What Is a Group of Lions Called? 'Pride Rock' Makes So Much Sense Now

There's a reason Disney called Simba's home "Pride Rock." Teresa Moore / Shutterstock

When lions gather in the wild, they form a unique and powerful social unit. So, what is a group of lions called? The correct term is a pride.

A lion pride isn’t just a group; it’s a family. It's made up of related female lions, their cubs, and a few dominant male lions who control the group. Unlike many other wild cats, lions are highly social animals.

Understanding the Pride

The pride is one of the most iconic collective nouns in the animal kingdom. It reflects not just the structure of the group but the idea of royalty and dominance long associated with lions.

These social groups can consist of up to 30 members, although the average pride is smaller. Males, females, and cubs each play distinct roles.

Females typically stay in their maternal pride for life and handle most of the hunting, especially for larger prey like zebras or wildebeest. They tend to be closely related, often sisters or cousins.
Males (specifically adult males) patrol territory and protect the pride from other males or predators like hyenas. A coalition of males, sometimes brothers, might control a pride for several years before being challenged.
Cubs, born in litters, rely on their mother and other females for food, grooming, and protection. Male cubs are often forced to leave the pride when they reach maturity, usually around age 2 or 3.

Hunting and Survival

Lionesses work together to hunt, using stealth and teamwork to take down animals larger than themselves. They’ll also eat small prey when the opportunity arises. Males occasionally join a hunt but mostly focus on protecting the pride’s territory.

Prides rest during the day and become active at night, using darkness as a cover for hunting. Grooming, playing, and social bonding are essential to pride life, creating a cohesive group that functions as one.

How Lions Compare to Other Cats

Unlike solitary wildcats like tigers, leopards, and cheetahs, lions live in complex family groups. Domestic cats also show social behaviors but don’t form prides.

This social structure gives lions an advantage when hunting larger prey and defending their territory from scavengers and other predators (such as hyenas).

Alternative Collective Nouns

Though "pride" is the correct term, other collective nouns—like a glaring of cats or a leap of leopards—have been used to describe groups of cats. You might hear these in creative writing or older texts.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.