The Desert

The Desert is a recurring location in The Lion King universe.

Background
The desert is barren with a cracked ground-floor, and is adjoined by the oasis.

The Lion King
Sometime after escaping the hyenas in the gorge, Simba collapses from exhaustion from the humidity of the desert. A flock of vultures locate Simba's body, and fly down to consume his body until Timon and Pumbaa prevent this playing their game of "Bowling for Buzzards". Pumbaa first notices the prince's body believing he is still alive. Timon briefly sniffs Simba and lifts his paw revealing he is a lion to which he is frightened of. Both friends contemplate on whether to adopt Simba eventually agreeing to, and revive the cub near the oasis. When Simba regains consciousness, he thanks the two for their help, and depressingly walks back into the desert. There, Timon and Pumbaa tell the cub of how to solve his troubles through "Hakuna Matata

Years later, after being convinced by Mufasa to reclaim his kingship, Simba runs across a desert which leads to the Pride Lands.

The Lion King 1½
Near the edge of the oasis towards the desert, Pumbaa pulls out thorns from Timon after playing "Bobbling for porcupines". He then notices a flock of vultures nearby, and asks Timon for one more round for "Bowling for Buzzards". Timon declines the offer, but shortly, he agrees claiming "one more run won't change our lives". The two friends race across the desert, and shortly find Simba.

Vulture Shock
Kopa sets out to find his family tree. Sometime later, he chases a lizard where it leads him to a dry, barren land. Lost and alone, he curls up and goes to sleep. In the morning he is found by two hungry vultures. They take Kopa ransom for some other, tastier animals. Kopa is kept prisoner up in a tree until Simba rescues him.

All Mud and Motor Mouth
After being shunned from his family for loving mud, Pumbaa forges a loner's life in the desert, where he is free to be himself. There, he encounters Timon, though a storm soon sweeps them away to the jungle.

King of the Jungle
In an early treatment of The Lion King, Simba escapes the hyenas after they and Scar overwhelm Mufasa. After he leaves territory belonging to the Samueta pride, Simba flees and gets lost in a sandstorm. He awakens from the sandstorm finding himself in a desert, and sees Kobi and Prita overhead. Feeling famished, Simba remembers Zazu telling him earlier that "you can always follow a vulture to food and water", which leads him to follow the birds when he finds cheetahs eating a Thompson's gazelle near the promontory of the desert. Later that night, Simba, near a termite mound, asks the Lion in the Moon about the status of his pride, and asks for him to tell that he misses them. Suddenly, Timon pops under the ground asking whether he will continue to talk as he is disturbing his fellow meerkats of sleep. Shortly after, Simba joins the Kombli Rangers until he leaves where he is approached by Zazu, Herr Rhino, and Kwashi to challenge Scar.

After Simba defeats Scar, he approaches Banagi, Baasho, and their clan, banishing them into the desert.

Comics

 * A Dangerous Desert