Lions are apex predators, also known as a top predators or super predators. They are the top of a food chain, without natural predators of their own. Though their diet may consist of a wide variety of animals, what they typically eat depends on their location, the availability of prey, and the pride’s strength.
Below are animals that lion’s may prey upon:
Wildebeest
This is the lion’s most common prey in East Africa. Wildebeest are plentiful, travel in herds, and provide enough meat to feed several lions. Lions often ambush individuals separated from the group during river crossings or night movements.
Zebra
A core food source for many prides. Zebras are large, strong, and often found in open grasslands alongside wildebeest. Lions target them for their size and fat content, especially during the dry season when food is scarcer.
Cape Buffalo
Cape buffalo are dangerous. They’re strong, aggressive, and will defend each other. Lions usually need several adults, sometimes including males, to take one down. Despite the risk, buffalo are a prized target due to their size.
Giraffe
A full-grown giraffe is too much for most lions, but calves are vulnerable. Lions may attack adult giraffes only if the group is large and coordinated. A giraffe kill provides a huge reward, but the danger is extreme due to the giraffe’s height and powerful kicks.
Gemsbok
Lions actively hunt gemsbok where the two overlap. Despite their desert habitat and powerful horns, gemsbok are heavily targeted. Their size makes them a high-calorie meal, especially valuable for lion prides.
Warthog
Smaller but easier to catch. Lions often snatch warthogs near their burrows. These are often “bonus kills” caught opportunistically. Warthogs offer less meat but are relatively low-risk prey when surprised. Some of our safari guides believe this is a lion’s favorite snack food.
Kudu
Larger than impala and often found in more wooded terrain. Their horns can be dangerous. Lions hunt them more frequently in Southern Africa, especially in bushy areas.
Eland
As the largest antelope, a big eland bull can weigh over 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). These require teamwork, but the meat yield is massive. Lions target them when the pride is large enough to succeed without too much risk.
Hartebeest and Topi
Similar in size and behavior to wildebeest but less common. Still a regular part of the lion diet when available.
Impala
Fast and agile. Harder to catch unless ambushed or caught unaware. Lions usually hunt impala when larger prey are scarce or when feeding smaller groups or individuals.
Elephant Calf
Rare, but it happens, especially during droughts or when food is scarce. Lions target elephant calves that have strayed from the herd. Adult elephants are not viable prey.
Hippopotamus Calf
Same situation as with elephants. Lions may go after calves near water edges but almost never attack adults. A hippo can maul or crush a lion.
Rhinoceros Calf
Extremely rare. Lions might attack rhino calves left unattended, but adults are off-limits due to their strength, armor-like skin, and aggression.
Ostrich
Lions occasionally prey on ostriches. Though fast, ostriches are poor fighters. A lion can outrun and overpower one over short distances.
Crocodile
Lions rarely hunt crocodiles. Their powerful jaws and thick armor make them dangerous targets. These encounters usually occur on land, where crocodiles are slower and more vulnerable. A lion may attack to defend its pride, protect a kill, or eliminate a threat near water.
Small Mammals, Birds and Reptiles
Eaten during desperation. A lion on its own or during lean times will eat whatever it can catch, including tortoises, porcupines, small birds, even lizards. These meals offer little nutrition but can mean the difference between starving and surviving.
Livestock (Cattle, Goats, Donkeys)
In areas near human settlements, lions often attack domestic animals. These are easy targets but increase the risk of retaliation from local people.
Carrion and Scavenging
Lions are not above scavenging. They steal kills from hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, and even crocodiles. They’ll also return to an old carcass if it hasn’t fully decayed.
What Animals Do Lions Prefer Eating?
Lions mostly prefer large herbivores that offer high caloric return with minimal risk.
Lions will avoid strong, healthy adult animals unless working as a group. Injured, young, or old individuals are targeted first. When necessary, they’ll take on harder targets. Lions are also opportunists. They’ll eat almost anything they can catch or even scavenge to survive.
In a 2005 study entitled “Prey preferences of the lion (Panthera leo)“, researchers in Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa found that lions prefer prey weighing between 420 and 1,210 pounds (190–550 kg), with 770 pounds (350 kg) being ideal. These animals are big enough to be worth the effort but not too large to be overwhelming. Analysis across 32 studies shows the average mass of strongly preferred prey is 640 pounds (290 kg). Buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and gemsbok rank highest.
Lions avoid species outside the preferred weight range. Even some animals within that range – like eland, sable, and roan – are hunted less often due to traits that make them harder to catch. These include defensive horns, low population density, and high group vigilance.
Warthogs are smaller but still targeted. They’re slow, not very alert, and share the same habitat as lions, making them easy targets.
The pattern of prey size preference forms a bell curve, slightly skewed right. This skew likely comes from lions hunting large animals together. These findings help explain not just what lions eat, but how group hunting shapes their diet.
Do Lions Eat Humans?
Lions do eat humans, but it’s rare. They usually target wild prey. Attacks on people happen under special circumstances such as injury, old age, starvation, or easy access to unprotected humans.
The most infamous case is the Lions of Tsavo. In 1898, two male lions killed dozens of workers building a railway bridge in Kenya. Reports vary, but estimates range from 35 to 135 victims. The lions dragged men from tents at night and fed on their bodies. Eventually, they were hunted and killed by a professional hunter named Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson.
Another case occurred in Tanzania in the 1930s. A single lion pride, known as the Njombe Man-Eaters, is believed to have killed over 1,500 people in a decade. A one-eyed male named Kipanga led the assaults. George Rushby, a professional hunter and game warden, tracked and killed 15 lions believed to be responsible for the killings.
Most man-eaters are old or wounded. When they can’t hunt wildlife, they turn to slower, easier prey like humans. These lions likely developed a taste for human flesh due to a combination of factors – scarcity of wild prey, habituation to human remains, and poor burial practices.
How Often Do Lions Hunt?
Lions hunt about every three to four days, depending on the size of the last meal. A single large kill can feed a pride for days, allowing them to rest and digest. But if the hunt fails or the prey is small, they’ll try again the next night. They succeed in only about 25% to 30% of hunts. When hunting alone, their success rate drops even lower.
Most prey animals are fast, alert, and know the terrain. Lions rely on short bursts of speed, not endurance. If the ambush doesn’t work, they give up quickly to conserve energy. Lions are most active at night. They use darkness to get close to prey. Lionesses lead most hunts, using stealth and coordination. Males help when taking on larger, more dangerous targets.
How Much Do Lions Need to Eat?
A male lion needs around 15 pounds (7 kilograms) of meat per day to stay healthy. A female needs about 11 pounds (5 kilograms). But lions don’t eat small meals daily. They gorge when food is available.
A single lion can eat over 70 pounds (32 kilograms) in one sitting. That can hold them over for days. During this time, they lie around, sleep, and digest. If prey is scarce, they may go more than a week without eating. Cubs and older lions suffer the most during these gaps.
Dominant males eat first. They often arrive after the hunt but still take priority, even if they didn’t participate. Their size and aggression keep the others at bay. Females eat next, with older, more dominant lionesses pushing younger ones aside. Cubs are last. They beg, sneak in bites, or wait for scraps. In times of scarcity, many go hungry.
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