AFRICAN LION


Scientific Name: Panthera leo

IUCN Status: Vulnerable

Habitat: Sub-Saharan Africa and the Gir Forest in India

Diet: Zebras, impalas, wildebeests, antelope and gazelle. When prey is scarce, a lion will eat almost anything.

Life Span: Ten years in the wild, longer in captivity

Reproduction: A lioness has cubs about every 2 years, and will have 2 to 5 cubs.

Fact: Unlike most members of the cat family, lions are social animals that live in family groups of 20 to 30 lions called a pride.




RETICULATED GIRAFFE


Scientific Name: Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata

IUCN Status: Least concern

Habitat: In the savannas south of the Sahara in Africa

Diet: Leaves of the acacia, mimosa, and other trees

Life Span: 20 years

Reproduction: A female giraffe can reproduce as early as 4 years of age, and will give birth to 1 calf about 15 months after mating. A baby giraffe is nearly 6' tall at birth and grows another 10'!

Fact: Giraffes are born with horns that lay flat against their heads then pop up during the first week of life.




WHITE RHINOCEROS

Scientific Name: Ceratotherium simum

IUCN Status: Near threatened

Habitat: Southern and Central Africa with long and short grass savannahs (treeless plains or grasslands characterized by scattered trees, especially in regions having seasonal rains).

Diet: As herbivores, they eat grass, succulent plants and other vegetation.

Life Span: About 40 - 50 years

Reproduction: Females reach maturity at about six years. After mating, the females will usually have one calf after a gestation period of 15 - 18 months. The calf will stay with its mother for two to three years.

Fact: The White Rhino has survived for over 40 million years, but is now endangered because of poaching (illegal hunting) and the destruction of its natural habitat.