‘The King of the Jungle’
An interesting title, considering it’s presented to an animal that ‘Doesn’t Live in the Jungle’!
It’s true. No matter how glorified a picture of the ‘Lion King’ we might have garnered from the beloved Disney classic, there are no real-life ‘Mufasas’. In other words, no young lion cubs who might one day grow up to become Kings!
We at EuroKids are out on a mission. A mission to debunk the several ‘myths’ about Lions that abound. That is, including the ‘King of the Jungle’ myth, of course! In this article we have compiled for you some truly wonderful Lion Facts for Kids. From answering the question ‘Why is the Lion the King of the Jungle’, to shedding light on the Truth about Lions you erstwhile didn’t know before, we have it all covered here.
Are you ready? Embark upon a trek into our Sanctuary of Lion Knowledge, and uncover all the Lion Information for Kids you have ever wanted to know!
Lion Facts for Kids: Debunking the Most Common Lion Myths
The following are the most common Lion ‘Myths’, debunked by accurate Lion ‘Truths’.
Myth 1: The Lion is the King of the Jungle
Why is the Lion called the King of the Jungle, then? The following ‘Facts’ serve to debunk both ‘Parts’ of this most popular Myth surrounding Lions.
- Fact 1: Lions don’t have a ‘leader’ as such
- Fact 2: They live in ‘treeless jungles’.
Living in an ‘egalitarian’ society, there is no place for a ‘Lion King’.
You heard that right! The fact of the matter is, lions live in places ranging from savannahs to rocky hills, but certainly not jungles.
Bonus Fact: There is also another myth doing the rounds. Namely, that the ‘Lion cannot be killed because he is the King of the Jungle’. That is simply not true. The lion is most susceptible to being killed, be it by another animal or even human beings!
Myth 2: The Lion is Weak during the Day
That is about as far from the truth, as any other Lion Myth!
Fact: The lion is just not as active and alert during the day, as it is at nighttime. That being said, it will most definitely attack any animal that threatens it during the day, with the very same ferocity as it would at night.
Myth 3: A Lion with a Mane is a Successful Male
Yet another Lion Myth, that is wrong on two levels.
- Fact 1: A more voluminous Lion Mane, does not serve as an indication of the potential to successfully woo a mate. Neither does it serve as an indication of their indisputable strength. In fact, there have been ‘Maneless’ Male Lions in Tsavo, that were successful in not only defending their territory, but in attracting mates, too!
- Fact 2: Not all lions with a Mane are Male
That’s right. A case in point here would be Lionesses with Manes observed in Botswana!
Myth 4: White Lions are Albinos
Another common misconception about Lions that needs to be rectified.
Fact: White Lions are not Albino Lions, although Albino Lions do exist. In fact, White Lions have a decreased amount of the pigment ‘melanin’, which serves to control the colour of the lion’s fur and eyes.
Bonus Fact: It’s the difference in the eye-colouring of albino and white lions, that helps differentiate between them. While white lions have blue eyes, the eyes of albino lions are generally pink or red.
Myth 5: You die when you kill a Lion
This one’s a Lion Myth that was strongly believed in during ancient times.
Fact: No, you will not die if you kill a lion. However, you might find yourself in prison, if you do. That is, thanks to the improved Wildlife Laws!
Myth 6: The Female Lion does most of the Hunting
Yet another tidbit of Information About the Lion for Kids, that is entirely misleading.
Fact: If recent research is to be believed, the lion has about the same ‘hunting success rate’, as his lioness counterpart.
We at EuroKids encourage you to present this Lion Information for Kids to your children today, to help them imbibe Lion Truths and not Myths. That being said, The Lion might not be King of the Jungle any longer in your child’s eyes, but they will certainly be no less Royal!
