Just like Lionesses can hunt and submales can patrol, I think it should be easier to raise your Main male's stats.

Why?

Well, for one, not everyone has money to buy high-stated lions to replace their main, nor the 10 GB required to retire early.

Secondly, there aren't many options to lift your Main's stats to begin with. The only options available are sharpening your claws - which doesn't even work half the time, at least not for me - and Leveling up. Now, leveling up wouldn't be a problem, but once you get past certain levels, it takes quite a while to level up and, even when you do, your lion only receives +1 of whatever.

Now, I know the game is supposed to be 'challenging to be rewarding' and all that stuff, but the fact of the matter is, it shouldn't be easier to boost the stats of your submales than your Main. He's the Pride leader, the King. He's supposed to be the strongest lion in the pride and yet, it's nearly impossible to increase his stats.

Another reason it would be ideal to easier raise Main Lion stats is the problem with cub-overpopulation. There's a veritable outbreak of cubs that no one wants because of their poor quality. But, if it were easier to raise your Main's stats, low-statted, practically useless and unwanted cubs would be lesser in quantity. It's hard to sell low-statted cubs, no matter their looks, so they're essentially bred for nothing and often have to be chased. Plus, the headache of trying to sell low-statted cubs or the heartbreak of having to chase them often takes the fun out of them.

Fact of the matter is, you can have a lioness with high stats but if your Lead has poor stats, it's going to significantly effect the quality of the cubs. Higher statted parents - sire and dam, not just dam - produce higher quality cubs that are in higher demand.

Solutions

Solutions to this problem are quite simple:

Offer something similar to hunting or sub-male patrolling for main lions. Yes, I realize that you can fight other lions in surrounding territories, but the only thing you can fight for is skill, territory and EXP.

If your Main could hunt and/or patrol himself, he can also help contribute to the pride as well as better his stats and, therefore, himself. Stronger males = a more powerful pride, yes? Which is the point of the game.

I realize that, in real life, the King of the pride often doesn't do anything but breed and fight. But, only the strongest, best lions lead prides. So shouldn't there be a way to help make your lion like that?

I mean, there are tons of players on LioDen that have sub-males higher-statted then their main.

Another solution: Offer a stat or two for each win against enemies in the explore board. For instance, if my main, Vause, fights an elephant and wins, offer +1 strength etc.