Zoo Miami Shares the Different and Fascinating Sounds Lions Make When They Roar
Did you know that lions have different roars for different reasons? Zoo Miami shared a video of one of their male lions roaring on Monday, August 19th, but it's probably not the roar you're used to hearing. It's a quiet roar and it's really cool to hear!
Make sure your sound is on so that you can hear the lion's soft roar. It's starts off sounding more like a growl, then grows into what sounds almost like he's barking. The video is only 20 seconds long and I wish it was longer because I want to hear more!
Zoo Miami put the simple caption, "Live, laugh, roar" and I think it's fitting for this guy! After watching it a few times, it's almost like he's calling to someone or looking for something. Maybe it's dinnertime!
Related: Big Lion Spotted 'Making Biscuits' Like a Cat and It's So Precious
Different Types of Lion Roars
I was curious to learn more about what the different roars lions make mean, so I did a bit of research to find out. Lions roar to share information about their location, emotions, dominance, and territorial boundaries. Not all roars are angry roars, and sometimes they roar just to roar. I guess it's similar to humans complaining!
AfricanLions.net shared, "The most common type is the contact roar, used to locate and communicate with other pride members. These roars are relatively short and possess a pattern that allows other lions to identify the individual making the call. Other types of roars include threatening roars, mating roars, maternal roars, and alarm roars."
According to A to Z Animals, lions have seven distinct sounds they use to communicate. When they make a low and repetitive guttural sound, they are trying to locate pride members that they can't see. Moms use this sound often to call to their cubs; it's a friendly, soft and quite sound.
Growling is a common sound that lions make and it sometimes sounds like a cough. Much like when a dog growls, it's a warning sound. It can also be a threat telling others not to approach them or their pride. Lions also snarl and hiss (similar to what cats do) and this means that they do not like what or who is approaching them. Lions cannot purr like cats, but they can hum, and has the same meaning as purring; it means they're content. Puffing through closed lips shows that lions are not being threatening and signals non-aggression. It's almost a form of a friendly greeting. Cubs are the only ones who meow, and it's a high-pitched sound used as a distress call to let mom know that they need help.
Lions also communicate in other ways including tactile communication (like head rubbing, social licking, and leaning against each other), facial expressions and body language, and scent marking to mark territories and identify individuals. Just like humans and other animals, they use their whole bodies to communicate. It's so interesting to learn how they do it and what it all means!
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