The cats whiskers

Lions can be recognised by their whisker patterns. The hairs in the whiskers grow from four or five parallel rows of dark spots on the sides of their snouts. The spots of the top row of whiskers, sometimes forming a triangle, are the most appropriate ones for identification purposes.

These patterns can be studied from cub stage; they remain unchanged for life.

There may, however, not always be sufficient time for whisker inspection to pick the tame lion.