Lions are apex predators and large animals that hunt down smaller members of the animal kingdom.The apex predator, the lion, is among a group of carnivores that hunt down small animals in the wild. The lion is the king of the jungle and is well known for being dominant over its territory.Lions are large cats from the genus of Panthera. Lions are native to Africa and India. Female and male lions live in a habitat of grassland, dense forest, and savannas. Lions are both diurnal and nocturnal wild animals. The small animals on which they feed are mostly ungulates, such as giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, zebras, wild hogs, and sheep. Lions kill hyenas but do not eat them. The IUCN has classified this Panthera species as vulnerable. Lions were first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Lions are from the family of Felidae and the order of Carnivora.The cubs of the lion species are known to be brought up together and are taught to catch their prey by a female lion. Generally, the lion is known to hunt down in a pride and an adult lion is the head of the family, claiming their part of the flesh or meat that they have caught. The male lion is known to feast on 15 lb (7 kg) of meat per day, while 11 lb (5 kg) of meat per day is eaten by females. The adult lion lives, on average, a life of 10-15 years in the wild, while those in captivity live a life of 10 years. There are two subspecies of lions: Panthera leo leo and Panthera leo melanochaita. Typically, these predators are mostly aggressive and kill their prey with their sharp incisors, canines, and carnassial teeth.If you enjoyed reading this article about apex predator lion hunting in the wild and what do lions eat, then you may enjoy taking a look at other fun facts right here with Kidadl. We recommend that you read some interesting and surprising fun facts about bear vs lion and are tigers bigger than lions here on Kidadl.Do lions eat each other?No, lions do not eat each other and only prey on small cubs or other lions when food is scarce. They might hunt down other lions.Generally, lions eat only small animals and ungulates as their food. Because of their soft flesh and meat, they primarily hunt or kill young ungulates such as antelopes, giraffes, buffaloes, wild hogs, zebras, and, on occasion, baby elephants. When food is scarce, which takes place rarely or once in seven to eight cases, then a lion might hunt down small lion cubs. Lions eat and prey on their own species as well, due to dominance, when an adult male lion does not want the interference of young male lions in their pride or territory.Male lions are usually not fond of cannibalistic hunting or killing other lions. But due to their aggressive behavior, males might involve themselves in this cannibalistic hunting to show their dominance over young male lions. The killing of lion cubs often occurs, but not from their own pride. The cubs of other territories and prides are hunted down, and adult lion males kill the cubs, eating all of their meat and flesh. Even female lionesses hunt down and kill the cubs of another pride. Do lions eat humans?Yes, lions eat humans along with other animals. Lions are man-eaters, and African lions are specifically found hunting humans.Lions, no doubt, eat humans, but even humans eat lions as their food. The only eating difference is that lions are carnivores, while humans are mostly, on average, omnivorous. If lions are given a chance to hunt down humans, then they will not skip the option of killing or hunting them. There have been many instances that have been recorded in regard to this wild animal hunting down humans. African lions are frequently shot down by Kenyans due to their man-hunting, cannibalistic nature.It is known that lions first chase them and finally prey on humans. This is the same when lions kill other animals in a group. Both lions, male and female, hunt humans. Adult lions are thought to prey on humans due to their missing jaws. Lions eat human flesh with ease because human flesh meat is comparatively soft and easy to catch with weak teeth. Although lions usually do not, in exceptional cases, for any number of reasons, they might prey on humans for meat. Lions are not very well acquainted with the taste of human meat, but if served, they will easily kill, chew, and eat human meat.Exploring A Lion’s Diet In The WildLions eat ungulate animals such as buffaloes, giraffes, antelopes, baby elephants, zebras, wild hogs, and rhinoceros.The lion kills animals in the wild and is among the apex predators. Lions eat and prey on the meat of wild ungulates. Lions eat and hunt