The lion (Panthera leo), often called the king of the jungle, is one of five big cats (others being tigers, jaguars, leopards, and snow leopards). And big they are; some male lions exceed 550 pounds! Wild lions currently live in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia, and some types of lions have disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Asia. Humans are their only natural enemy. Although they are not categorized as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, some experts say lions are at risk of extinction by 2020.
