The coat is unicolor brown in color, and males have a characteristic mane. One of the most striking features of the species is the presence of a tuft of black fur on the tail, which also has a spur. It prefers to inhabit savannas and open grasslands, but can be found in more shrubby regions. It is a sociable animal that lives in groups consisting of the lionesses and their cubs, the dominant male and some young males that have not yet reached sexual maturity. The diet consists mainly of large ungulates and they are nocturnal and crepuscular, resting and sleeping most of the day. Lions live for around 10-14 years in the wild, while in captivity they can live for up to 30 years. Some animals developed the habit of attacking and devouring humans, becoming known as "man-eaters".

Hyaenidae is the family of the order Carnivora that includes the various types of hyenas and the prole. The group inhabits the plains and savannas of Africa and western Asia and none of its members is currently in danger of extinction – although the brown hyena has a restricted geographic distribution to southern Africa. Despite outwardly resembling canids, hyenas have a greater affinity with the Viverridae family and, together with members of the latter and members of the Felidae family, originate from the extinct Viverravidae family. One of the characteristics of hyenas is that they are extremely faithful and friendly, thus being able to be considered a very loyal animal.