Haven't made it to the National Zoo this holiday season? Catch up on what you're missing with our 12 Days of Zoo Lights. From Nov. 23 to Jan. 1, the zoo is illuminated with a sparking light display featuring sculptures of many of the zoo’s most popular animals. We're sharing one with you each day.
Today's animal: Lion
Habitat: Lions live for the most part in Africa. They can be found throughout the continent including the Sahara and northern South Africa.
In the wild: Lions in the wild live for approximately 12 years and travel in prides. Lionesses do most of the hunting for the pride and rest up to 20 hours a day.
At the zoo: Lions are located in the American Trail Exhibit at the zoo. Keepers feed zoo lions beef daily and bones twice a week.
Zoo history: The zoo's attempts to build a pride have resulted in seven lion cubs in recent years.
Bet you didn’t know... A lion’s roar can be heard five miles away.
Day 8 (Dec. 26): Hummingbird
Day 7 (Dec. 25): Donkey
Day 6 (Dec. 24): Butterfly
Day 5 (Dec. 21): Crab
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Day 4 (Dec. 20): Cow
Day 3 (Dec. 19): Flamingo
Day 2 (Dec. 18): Cheetah
Day 1 (Dec. 17): Komodo Dragon
