Lion , member of the cat family whose size, power, and bearing have captured human imagination since earliest times. Called the king of beasts, lions once ranged throughout Africa and from Europe to Iran and India. By 1900 lions were no longer found in Syria; today Eurasian wild lions are limited to the Gir Sanctuary in India. Lions also roam Africa south of the Sahara, particularly the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the Kruger National Park in South Africa. This drastic reduction in range came about as humans and domestic livestock spread into savanna lands. Because lions live in open areas, they are easily shot by hunters and herders. In sanctuaries, however, they are a great attraction for tourists, and within such confines their survival is not endangered. Lions have relatively short-legged, long, muscular bodies and large heads. The male grows to 1.7 to 2.5 m (5.6 to 8.2 ft) long, not including the tail, which is 90 to 105 cm (36 to 41 in) in length. The animal stands 1.23 m (4 ft) high at the shoulder, and it weighs 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb). The mane, which covers the head and neck, sometimes extends to the shoulders and belly. It varies in length and in color, from black to tawny; well-fed, healthy lions have longer, fuller manes. The smaller, equally muscular females are of the same tawny color but lack manes. Both sexes have hooked claws and wide, powerful jaws. The lion's roar, which can be heard by humans up to 9 km (5.6 mi) away, is usually uttered before the animals hunt in the evening, after a successful hunt, and again in the early morning. In the open savannas they inhabit, lions need travel only about 8 km (about 5 mi) and spend only two to three hours a day in pursuit of food, passing the remaining hours resting and sleeping. Lions do not hunt every day .