You are sleeping on the savannah when a group of tourists passes by. The picture shows a lion just waking up.
The lion is a predator from the feline family. Only the tiger is bigger. In large parts of the world the lion is also called the king of the animals. In Europe, the lion only took over this role from the brown bear during the Middle Ages.
The lion has often been the subject of folklore and symbolism. The lion is depicted in the coats of arms of several countries, regions and cities, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Sri Lanka.
The lion can still be found in certain parts of Africa and in a small part of India, but in the past it was also common in the Middle East and in South-Eastern Europe. Lions live in groups (they are the only feline that lives mainly in social groups) and lionesses usually hunt together, making them a bigger hunting partner than male lions.