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Big Cats

The Big Cat family includes lions, tigers, jaguars, panthers, leopards, cheetahs and cougars. Only the lion, tiger, panther, and jaguar can roar. These are sometimes called the Great Cats. All Big Cats are categorized as mammals as well as carnivores, which means that they eat meat.
All of the Big Cats are either threatened or endangered, which means that there are very few of them left in the world and if we don’t do something to protect them then they may disappear entirely.

African Lion
Lifespan: Up to 30 years
Weight: Up to 550 lbs
Size: Up to 10 1/2 feet long
Status: ThreatenedHabitat: Open savannah and desert areas of Africa south of the Sahara; also in the Gir Forest National Park in northwest India.
    Did you know?

  • A lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles away.
  • Only male lions have the large mane, but can lose it after being neutered.
  • Lions are the only cats that live in groups. These groups are called prides.
  • Lionesses do most of the hunting and the males defend the territory.
  • Like most cats, lions are nocturnal, sleeping around 21 hours a day.

Bengal Tiger
Lifespan: Up to 18 years
Weight: Up to 570 lbs
Size: Up to 10 feet long
Status: EndangeredHabitat: The Bengal tiger is most numerous in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans in eastern India and Bangladesh where the River Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal. They are also found in other areas of India, Nepal, and Burma.
Did you know?

  • In 1900 the tiger population of India was estimated at 40,000-50,000. By 1972, this number had dropped to 1,850.
  • No two tigers have exactly the same stripes.
  • A tiger’s roar can be heard as far as two miles away.
  • A hungry tiger can eat as much as 65 pounds in one night.
  • Once there were 8 tiger subspecies, but three became extinct in the 20th Century.

Cougar
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
Weight: Up to 200 lbs
Size: Up to 9 feet long
Status: EndangeredHabitat: The cougar thrives in montane coniferous forests, lowland tropical forests, swamps, grassland, dry brush country, or any other area with adequate cover and prey.
Did you know?

  • The cougar has the greatest natural distribution of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere except for man.
  • They can leap from the ground up to a height of 18 feet.
 
 

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