They are violent but lovely, and now rare often counted as endangered species. They attack the human beings only when extremely hungry or scared, provoked or threatened. Otherwise they are the loveliest creature now rarely seen in their natural habitats- dense forests and often captured and caged in zoos for their safety and breeding. Let us know these animals as they are-

A magnificent animal often known as the symbol of royalty lions are the largest living big cats only second to the tiger in size. They are found mostly in the forests of sub- Saharan Africa and also in Asian continent. In India lions are mainly found in the state Gujarat where Gir forest has the largest numbers (about 300) lions. Generally a lion has a life of 10-20 years and typically they prefer to inhibit Savanna and grasslands but according to the availability of prey they may inhibit in forests also. Males are little larger and can be easily distinguished by their face and mane. Females often hunt in groups while males may be found solo to avoid fight and rivalry. As according to their location, size, appearance, distribution and mane there are 12 species of lions recognized so far. Among which eight more easily distinguished are-

•  Leo or Barbary lions-Is the largest lion which ranges from Egypt to Morocco.
• Persica or Asiatic, South Asian, Indian or Persian lion-This specie lives in Asia.
• Melanocharita or Cape lion- Now is considered extinct in the natural habitats.
• Senegalese or West African lion- They range from Nigeria to Senegal.
• Azandica or North- west Congo lion- They mostly found in north-eastern part of Congo.
• Nubica or East African or Massai lion- They are mostly found in East African countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.
• Bleyenberghi or South-west African or Katanga lion- They inhibits South-western parts of Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Namibia and Zaire.
• Krugaeri or Transvaal lion- They are mostly found in Transvaal region of South-eastern Africa and Kruger national park.

Tiger is royal, largest and most powerful member of cat family which is mostly found in Asia. The Siberian or Manchurian tiger and Bengal tiger are its two subspecies that are known for their magnificent and unique look and size. Bengal tiger which represents the royalty in real sense is found in Southeastern Asia, Central and Southern India. The Bengal tiger is about 10 feet long and weighs almost 225 kg. The Siberian tiger is even larger measuring almost 13 feet long and weighs about 300 kg. It is found mostly in Arctic region. The tigers found in Java, Sumatra and Bali islands are comparatively smaller and darker. Tigers are solitary animal and prefer to live alone except the mating seasons. Tigers love water and are good swimmer, although not usually but they can climb the trees even in case of danger. Their habitation includes damp, thick and dense forests and they usually hunt at night.

Leopard- The smallest of four “Big Cats” of the cat family namely the tiger, lion and jaguar, has suffered  a lot due to the loss of habitats, frequent hunting and also due to the climatic changes. Once leopard were found in large numbers across the African continent to the southern Asia but now they are confined to a smaller area of India, Pakistan, Malaysia and China. Although they are not as faster as the panther but they can run at a speed of approximately 58 km. per hour. What makes them different from other big cats is their ability to be adaptable to a variety of habitats although rain forests and desert terrains are the places they are mostly found. In their physical appearance they are similar to Jaguars except their body size (have shorter legs and long body and having large scull).          

Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus) – The fastest animal on this planet Cheetah can run at a speed of 112 to 120 km per hour. Its special running ability helps it to accelerate from 0 to 110 km. in only 3 seconds which is even faster than most of super cars. However Cheetah lacks in climbing ability and has not enough stamina to stand long distance running. More amazingly, Cheetah can not roar like most of the animals of cat family but they produce inhaling sounds called charring, purring, growling or yowling. Male Cheetah are more social than the females and usually prefer to live in groups while the females live alone most of time. Appearance- With some variations Cheetah resembles more to the leopards because of the round black spots on their whole body except the white underside. It has a small head and has a typical black tear marks running from the corner of the eyes down straight to the mouth. This black tear mark helps Cheetah to see long distance in day times, protecting the eyes from sunlight. Males are larger than females. Cheetah is found in Africa, Southwestern Asia and also in Khurasan region of Iran. They are considered extinct in India now.