prides? Well, it makes life easier for them. First of all, it makes hunting easier. Lions will often prey on animals like zebras, wildebeests, and antelopes. Lionesses will work together as they take down their prey. This makes it more likely that the prey will be captured, and it makes it less likely that the lions will be injured while hunting. The smaller lionesses will often try to push the prey toward the hunting group. Then, the larger and stronger lionesses will attack the prey. Living in a pride also makes cub raising easier. The male lions will often guard and protect the cubs when the lionesses are off hunting. However, in some areas, males do some of the hunting as well.

When you think of a lion cub, does an image of Simba from the Lion King come to mind? Lion cubs often have a thick coat with dark spots. Those spots lighten and disappear as the cub grows. Newborn cubs are pretty helpless when they are born. They are blind! They learn to follow their mothers by about three months of age, though. By six or seven months, they are weaned from their mother's milk, and by eleven months, they are joining in on the hunts! Talk about a quick childhood!

Evidence of God's Design

Lions truly are incredible creatures. They show evidence of design by a creator. One specific element of note is their teeth. Lions have 12 incisor teeth. These teeth can be used to help pull meat from bones, and they are also used in grooming. Lions also have four huge canine teeth. These canine teeth are useful in killing prey. They are not sharp. Instead, they are used to clamp onto prey. Lions often kill by strangulation, and these teeth are used to clamp down on the windpipe or nose of the prey being taken down. Lions also have carnassial teeth. These are the molar-type teeth. They are not used for grinding though. Lions don't chew their food; they just swallow it. Instead, these teeth are sharp and are used for cutting through meat. Additionally, lions can open their jaws almost a foot wide! Put all these facts together, and you can see why the lion is considered an apex predator in the food web!

It is also interesting to note details about the lion's tongue. It is covered in little backward-facing spines that make the tongue incredibly rough. This rough texture helps the lion to scrape meat from bones. It also is helpful as lions groom themselves and each other.

Lions bodies are built in such a way that they are able to run up to 50 miles per hour! This speed can only be maintained for short bursts of time, but it is useful in allowing the lion to ambush its prey and take it down quickly.

Lion of Judah

The "Lion of Judah" is a phrase with Biblical implications. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Jacob's sons would eventually become the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Judah includes descendants such as David, Solomon, and eventually Joseph (Jesus's earthly father).

Genesis 49: 8-12 says this: “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.”

This verse prophesied about Jesus well before He ever was born here on Earth. Jesus came from the line of Judah. The verse points to Jesus as our victorious king and deliverer. He came to deliver us from our sins and from our deserved fate. We are all sinners, every one of us. God cannot be near sin because He is perfect and He is holy. However, because of Jesus, we have hope. We can hope in the promise of eternal life with Him. Not because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus did. He came to live among us and to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. He was the sacrificial lamb, the penalty that needed to be paid for the sins of people. Because of His sacrifice, we can now draw near to God. Jesus is the Lamb of God and He is also the Lion of Judah, our conquering king. He conquered and defeated sin and death.

I love this song that references this idea: LION OF JUDAH

So the next time you are at the zoo, gazing at the lion's majesty, or the next time you are watching The Lion King with a young one, remember the amazing design of this incredible creature. And remember its connection to the King of Kings.

References

Allred, Brandi. “Lion Teeth: Everything You Need to Know.” A-Z Animals, 3 June 2024, https://a-z-animals.com/animals/lion/facts-lion/lion-teeth/. Accessed 28 September 2024.

Kays, Roland W. “Lion | Characteristics, Habitat, & Facts.” Britannica, 19 August 2024, https://www.britannica.com/animal/lion. Accessed 28 September 2024.

“Lion.” San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants, https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/lion. Accessed 28 September 2024.

“Lion.” Smithsonian's National Zoo, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/lion. Accessed 28 September 2024.

“Lion Physiology - Anatomy and Physiology of the African Lion.” African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, 4 July 2024, https://lionalert.org/lion-physiology/. Accessed 28 September 2024.

“Understanding Jesus as the Lion of Judah - Bible Meaning Explained.” Bible Study Tools, https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/powerful-reasons-to-know-god-as-the-lion-of-judah.html. Accessed 28 September 2024.

Check out these posts about other amazing animals:

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