A lion in Maasai Mara, Kenya

© Scott Davis/Tandem Stills + Motio

'King of the jungle'? Nope. World Lion Day

Lions are known as 'the king of the jungle', but today, World Lion Day, let's set the record straight: Lions don't live in the jungle. Lions lounge in lordly leisure and hunt with ferocious focus on grasslands and plains. When they're not hunting, these majestic creatures appear deceptively cuddly and approachable. They nap, wrestle, groom each other—and an instant later they're chasing down a hapless gazelle or even a massive hippopotamus that's wandered too far from the safety of its river. Like the opening song of the classic 1994 movie 'The Lion King' says, it's the circle of life. Today's annual observance of World Lion Day is our opportunity to (ahem) lionize these majestic creatures and raise awareness about threats to their wellbeing: poaching, habitat destruction and other human-lion conflicts.