A Lion Pride Longingly Looks at a Baby Rhino They Know They Can’t Take Down

Even a pride of lions knows better than to attack a fully grown rhino. In a video from Maasai Sightings filmed in Nairobi National Park, we can see how a mother rhino defends her baby against hungry lions. Had the baby been on its own, it would have been in dire trouble. But when its mother is by its side, it’s an entirely different story.

Lions and Rhinos: The Big Five

Lions and rhinos are both members of the Big Five in Africa. The name has nothing to do with size, although these are big animals. These five African animals (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino) were once considered the most challenging and dangerous by trophy game hunters. Today, tourists on African safaris are no longer hunting the animals to kill, but instead to get a glimpse, along with photos and videos, of the magnificent creatures.

Do Lions Hunt Rhinos?

Lions don’t usually hunt rhinos. Lions are powerful predators at the top of their food chain. Male lions can weigh nearly 600 pounds. Lions live in prides and hunt in groups, using cooperative strategies to bring down prey much larger than themselves. Rhinos, on the other hand, are herbivores. Although they only eat plants, rhinos have plenty of size and strength to defend themselves. These large animals weigh thousands of pounds and have a tough exterior, not to mention their sharp, powerful horn.

A pride of lions won’t target a fully grown rhino. The risk of injury and the amount of energy it would require to bring down such a large animal make it not worth the kill for the lion. But that doesn’t mean that lions always leave rhinos alone. Lions may target rhino babies and old, weak, or injured rhinos.

Rhino Mothers Are Protective of Their Young

Rhinos give birth to one calf at a time. Rhino babies have a long gestation period of around 15 to 18 months. Baby rhinos may look small compared to their mother, but they can weigh around 100 pounds at birth. By day two or three, the rhino calf can walk on its own. The baby will nurse until around 18 months of age. Rhino calves stay with their mothers for at least a few years before going off on their own.

Rhino mothers and babies form strong bonds and stick close together. The calf mimics its mother, following her every move. You can see from the video from Nairobi National Park that the baby rhino doesn’t run away from its mother when the lion pride is nearby. In the video, the rhino mother keeps a confident stance when faced with the pride.

Lions Evaluate Potential Prey

Watching the video, we can see the lions are interested in the calf, keeping a close eye on their potential prey. One young lion in particular seems interested in getting close. But the rhino mother stays watchful and slowly approaches the young lion with her head lowered and impressive horn at the ready.

According to the video description, “fully grown rhinos are way too big for a lion to take down. Rhinos are also very fast (not that they look like it) and very agile. They can turn easily to protect themselves with their horns.” The lion wisely chooses not to fight and backs down from the mother rhino.

All works out well in the end for this rhino mother and baby. At the end of the video, the caption reads, “eventually the lions left the rhinos alone.”

Why Lions Are Wary of Rhinos

Aside from tough, armored skin, a powerful horn, and incredible bulk, rhinos are excellent at using intimidation tactics. All rhinos can be aggressive and unpredictable when threatened. Mother rhinos, in particular, are defensive and aggressive. A lion prefers a much easier meal.

Lions hunt strategically, choosing animals that require the least amount of work to take down. A lion’s favorite feast is a zebra or wildebeest. Although it takes speed and strategy to bring down a speedy wildebeest, once the lion has pounced, the wildebeest doesn’t have much defense. A rhino, on the other hand, puts up a strong fight.

However, when resources are low and lions are hungry, they may take a chance at larger, more formidable prey such as rhinos. And rhino calves, being much smaller with no defense, are always vulnerable to a lion’s attack. It’s critical to a rhino’s survival to form a close bond with its mother and never leave her side.

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