Three Lions

I have been busy upskilling myself as an artist and animator. As a digital painting practice, I painted three lions after watching an online video of how to draw lion heads from Aaron Blaise on Creature Art Teacher website.

Here are the three lion species I drew and painted digitally; one living and two extinct.

The Modern Lion or Lion (Panthera leo) (Below) once roamed much of Africa, Western Asia and Southern Europe.
They now live in most African countries and the Gir Forest of India.

The Cave Lion, Eurasian Cave Lion or Steppe Lion (Panthera spelaea) (Middle) is the apex predator of Eurasia during the ice age from 340 000 - 12,000 years ( evolutionary age), from the 2nd Post-Babel age to the 6th Post-Babel age (biblical age).
These Mammoth steppe inhabitants specialize in hunting reindeer, wild horses, bison, Cave bear cubs and even young woolly mammoths.

The American Lion, Red Lion, Wild Jaglion, ligeruar or American Cave Lion (Panthera atrox) (Top) is one of the largest cats to ever lived and the biggest in the Americas until its close relative, the jaguar (Panthera onca) took its place today. Being 25% larger than its closest relative, the Modern Lion, this giant lion would have been a formidable rival to the American Sabertooth Cat (Smilodon fatalis) and the Dire Jackawolf (Aenocyon dirus).
Despite its significant size, it is also possible that just like Modern Lions and even Cave Lions that American Lions may also live prides, allowing them to hunt cooperatively to bring down large prey and defend their kills and territories well against rival predators, including other lions.

Today, Both Cave lions and American lions are now extinct, leaving the Modern lion as the sole remnant of the time when lions ruled the world until climate change, and man now reduced their kingdom.

The lion is now listed as a vulnerable species, and it's up to us humans to ensure their long-term survival until the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, our savour Jesus Christ, returns.