8 “The Lion King” Animal Species In Real Life (With Pictures)
Contents
The Lion King is a family favorite, and its characters are based on real African animals. We went through the movie and listed the species behind its most famous characters.
Many animals appear for only a few seconds, so we focused on the main cast first, then the background animals.
Before we start, here is one of the best clips from The Lion King.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAOBcT7pUOs
Lion – Mufasa, Simba, Scar
There are three main male lions in The Lion King. Mufasa is the king and Simba's father, Simba is his son and heir, and Scar is Mufasa's jealous brother who wants the throne.
Lions live mainly in Africa south of the Sahara. A small population of the Asiatic lion also survives in India's Gir Forest.
According to the Smithsonian's National Zoo, lions stand about 3.5 to 4 feet tall at the shoulder. Males can reach about 10 feet long, plus a 2- to 3-foot tail, and weigh 330 to 550 pounds. Females weigh about 265 to 395 pounds.
Lions are often called the "king of the jungle," though they actually live mostly in grasslands and savannas. In the movie, Mufasa's pride rules the Pride Lands, and the other animals respect them.
A pride can have from several to as many as 40 members, plus one or more resident males. Lions mark their territory by roaring and by scent marking with urine.
Lioness – Sarabi, Sarafina, Nala
There are many lionesses in the movie, but the best known are Sarabi, Sarafina, and Nala. Sarabi is Simba's mother, and Sarafina is Nala's mother.
The movie gets this part right: lionesses are the primary hunters and raise the cubs. Males sometimes join hunts, but their main role is defending the pride's territory.
Related Article: If you raise a lion from birth will it attack you?
Hyena – Shenzi, Banzai, Ed
The hyena trio in the film is Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. Their look matches the spotted hyena, the largest hyena species. The other true hyenas are the brown hyena and the striped hyena.
In the movie, Shenzi, a female, leads the group. That matches real life: spotted hyena clans are led by females, and females are larger than males and dominant over them.
Hyenas are known as scavengers, but spotted hyenas are skilled hunters that kill much of their own food, including wildebeest and zebras. Lions often steal hyena kills, and hyenas steal from lions too.
Spotted hyenas are also intelligent, social animals with complex clan relationships. Also, cheetahs are scared of hyenas.
Related Article: Can Hyenas Be Pets?
Baboon – Rafiki
Rafiki is the wise old monkey who presents baby Simba to the animals of the Pride Lands. He is usually described as a baboon, though his colorful face looks more like a mandrill's.
Baboons are large monkeys that live in Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. They are noisy, social animals that live in troops.
Baboons spend much of the day foraging, playing, and grooming each other. At night they retreat to safe sleeping spots such as trees or cliffs.
Hornbill – Zazu
Zazu is the little bird who serves as the king's royal advisor. He is a red-billed hornbill.
Red-billed hornbills live in savanna, woodland, and thorn scrub in sub-Saharan Africa. They eat insects, fruit, and small animals.
They are among the smaller hornbills, with white underparts, a long tail, and a long, curved red bill. Females have a smaller bill than males.
Meerkat – Timon
Timon, the funny, fast-talking little guy, is a meerkat.
According to the San Diego Zoo, a meerkat's body is about 9 to 11.5 inches long. Meerkats live in groups called mobs or gangs, with up to 40 members.
One dominant pair produces most of the pups, and the dominant female is usually in charge. Other adults help guard, feed, and raise the young.
Meerkats belong to the mongoose family. The dark patches around their eyes cut down on the sun's glare.
Warthog – Pumbaa
Pumbaa is a warthog and Timon's best friend.
Like Pumbaa, real warthogs usually run rather than fight, but they will defend themselves when cornered. The San Diego Zoo notes they can run about 34 mph and use their sharp lower canine teeth as weapons.
Lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and other predators hunt warthogs. They often back into their burrows so their tusks face the entrance.
Blue Wildebeest
The wildebeest stampede is one of the movie's most famous scenes. Scar and the hyenas start the stampede, Mufasa saves Simba, and then Scar throws Mufasa back into the herd.
Blue wildebeest are named for the bluish-gray sheen of their coat. More than a million of them live in the Serengeti ecosystem.
Living in huge herds is their main defense against predators. During their yearly migration, they face lions, hyenas, and crocodile-filled rivers.
Vulture
Vultures appear when Simba collapses in the desert after running away. They circle overhead before Timon and Pumbaa scare them off, which is how the pair first meets Simba.
There are about 23 vulture species worldwide, and many of them are threatened or endangered.
Vultures feed mainly on carrion, the bodies of dead animals. By cleaning up carcasses, they help limit the spread of disease.
Other Animals Shown In The Lion King Movie
Below are other animal species that appear in The Lion King.
Elephants
The elephants in The Lion King are mainly background animals that complete the African savanna scenes. Do you know why elephants obey humans?
Giraffes
Giraffes are another background animal in The Lion King. But can giraffes be domesticated?
Zebras
Badger
Aardvarks
Aardwolf
Shrews
Waterbuck
Conclusion
The Lion King is a great animal movie. If you haven't seen it, give it a try: it's fun, and you'll recognize many real African species along the way.
