system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why is the Lion so widely used in European Heraldy even though they are mostly found in Africa?

Why are Lions used so much on European Heraldry, especially British/English ones, despite lions being primarily found in Africa?
gpt
Well, the dragon is used a lot too, even though it's found... no where.

It isn't about the actual, physical representation of the animal. It's about the symbolism and ideas it represents. Europeans thought of the Lion as "king of the jungle." A powerful, noble animal at the top of its food chain. There really isn't an analogous animal in Europe (aside from wolves, which always had a negative connotation).