In 1994, Disney’s The Lion King opened our eyes to the social networks of the animal kingdom—with a little Shakespearean twist. While the anthropomorphized cartoons took quite a few liberties (like the song-and-dance numbers), Disney did try to maintain some level of realism by hiring a wildlife expert to bring real lions into the studio, helping the animation team convey lifelike movements.

Twenty-five years after the release of Disney’s classic animated movie, the story returned to the big screen in a remake released July 18. In that time, zoologists have learned significantly more about the behavior and biology of the kings of the savanna…