Asiatic lion

Panthera leo persicus

Asiatic lion Jayendra looking to the side in the sun. IMAGE: Amy Middleton (2022)

Status

NE DD LC NT VU EN CR EW EX

For more info on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org

There are two Asiatic lions here at Edinburgh Zoo – Jayendra (Jay) who was born in 2010 and moved here in 2012 from Bristol Zoo, and Bindee who joined us from Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse in 2024. 

It is estimated that just 600 Asiatic lions remain in the wild and they are only found in a single area, the Gir Forest in Gujarat, India, which makes them especially vulnerable to a disease outbreak or natural disaster. 

Asiatic lions used to range from Turkey, across Asia, to eastern India, but the rise of firearms across the world meant that they were hunted to near-extinction for sport.

The male Asiatic lion has a relatively short, sparse and darker mane compared to the fuller mane of the African lion. As a result, the male Asiatic lion's ears tend to remain visible at all times.

Today, the remaining wild lions are vulnerable to disease, disaster and potential poaching, and have to live alongside a growing human population that also needs the land for cattle and crops.

Population

decreasing_population_icon

Decreasing

Diet

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Carnivore

Habitat

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Rainforest

Fact file

  • Asiatic lions are only active for about four hours a day, they spend the rest of their time sleeping or at rest

  • In the wild these lions will live for between 16-18 years

  • The top speed of an Asiatic lion is 35mph

  • Only 600 of these incredible but endangered big cats remain in the wild, in an area smaller than Lothian

  • A lion's roar is the loudest of all big cats, reaching up to 114 decibels at a distance of one meter. It can be heard from as far as five miles away!

Latest Asiatic lion news

Asiatic lion male Jayendra looking at camera

IMAGE: Sian Addison 2018

Keep up with our lions

Lions are generally active at night and prefer to rest during the day so you will most likely find Jay snoozing on the camera!

Watch our lion live
Asiatic lion Kushanu looking at the camera (eye contact) IMAGE: Amy Middleton (2022)

How we're helping

Wild populations of Asiatic lions are in decline due to habitat loss and degradation. Here at RZSS, our lions are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) which ensures a healthy and genetically diverse population.

Like all the animals in our care, our lions are amazing ambassadors for their relatives in the wild and help hundreds of thousands of people connect with nature every year. They encourage visitors to learn about the threats facing wildlife and the action they can take to help create a world where nature is protected, valued, and loved.

As a wildlife conservation charity, we care for the animals here at the zoo and work to protect species at risk around the world. From providing expertise in genetics and veterinary health to protecting wild places with local conservation partners, and even restoring threatened species to the wild, we are active where we are needed most.

Find out more about RZSS conservation