in a group. The diet of these carnivorous animals is 15 lb (7 kg) for the males, while the females eat 11 lb (5 kg) per day. Lions eat and prey on animals that mostly weigh around 110-661 lb (50-300 kg). On average, it is expected that adult lions kill and catch around 15 animals in one year. Carnivores’, like lions, teeth are usually lost once they start growing old. So, adult lions eat and prey on the meat of small animals’ babies, such as baby elephants, giraffes, and antelopes.The diet which an adult lion wants to prey on is soft meat, as it can be easy to tear and swallow. Small animals prey on the lion’s diet of mice, birds, hares, lizards, and tortoises. Lions eat mostly dead animals because a lion’s body is not capable of producing amino acids. This is because a lions’ diet, on average, is made of up to 70% meat. Lions do not have enzymes that would enable them to prey or feed on grass food.What do lions prefer to eat?Lions eat meat and flesh, and their diet is carnivorous. Carnivores, such as lions, eat wild animals as part of their diet, whether they are large or small.Around 70% of a lion’s diet is made up of the meat and flesh of ungulates and small animals, such as baby elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, hyenas, zebras, and wild hogs. Lions even kill small animals such as lizards, hares, birds, mice, and other reptiles. These animals are easily digested by lions because lions do not have natural amino acids in their bodies. Lions’ bodies are not capable of eating plants that serve as food for many other types of wildlife. Being among the apex predators in the food chain, no other animals show any desire to eat lions. Only humans eat lions’ flesh.An exception would be if a lion is killed by another and is left out, then other animals would no doubt eat the leftover lion flesh. So, the simplest answer to the question of what do lions eat is the meat and flesh of other animals. Each animal species differs in its flesh, but the lion, being called the king of the jungle, rules the woods. Lions are left with no other choice but to be carnivorous due to their body type and requirements. African lions eat antelopes, zebras, and wildebeests. Lions can even eat marine animal species such as crocodiles and fish.How much and how frequently do lions eat?Lions can eat over 55 lb (25 kg) of meat daily if kept in captivity, but at the same time, lions can even survive without eating for 14 days.In the wild, lions will eat and hunt down an animal weighing a maximum of 110-661 lb (50-300 kg). Lions are known to hunt around 15 animals in one year. On average, the minimum food requirement of a lion in the wild is 11-15 lb (5-7 kg), and it might vary depending on a lion’s hunger. When kept in captivity, male lions will eat around 8 lb (3.6 kg) and female lions will eat 6 lb (2.7 kg). A lion’s body is around 70% dependent on the flesh of other animals.Lions eat with the help of three types of teeth: canines, incisors, and carnassials. The sharp carnassials teeth help to tear the flesh of animals and are able to eat up to 11-15 lb (5-7 kg) of meat a day in the wild. The long canine teeth help to keep a strong grip on the flesh of animals in order to eat them. Even if lions are not able to finish or eat the whole animal, they will guard the leftovers. They usually hunt during the day and save their prey for the night.What don’t lions eat?Lions do not eat the wild animal species hyenas. They only kill them when lions are being bothered by hyenas or have no other option.The flesh of this animal species is not good in taste and is not nutritious. A lion will no doubt kill a hyena, but would not prefer to eat this animal’s flesh even when there is a scarcity of food. The scavenging habits of hyenas do let lions eat their tasteless flesh, but hyenas will no doubt hunt down a lion’s leftover flesh if it is killed by some other lion or animal.Apart from this, lions do not eat green vegetation because they do not have natural enzymes in their bodies to digest food. However, many times, when there is a scarcity of food, lions will eat green vegetation. However, this is fairly unusual and only happens in extreme circumstances because their bodies are not designed to eat grass. Grass can also be eaten by lions if they have an upset stomach, similar to other animals that do exactly the same thing.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘What do lions eat?’ then why not take a look at ‘How much does a lion weigh?’ or ‘Mountain lion fun facts for kids’?
Lions are apex predators and large animals that hunt down smaller members of the animal kingdom.
