A lion is a carnivore.
The biological family Felidae is a lineage of carnivorans that includes the cats . Cats are obligate carnivores , meaning they are dependent on nutrients in animal flesh for survival , and because of the large proportion of meat in their diet are sometimes referred to as hypercarnivores . The lion ( Panthera leo ) is one of the big cats in the genus Panthera and a member of the family Felidae .