Group hunts and nurseries to raise children — get an inside look at the complex social structures of lions.
Contrary to most other cats, lions are social beings.
Lions live in groups called prides, which typically consist of females (lionesses), their dependent offspring, and a coalition or band of two-three resident males. These prides defend their territory, which ranges from 20 square km (8 square miles) or as far a 400 square km, and may belong to some prides for generations.
Because they are fission-fusion societies, the size of a pride varies over time and sometimes throughout the day — breaking off into smaller groups (fission) to hunt before coming back together to sleep (fusion).
