A lion's roar carries up to about eight kilometers in the still night air. It is one of the most powerful cries in the animal world, capable of reaching 114 decibels near its source.
Vocal cords built for power
This volume does not come from the force of the breath but from the shape of the vocal cords: in the lion, they are flattened into square pads, capable of vibrating very strongly with little air pressure. The roar is serious, but the low frequencies travel far and bypass obstacles — and the nocturnal savannah, cooler and windless, carries them even better.
Males and females roar, often in chorus: the troop announces the occupation of its territory, and each individual recognizes the voice of its own. An unknown roar triggers the alarm; that of a member of the group, no reaction.
A cry that saves fights
For an intruder, hearing a chorus from a distance allows you to estimate the number of adversaries before even seeing them: it is better to turn back than face an entire troop. The roar thus avoids many real confrontations.
