Most lions featured in art and culture focus on the males—regal specimens with lithe, muscled bodies and glorious manes. Yet, 75% (or more) of adult lions in the wild are female! Certainly, we should give the lady lions a little more attention. Especially since the lionesses do most of the hunting and raising of the young. But, regrettably, this gender imbalance amongst lions highlights the tragic fate most of their males face: a gauntlet of life-or-death challenges under the constant spectre of Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest." These "Leonine Social Dynamics" illustrate a grim picture of the raw, unforgiving "Law of the Jungle."
Lions are organized within tight, durable family groups called prides. There is one dominant male, a few females, and whatever cubs happen to be toddling about. Lion cubs, of either sex, face tough odds getting enough food or avoiding other dangers—including being killed by other lions. But the male leader of the pride does his best to protect his offspring.
When a young male lion reaches sexual maturity, at about the age of two, his father will kick him out of the pride. Female offspring stay with the family. The father wants no potential (male) competition for rulership of the pride. This confused youngster—think of him as a 15 year old human boy—is now alone in the world. He must hunt, find shelter, avoid danger, and (most of all) never trespass the territory of another pride, which would lead to his being attacked (and, probably, killed). Avoiding other lions will likely force him into closer contact with humans—which presents a whole new set of dangers. In a few cases, a dispossessed young male may gang-up (temporarily) with other male outcasts (usually relatives of the same general age).
The next big challenge for a young male lion is establishing his own pride. There is only one practical way for him to do this: to attack and kill the male leader of an existing pride—usually an aging, weakened lion. During such a battle, the female lions usually will not get involved in defending their existing male partner (unless the fight threatens her cubs). Should the new male succeed, he will, indeed, kill the previous male's cubs. He doesn't want his predecessor's genetics going-forth into the world; he wants to advance his own progeny. Furthermore, nursing adult females are usually unresponsive to the male's attempts to mate. In this primitive world of animal instinct, expanding one's genetic posterity is the most important reason for living.
Once a victorious male has survived this ordeal—and made it to the top of a male lion's Hierarchy of Needs—his biggest threat is a younger, stronger male who seeks to take his pride. But there is another increasing curse: trophy hunters (primarily rich American men) who shoot and kill about 700 male lions a year. They pay (big money) to kill the peak specimens, the biggest, strongest, boldest male lions (who have succeeded, against-the-odds, in winning a pride). When these alpha males (who already have been winnowed-down my nature) are killed by trophy hunters, it throws their prides into chaos. The family is leaderless. The females (and, especially, their cubs) are now vulnerable to attack. Lion populations in Africa already have fallen 95% in the last 50 years. And male lions have such a small chance of surviving, as it is. In some regions, males have been reduced to 8% of the population—due to unscrupulous trophy hunters.
For some people, it's enticing to seek parallels between these Darwinian, animalistic survival dynamics and the in-born nature of modern humankind—as a means to justify their violent and ruthless behaviors. (And it's curious that such "Survival of the Fittest" proponents are the least likely to defend Darwin!). However, if you believe that people have evolved beyond their deep-seated, prehensile animal urges, it's obvious that humans (should) have developed values and ways of living which escape the gravitational pull of crude animal instinct. Most faith traditions have ways of explaining why humans should not (must not) allow animalism to drive their thinking and behavior—by the development of conscience, values and reason (see The Garden of Eden).
It's also time to ban certain trophy hunting (felines, elephants, rhinos)—and to ban the importation of such "animal trophies" into the United States. Perhaps all those manly-man who wish to kill the battle-tested leader of a lion family should do as Hercules did: only be allowed to kill the lion with his bare hands—each creature using nothing more than that which God endowed him. That would be a true measure of a hunter's skill, bravery and fortitude.
Shown here, a cast bronze lioness sculpture. Click on the photo above to learn more about her.
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