Evidence found
751 records across 21 countries and territories, 1896–2026.
Panthera leo · GBIF taxon key 5219404
Where have lions been recorded?
Panthera leo occurrence evidence comes from 751 records in 21 countries and territories, from 1896 to 2026. Most records come from South Africa.
- 751 records
- 21 places
- 76 years recorded
- Mammalia class
Observation evidence passport
Source coverage
CC0 GBIF Animalia occurrence facets, including country, month and year summaries.
Refreshed 2026-09-22. Inspect the taxon on GBIF.
What this means
The species has been recorded in the listed places in the stated source universe. Peak month: August.
12 months reach at least 10% of the peak facet count.
What this does not mean
repeated describes the record pattern, not a formal range, residency, abundance or conservation assessment.
A single record remains evidence of a recording, not proof that a population lives there.
Compare this animal’s observation pattern
When it is recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: August. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.
Records over time
18962026
Recording effort has risen steeply almost everywhere since the 1990s, so a rising line usually shows more observers rather than more animals.
Where lion has been recorded
The countries below show where occurrence evidence exists for lion. They do not define a complete habitat range: survey effort differs by place, and historical or one-off records can appear alongside repeated presence.
| Place | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 228 | |
| Tanzania | 147 | |
| Kenya | 138 | |
| United States | 91 | |
| Botswana | 41 | |
| Namibia | 31 | |
| Uganda | 15 | |
| DR Congo | 14 | |
| Zimbabwe | 12 | |
| Zambia | 10 | |
| Benin | 8 | |
| Mozambique | 3 | |
| Rwanda | 3 | |
| Chad | 2 | |
| France | 1 | |
| India | 1 | |
| Mali | 1 | |
| Niger | 1 | |
| Sudan | 1 | |
| Somalia | 1 | |
| SZ | 1 |
Related animals
Others in the family Felidae.
jaguar
134,976 records
cat
8,496 records
wildcat
7,193 records
tiger
2,779 records
leopard
858 records
Eurasian lynx
466 records
cheetah
178 records
Record pattern: repeated
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.