The Social Cat Most wild cats are known to be solitary mammals, but there is one exception: the lion. Lions have caught the attention of many for their exciting sociality. Lions are group hunters; other cats are solitary hunters. Lions live in groups; the other cats live alone. In their article “The Brief Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion,” Quammen, David, and Michael Nichols explain that these cats are “the only truly sociable feline” (60). A common film in today's society, "The Lion King", depicts the lion as the “King of the Jungle”. Many humans see lions as ferocious, roaring animals that are at the top of the food chain. Lions will actually “rarely attack a human without provocation” (Lions). What we don't realize is that lions are seen as the “King of the Jungle” because they protect their pride, or the group they are part of. A pride generally consists of three to thirty lions. According to an article in National Geographic's “African Lion” magazine, “Prides are family units that can include up to three males, about a dozen females and their young. All lionesses in a pride are related, and females typically remain with the group as they age” (“African Lion”). Female lions, or lionesses, will typically remain with one pride for life. As a young male lion grows older, he will eventually leave his pride and establish his own pride. Young males sometimes roam for years until they are strong enough to lead their own pride. Generally the adult males of a pride are not related to the other lions in the pride. A pack's territory is typically about eighty square miles, but can be larger. Lions normally choose their territory based on water and prey. Once a pla... in the center of a sheet of paper is found... lions and lionesses continually interact with each other within their prides and when they try to find a new pride or "king [male to be the leader" of the 'pride]". Sociality is probably the most exciting aspect of lion life, considering that most other cats are nowhere near as social as the lion. Works cited "African Lion". National geographic. National Geographic Society, 1996-2013. Network. November 16, 2013. "The king of the jungle, the forest and the savannah." San Diego Zoo animals. San Diego Global Zoo, 2013. Web. November 14, 2013. “Lion.” Animal planet. Discovery Communications, 2013. Web. November 19, 2013. “Lion: Social Behavior.” The big cats. Np 2007. Web. November 18, 2013. Quammen, David and Michael Nichols. "The Brief Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion." National Geographic Magazine August 2013. National Geographic Virtual Library. Network. November 22. 2013.