Behavior Lions do not normally climb trees, but lionesses and young may jump into low branches to sun themselves or to reach a cached kill. The lion is the only big cat which is typically gregarious in habit. Within this group there are reproductive, hierarchial, and social relationships. Females tend to form the stable population of the pride with the males drifting off by themselves or with other males from time to time. The males have the task of defending the pride from other males and defining the territory belonging to the pride.
Females are responsible for hunting and care of the young.
Prides may consist of 4-5 individuals, up to 30. Lions are diurnal and nocturnal, and most hunting occurs at night. The usual method of killing is to leap at the prey and break the neck with the front paws. A rigid hierarchial pattern follows, with the males eating first, then the females, and lastly the young. Prides do not usually kill daily, but every 2-3 days.