Lions are unique among big cats in that they live in social groups called prides. A pride typically consists of related females, their offspring, and a small number of adult males. This social structure allows lions to cooperate in hunting and raising their young. Within the pride, lionesses usually do the hunting and work together to bring down prey, while males patrol the territory and protect the pride from intruders. This cooperative behavior is unusual for big cats, which are generally more solitary.