The lion is very large cat with a balanced and well-proportioned body and a large head. Its coat varies from tawny to brownish-yellow with a black-tipped tail and black patches on its ears. The males have a heavy body-color, brown, or black mane.

The lion may be found in all parts of Africa south of the Sahara and in the Gir Forest of India and, until recently, in all parts of the Near East and on the Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas of Europe, where it hunts by night or day, from the ground, and seeks game of all types. The females do most of the hunting. It has been known to scavenge.

The lion is unique in that it is the only wild cat that lives in a group, called a pride, consisting of one mature male and any number of females, cubs, and immature males.