Great wildlife of the animal kingdom

African Lions at Walt Disney World Resort
Spot African lion royalty in the fields at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom park. Or take a Savor the Savanna safari and see the big cats in action at night.

You can also encounter lions and other creatures on the thrilling three-hour Wild Africa Trek.

African lions in the wild
Although known as the king of the jungles, the lion does not live in jungles or forests. In fact, lions live in the flat savannas and thickets of sub-Saharan Africa, from the Serengeti Plains to South Africa.

Unlike most cats, lions are highly social, living in family groups (packs) that are ruled and protected by a dominant male. Packs usually consist of 20 to 30 lions, most of them females and their cubs.

African Lions at Disney: The home away from home
We take pride in taking care of our lion pride. The lion habitat at Disney's Animal Kingdom park has been created as authentically as possible, with open spaces, large trees for shade and protection, thickets and expansive views, like a true African savannah.

animal enhancement
Our lions have the opportunity to exhibit natural behaviors such as playing, hunting, running and memorizing scents. Developmental activities are carried out to promote physical activity, encourage problem solving and offer real options.

Meat and aromatherapy
What could be more refreshing on a hot summer day than raw meat or fish frozen in a block of ice – a big cat treat that keeps lions cool and also encourages them to use their teeth, paws and ingenuity to get to the objective. To promote hunting behaviors and provide exercise, super-stiff plastic balls are filled with lions' favorite scents: cinnamon, cloves and pumpkin pie.

Veterinary care and animal training
World-class care is a top priority at Disney. Sound cues are used to move lions from their exhibited habitat spaces to their nighttime roost, where they can voluntarily step onto a scale to be weighed and participate in their own preventive health checkups.

Disney Preservation: Protecting African Lions