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Possible bio facts included: lion hide, lion skull,
lion claw, whiskers, hairball, domestic cat hairball,
zebra hide, oryx horn, any hoof stock skull
Theme ideas
1. Are lions really “King of the Jungle?”.
2. Lions may enjoy a variety of menu items.
Lion
Touch
cart
Bio Fact Details
Lion hide: Public can touch.
• Lions have very short and soft fur due to their daily
grooming.
• Male lions have long shaggy manes attaching to
their skin and extend from the forehead to the
nape of the neck.
• A male lion’s mane is somewhat of a status
symbol. At a kill, the lion with the largest mane
often eats first. If another male spots a large
maned lion on the horizon, he will often keep his
distance. Manes may also buffer the males from
bites and slashes during fights. The mane starts
to become visible around 2 years of age.
• Sandy coloring of the coat helps the lion to blend in with the dry grasses of the savannah.
Guide
Lion skull & teeth: Docent holds and shows public
• All felid skulls (large cats) have a short face with a small nasal cavity and a short jaw length.
• Lions as well as all other large cats have a total of 30 teeth with the following dental formula:
I=3/3, C=1/1, Pm=3/2, M=1/2
• Molars and premolars are used for gripping and tearing. The upper premolar has two
purposes: there is a sharp cutting edge and the anterior end of the tooth is tough enough to
crush bone.
• Lions have 4 canines and are used primarily for grabbing and killing their prey.
• Lions cannot chew with the up and down mobility in which humans do, they can only move
their jaw in vertical movements. Due to this restriction you will often find lions tilting their
heads to the side to chew food.
Have the kids to pretend they are eating and show you how they move their jaws. Compare that
using the lion skull.
Lion claw: Show in container, do not remove
Retractable, razor sharp. Lions are able to take down prey three times their size.
Lion whiskers: Show in container, do not remove
Shed normally the same as the overall hair. Have you ever found a whisker from your house cat?
Probably not, lion whiskers, though used the same way as your house cat, are just are much larger
so the keepers are able to find them on the floor of their building.
Lion hairball: Show in container, do not remove
Hair that collects in the stomach and is compacted during grooming. Some of the hair passes
normally but during heavy shedding a hairball will form. The hairball irritates the stomach and is
eventually coughed up just like your house cat will do.
Volunteer Services
Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure
2
Lions – Culture
• Lions drew the chariot of the Roman goddess Juno.
• In the Hindu belief the lion represents Durga as destroyer of demons.
• Buddhists have the lion as Defender of the Law and Buddha sits on a lion throne.
• The ancient Chinese believed a lion took human form and fought in their wars.
• Sekhmet, the lion-headed goddess of Egyptian myths guarded against disease and disaster.
Prey itemsAny Hoof stock skull: Docent holds and show public
Compare skull with lion skull. Point out teeth differences, eye placement, jaw structure.
Hoof stock grind their diet of vegetation sometimes twice so their teeth are flatter and their lower jaw
attaches higher on their skull allowing for mobility while the ‘chew their cud’.
Zebra hide: Public can touch
One of the lions favorite meals.
How do zebra protect themselves from the lions? They have a powerful kick but also their stripes
confuse the lions when the zebra are in herds. The lion can become disorientated and not be able to
pick out just one to attack.
Zebra quick facts:
• Zebras have shiny coats that dissipate over 70 percent of incoming heat. Some scientist
believe that these stripes may help the zebra withstand the intense heat of the sun and
protect the zebra from blood-sucking insects.
• The black and white stripes are a form of camouflage called disruptive coloration that breaks
up the outline of the body and confuses predators by distorting true distance and shape.
• When grazing, the zebra uses its incisors to nip off the tips of the grass. Its strong, high
crowned ridged molars are used to crush and grind the coarse grass.
• A zebra can gallop 35 miles per hour or more. Their long legs, muscular bodies and large
lung enable them to run long distances without tiring or slowing down.
• The zebra’s acute senses of sight, hearing and smell enable the zebra to detect predators
before they attack. Zebras often stand next to each other, each facing a different direction,
when scouting for predators.
• Mutual grooming by herd members helps to develop and preserve family bonds.
• Travel pace is adjusted to accommodate the young, old and the weak herd members.
Oryx horn: Public can touch
Their horns are shaped like swords but do little to protect them against the grip of a lion.
Oryx quick facts:
• Scimitar horned oryx are endangered due to over hunting, habitat loss due to agriculture, and
livestock grazing.
• As of 1996, the only populations of scimitar-horned oryx still existing in the oryx’s former
range were vagrants in a reserve in Chad and a reintroduced population in a national park in
Tunisia.
• Both male and female oryx have 3-4 foot long horns.
• Oryx typically live in large groups of 20-40 animals or more.
• Baby oryx are born after a gestation period of approximately 240 days.
• Females often keep the calves concealed in brush to protect them from predators. As the
calves grow older, they may begin to associate with other calves in groups called crèches.
Calves nurse until they are 4½ months old.
Volunteer Services
Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure