In contrast to most other cats, lions live in families or prides. The nucleus of a pride is always closely related females: mothers and daughters, aunts and sisters. They hunt together, they help each other bring up their cubs and they remain together for life. 

The males in a family change. As pubertal youngsters they are driven away from the pride and live for some time either in small bachelor groups or as single rogues before finally – often fighting wildly with other lions – they get a harem of their own by defeating an older lion. 

The reward of your own lion harem is not just the chance to procreate, but full maid service too: the pasha of a lion pride has no need to be bothered by tiresome hunting anymore, but can still expect the lion’s share of the prey his lionesses catch. His only real duty, other than the pleasure of getting as many of the females pregnant as often as he can, is to protect the family territory by keeping other predators away. However, they don't get to enjoy this luxurious life for too long, rarely managing to keep their younger, stronger rivals at bay for more than two or three years