Welcome to John's Katanga Lion Website.

Hello, my name is John. Welcome to my website and all its going to be about is “The Katanga Lion.” 

The Katanga lion is also known as the Southwest African lion. 

The Katanga lion is scientifically recognized as belonging to the family of cats Felidae and to the branch Panthera leo melanochaita, in particular. These lions are also known as South West African Lions, due to their habitat. They are often confused with the now extinct Cape Lion, however, they are in some way related to them. 

Katanga lions are endemic to southwestern Africa. Their range extends from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, and Angola, to northern Botswana via Zambia and Zimbabwe. Their habitat gradually reduced over time due to human encroachments and the rampant hunting of these creatures. 

These African lions are among the largest in the world. The bodies of adult Katanga Lions are 8.2 to 9.8 feet long, whereas adult Katanga lionesses are slightly smaller, their body length ranging from 7.5 to 8.5 feet. Adult lions weigh anywhere between 140 to 250 kg, and Katanga lionesses weigh between 105 to 170 kgs. This heavy mass is integral to the lion’s survival as it makes hunting and overpowering their prey easier. The coloration of the Katanga lion’s mane gets deeper as it matures, directly related to increases in its testosterone levels.