Soft Toy Lion by Hansa (54cm) 3605

Manufacturer: Hansa
Category: Animals

This splendid Lion by Hansa is made from a soft and sleek plush fabric with a long pile plush fabric mane. He has support in his legs to keep him standing and looking magnifient but he is still soft and cuddly to the touch.

To add to the realistic look of the animal there is the usual Hansa attention to detail with the airbrushed facial markings truly making him "King of the Jungle"

Approx. size 21"(54cm) in length, 16.5"(42cm) in height with a 9"(23cm) long tail.

• European safety standards EN71 BS5665
• Carries the CE label so it safe for children (not under 36 months)
• Surface washable
• Quality item with airbrushed details

The lion (Panthera leo) is a large felid of the genus Panthera native mainly to Africa. It has a muscular, deep-chested body, short, rounded head, round ears, and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic, the male and female appear different, adult male lions have a prominent mane. With a typical head-to-body length of 184 to 208 cm (72 to 82 in) they are larger than females at 160 to 184 cm (63 to 72 in). It is a social species, forming groups called prides. A lion pride consists of a few adult males, related females and cubs. Groups of female lions usually hunt together, preying mostly on large hooved animals.

Typically, the lion inhabits grasslands and savannas, but is absent in dense forests. It is usually more diurnal than other wild cats, but when persecuted, it adapts to being active at night and at twilight. During the Neolithic period, the lion ranged throughout Africa, Southeast Europe, and Western and South Asia, but it has been reduced to fragmented populations in sub-Saharan Africa and one population in western India. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996 because populations in African countries have declined by about 43% since the early 1990s. Lion populations are untenable outside designated protected areas. Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are the greatest causes for concern.

One of the most widely recognised animal symbols in human culture, the lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire and have been a key species sought for exhibition in zoological gardens across the world since the late 18th century. Cultural depictions of lions were prominent in Ancient Egypt, and depictions have occurred in virtually all ancient and medieval cultures in the lion's historic and current range.