Lions eat flesh and meat and can sometimes even attack humans.Lions can eat the meat of many animals. These man-eaters can easily kill any other animal that is lower than them in the food chain.Panthera leo, or the lion, is a big cat species occupying India and Africa. A lion’s body is deep-chested and muscular with a round head and ears. There is a hairy tuft at the end of a lion’s tail. Males have a mane and are larger than females. Lions’ natural habitats are savannas and grasslands. The conservation status of lions has been listed as Vulnerable since 1996 by the IUCN Red List. This is due to a 43% population decline in African countries. The main threats faced by lions are human confrontations and habitat loss. Lions hunt mammals like gemsboks, giraffes, plains zebras, blue wildebeests, antelopes, hyenas, African wildebeests, and other small animals. Lions can reach a top speed of 50 mph (81 kph), making them the second-fastest land animal in all of Africa. Lions are usually inactive for almost 20 hours a day to save their energy. Peak activity in these animals can be seen after dusk, which involves grooming, defecating, and socializing.If you enjoy reading these facts about whether lions eat cheetahs, then make sure to read some more interesting facts about what a group of lions is called and why lions have manes here at Kidadl.Can a lion catch a cheetah?Yes, a lion is a carnivore that can catch a cheetah if it is close by and can kill even adults.The cheetah, a large cat, is native to central Iran and Africa. Cheetahs are the fastest land animal, running at 50-80 mph (80-128 kph). A lion is an apex predator, meaning it will hunt any weak and small animal in its habitats, even smaller predators like cheetahs and leopards. There are very few carnivores on top of the food chain like lions and other big cats like cheetahs and tigers. Both primarily eat the meat of other animals. Although it is hard for lions to catch adult cheetahs, they can easily catch and eat cheetah cubs. A male lion does not have much stamina as its heart is 0.45% of its body weight, whereas a lioness’ heart makes up 0.57% of her body weight. Hyenas’ hearts are almost 1% of their body weight.Lions do not usually hunt by chasing their prey; these top predators stalk before hunting. These predators can only run fast in short bursts, unlike cheetahs. So, lions need to be close to their prey animal. Cheetahs will run instead of fighting with a lion. Once they gain speed, cheetahs will outrun lions. If stalking seems to be difficult, then a group of lions will cover the ground around their prey. As one lion ambushes the prey, the other lions catch the prey.Do lions dominate cheetahs?Yes, a lion dominates a cheetah as it is stronger.Lions can grow up to 82 in (208 cm), weighing up to 496 lb (225 kg), whereas cheetahs grow up to 59 in (150 cm), weighing up to 159 lb (72 kg). This is the reason other cats like tigers and cheetahs feel threatened by lions, and lions are easily able to intimidate them. Lions and cheetahs do not compete directly; they are simply after the same food. Lions dominate big cats like cheetahs by stealing their food and also eating cheetah cubs. In a fight between a cheetah and a lion, the lion has the upper hand. In some areas, it has been recorded that lions kill around 80% of cheetah cubs. Lions can also attack cheetahs if lions come across them in their territory.Young lions cannot dominate cheetahs, and they do not go out hunting. They learn stalking and hunting at this stage and pick up behaviors from their mothers. Cheetahs will never try to kill and eat lions. So, there are no predators in the wild that can kill and eat lions.Do lions eat cheetahs?Yes, lions do eat cheetahs.Lions can kill many prey animals, and they can eat up to 15.4 lb (7 kg) of meat. A lioness can eat 9.9 lb (4.5 kg) of meat in a day. Both males and females can eat up to 15 % of their body weight in just a single meal, and 70% of a lion’s diet consists of meat. Lions need to kill animals to fulfill their nutritional requirement, as their body does not produce all the necessary amino acids. These animals only hunt prey animals every three or four days and can also survive without eating for more than a week. These animals will eat food on the spot and sometimes drag huge meat around. Lions can be greedy for more food and will kill animals even if they are full.Lions eat animals like antelopes, wild dogs, dead animals (carrion), wild hogs, zebras, cattle, buffalos, wildebeests, camels, young elephants, goats, deer, giraffes, and even birds. They seldom eat other carnivores, such as small predators like leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas. Lions will stay away from large animals like adult elephants, hippos, and rhinos. They will avoid smaller animals like monkeys, hares, hyraxes, and dik-diks. Whenever lions attack cubs and kill them, cheetah mothers will eat the leftover meat. Also, after hunting, cheetahs eat quickly to avoid facing conflict from other predators.Do lions hate cheetahs?No, lions do not hate cheetahs.Neither lions nor cheetahs hate each other. It is the survival instincts of these predators that make them each other’s competitors. Wild animals only want to be safe and get ample food for a better life in the wild. Even scientists are unable to determine why lions kill other predators like cheetahs and hyenas that usually compete with them for food. Many people interpret this to be a lion’s hatred towards cheetahs. It is also said that, since lions cannot run fast like cheetahs, they feel competitive and attack or kill any cheetah on sight. Cheetahs get their prey easily compared to lions. Due to this competition, lions may feel that they do not have enough food due to the presence of cheetahs. The natural habitat of lions is also native to cheetahs. Since they live in close proximity, lions will attack or kill cheetahs in territorial disputes.Not only lions but also other predators, like hyenas and leopards, prey on cheetahs and their cubs. Human beings are also the top predators of cheetahs. All these animals tend to kill cheetahs to defend their territories. Scavengers will feed on a dead cheetah. With all these threats, cheetahs still manage to survive and thrive around lions. They do this by setting up dens far away from a pride of lions. They are very cautious and will monitor the area constantly. After losing their cubs, cheetahs become fertile within the next two weeks. Lions are active at night, and cheetahs are active during the day. This is an adaptation in a region filled with lions. However, if in any area where cheetahs are the main predators, they are active at night.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestion for ‘Do lions eat cheetahs?’, then why not take a look at ‘Do lions live in the jungle?’ or ‘Lion facts’?
Lions eat flesh and meat and can sometimes even attack humans.
