The lion is the African big cat that commonly roars and lives in prides.
Lions are unusual among cats because they are highly social. A pride typically includes related females, their young, and one or more adult males, although pride membership and male coalitions change over time. Females often cooperate in hunting and cub care, while males defend access to the group and its territory.
Lions also produce the best-known cat roar. Roaring can advertise an individual’s presence, help maintain contact, and signal territorial ownership. Lions are not the only felids capable of loud vocalizations, but their deep, long-distance roar is especially distinctive.
Leopards and cheetahs generally live more solitary lives, and neither has the same characteristic roaring behavior. A pride is therefore a social group of lions, not simply any gathering of African cats.