Predator Becomes Prey: 8 Animals That Can Kill a Lion

The post Predator Becomes Prey: 8 Animals That Can Kill a Lion appeared first on A-Z Animals.

The lion may be considered the king of the jungle, but this doesn’t mean this predator is invincible. They will go after some very tough prey that will fight back with considerable strength and cunning.

The African habitats that these big cats call home feature a variety of prey for lions, but this does not mean these animals will eagerly accept that role. Many of them are willing and able to take down a lion, whether it’s in self-defense or as an act of territorial opportunity.

Here are eight animals that have been known to kill lions.

#8: Giraffe — Long and Dangerous Legs

Like most apex predators, lions target the sickest and most vulnerable prey animals, a form of natural selection that keeps evolutionary trends pressing forward. This tactic of the part of the lion makes sense when you take into account the sheer weight and reach of a giraffe. The average male giraffe weighs more than 2,500 pounds and reaches a height of 11 feet, not including its six-foot necks. That leaves them towering over the average 450-pound, seven-foot-long lion. While giraffe calves are easy targets, adults present a risk that’s as high as its reward. While a single giraffe corpse can feed a pride and their hovering scavengers for quite some time, a giraffe can kick with a force of 2,000 pounds per square inch (psi). That’s enough to break the bones of a lion that gets too close.

#7: Crocodile — Nightmares of the Nile

Lions aren’t afraid to poach eggs from a crocodile‘s nest when opportunities are lean, but adults of the species can pose a real danger to lions. These species don’t normally interfere on one another, but large carcasses can draw them into territorial disputes. Additionally, crocodiles have been known to prey on lions that are caught lingering too deep in a watering hole. Crocodiles have an average bite force of 3,700 psi, a distinct step up from the estimated 1,000-psi bite force of a lion. In these battles, the environment is most likely to determine the outcome. The pride tactics of lions give them advantages in many situations, but a crocodile’s method of latching onto a target and drowning it can be a very effective way for this animal to kill a lion.

#6: Rhinoceros — A Walking Tank

Lions are known to selectively prey on rhinoceros, and those that are most selective are generally the lions that live the longest. While lions are known to hunt down rhino calves, attempts to take down fully grown rhinos are rare, even when there’s an entire pride of lions at work. While rhinos are known to sometimes treat elephants as competition, rhinos generally keep to themselves. They’re really only inclined to attack when they feel that they or their young are being threatened.

Rhinos weigh roughly 4,500 pounds, but that doesn’t slow them down. A full-grown rhino can reach a speed of 35 miles per hour (mph), and its horn is capable of goring an adult lion. Most lions recognize that facing down an adult rhino is not worth the risk, but researchers warn that these attacks of opportunity will become more common as droughts and other weather conditions lead to a greater scarcity of prey, forcing lions to tackle even adult rhinos.

#5: Porcupine — A Meal Most Painful

While the quill-covered porcupine might not seem like an appetizing meal to us, there’s a lot of succulent meat there that can be tempting to predators like lions during lean seasons. Lions that live a long time tend to learn early on not to sink their claws into porcupines, and it’s generally young males of the species that try—and fail—to hunt porcupines. This is a scenario where having friends can mean the difference between life and death.

Lions sometimes die from the quills, especially if there is no one to help them, and others are so injured by the attack that they have to resort to hunting easier prey. Defeat at the quills of porcupines and the resulting injuries will often force lions toward human communities in search of easier prey. Desperate conditions cause young males to hunt prey like porcupines, and the injuries they suffer push them to more dangerous measures.

#4: Hyena — Power in Numbers

Hyenas and lions have a lot in common, but their shared habits and habitats make them fierce adversaries. Hyenas are known for eating their prey alive to prevent their kill from being poached by lions or other large predators—and they’re also known to scavenge the kills of lions. Territorial disputes and conflicts over carcasses are common, and victory often comes down to sheer numbers.

Lions are more likely to steal kills from hyenas than the other way around, and even though these animals can kill a lion, hyenas will generally admit defeat easily and settle to merely harassing the lions that have taken over the carcass and stealing bits of meat where they can. However, in instances where hyenas outnumber lions six to one, or when facing smaller lionesses and young males, hyenas have been known to go in for the kill with their sharp claws and bone-crunching teeth.

#3: Water Buffalo — Fighting as Family

Water buffalo aren’t the largest prey that lions are known to pursue, but that doesn’t make them any less deadly. Lions take advantage of the large herds these animals travel in and strike from behind to avoid their brutally sharp horns. Lionesses will either take a buffalo by surprise or bring down the weakest and slowest when the herd flees, but those same herd tactics can be lethal to lions.

Many water buffalo herds practice mobbing tactics, which take advantage of their sheer numbers to chase off or even kill lions that dare attack them. Water buffalo also pose a proactive threat, as these giant ungulates are known to seek out lion cubs and trample them to death before they can grow and pose a threat to the herd.

#2: Hippo — Jaws of Death

While they may look like big, goofy pigs, hippos kill more humans a year than lions do. Lions usually make a habit of respecting their territorial boundaries. Despite weighing over 3,000 pounds, these enormous mammals can reach top speeds of 35 mph. Nevertheless, a lack of food sometimes leads lions to attack hippos, though this requires coordination by the pride.

Thanks to the sheer size of the hippo and the thickness of its skin, even an organized lion pride will need to spend a lot of time wearing down its prey. By contrast, the 1,800-psi bite force of a hippo’s jaw—combined with its prominent teeth—can easily pulverize the body of a lion. One wrong move could mean defeat for the lion. Lions may also become targets of an angry hippo if they venture into its watery territory.

#1: Elephant — Big Body and a Big Brain

The elephant is the largest land mammal, a characteristic that means a pride will need all lions on deck to have a chance at bringing one down with claws and teeth. It’s no surprise that these animals can kill a lion. Lions mostly target elephant calves, but these social creatures have developed protective habits to keep their young safe.

A male elephant can reach an incredible weight of 14,000 pounds (or more), and entire herds will circle up to physically shield their young against lions. The tusks and heavy hooves of an elephant are a formidable threat for even a group of lions, and elephants have also been known to pick up logs or tree trunks as large as 400 pounds and swing them like weapons against attackers.

Lions can easily die when facing even a single grown elephant, and those that survive may be unable to recover from the injuries they’ve suffered. Age gives elephants more than a weight advantage, too. Researchers have discovered that older elephants have developed more sophisticated methods for defending against lions and that they share this knowledge to actively protect their herd from threats.

Rank	Species	Defensive Measures
1.	Elephant	May use their trunks as weapons
2.	Hippo	Massive jaws can crush a lion
3.	Water Buffalo	Strength in numbers
4.	Hyena	Pack strength
5.	Porcupine	Quills can cause lasting damage
6.	Rhinoceros	Charging and goring
7.	Crocodile	Ambush from the water
8.	Giraffe	Kicking and striking

Losing in a Hunt

Lions are the only big cats that live and hunt in large groups called prides. These family units can comprise as many as 40 lions, including three or four males, a dozen or more related females, and their young. While the males defend the territory, it is the females who do the hunting—and they are highly successful in their hunts.

A lioness possesses all the skills needed to take down her prey. A lioness can reach speeds of up to 50 mph in short bursts, making her faster and more agile than a male lion. Females are patient and master stalkers. They can remain hidden in the grasses for as long as it takes for the perfect opportunity to strike. Once the prey notices the lionesses, their teamwork begins. The lionesses spring into action. The fastest usually grabs the animal with its claws and tackles it. Then, they overpower it until one of them crushes its throat. Lions typically don’t attempt a kill that is impossible, so it is not normal for them to lose.

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