Lion facts

The lion has forever been a symbol of strength, power and ferocity.  During WWF tours to Africa, seeing the majestic species up-close is sure to be a spine-tingling experience.
10. African lions are the most social of all big cats and live together in groups or “prides.” A pride consists of about 15 lions.
9. Male lions defend the pride’s territory while females do most of the hunting. Despite this, the males eat first.
8. These majestic cats are threatened by habitat loss. The lion is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
7. The lion was once found throughout Africa, Asia and Europe but now exists only in Africa with one exception. The last remaining Asiatic lions are found in Sasan-Gir National Park in India, which was primarily created to protect the species. Currently, there are approximately 350-400 lions in the park.
6. A lion’s roar can be heard from as far as 5 miles away.
5. A lion can run for short distances at 50 mph and leap as far as 36 feet.
4. Even though the lion is sometimes referred to as the “king of the jungle,” it actually only lives in grasslands and plains. The expression may have come from an incorrect association between Africa and jungles or may refer to a less literal meaning of the word jungle.
3. A good gauge of a male lion’s age is the darkness of his mane. The darker the mane, the older the lion.
2. A lion’s heels don’t touch the ground when it walks.
1. A lion may sleep up to 20 hours a day.

Facts about Camels

• Camels used to roam the deserts for search of food as groups.
• Camels are calm animals and it rarely become aggressive..
• Contrary to popular misconception, camels do not store water in their humps. The humps are actually reservoirs for fatty tissue. Concentrating fat in their humps minimises insulation throughout the rest of the body, thus allowing camels to survive in such extreme hot regions.
• Asian camels have two humps whereas Arabian camels only have one.
• Camels have two rows of thick eyelashes to protect their eyes from the desert dust. They are also able to close their nostrils and lips to keep out the dust.
• Camels’ ears are small and hairy. However their sense of hearing is also extremely strong.
• Camels can drink up to seven litres of water in a day.
• In Arab cultures the camel symbolises patience, tolerance and endurance.
• Camels have played such an important role in Arabian culture that there are over 160 words for ‘camel’ in the Arabic language.
• There are 99 names of God in Islam. Somalis say, “Why does the camel smile? Because it knows the 100th name.”
• Camel pee can be as thick as syrup because they retain water.
• Camel milk is lower in fat and sugar than cow’s milk (unpasteurized, it can give you violent vomiting and runs. I know, I drank it in Somaliland and bore the consequences)
• A camel’s hump does not store water, it stores fat. (Tom knows, he ate camel hump, all fatty and jiggly with the former president of Somaliland)
• Camels have a double row of long, curly eyelashes to keep out sand and dust.
• Camels can drink up to 40 gallons of water at a time.
• One reason camels can go so long without water is because their red blood cells are oval-shaped. They flow, rather than clump, when the camel is dehydrated.
• Camel’s don’t start sweating until 41 degrees Celsius. (they sweat a lot in Djibouti, like everything else)
• Camels can go for up to two months without water.
• Camels can kick in all four directions with all four of their legs.