It may sound surprising, but groups of hyenas will sometimes take on animals much larger than themselves, even lions. Although usually, the lion is not a full-grown male, but rather a younger lion or a lion that is old or injured. Hyenas are good at working together and look for weaknesses in other animals to get the advantage.
Even when lions are far outnumbered by hyenas, they still often have the upper hand.
©AfricaWildlife/Shutterstock.com
30 Hyenas Attempted to Attack an Adult Male Lion
In a fascinating video posted on the YouTube channel, Robert John, a large male lion can be seen with a group of about 30 hyenas circling and cackling around him. The hyenas are way outsized by the lion, but they win in numbers. Lions can weigh up to 550 pounds, while hyenas are much smaller. Spotted hyenas, as seen in the video, can weigh up to 140 pounds.
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Even a pack of 30 hyenas can still be in danger when they attempt to fight a male lion.
©Robert John / YouTube – Original
In the video, the hyenas continue to menacingly circle the lion as he stands rather calmly with a watchful eye on the group. The standoff continues until, at one point, the lion begins to stalk a member of the group that is standing away from the others. This hyena is not one of the larger, braver ones getting close to the lion. This hyena is standing at the edge of the pack, out of the way of the conflict.
The lion must have sensed a weakness in this hyena, as he zeroes on on it. The hyena doesn’t have much chance when the lion takes it down. The reaction from the others to losing one of their own is panic, with even louder cackling cries. However, the lion is unperturbed by this and sits down to eat the meal, even with the hyenas close behind.
By the end of the video, the lion becomes the hunter and appears to stalk another hyena standing away from the group. The hyena clan had made an error in judgment when they targeted this particular lion.
Hyenas and Lions Both Hunt in Groups
Spotted hyenas live in large groups called clans. They are socially complex and are led by dominant females. Members of the clan work together to hunt and defend themselves.
Lions also work together when hunting, especially when hunting larger prey. They live in family groups, called prides. Lion prides are usually made up of a few males, and dozens of females and their offspring. Prides will work together to hunt large or fast prey.
Is It Common For Hyenas to Attack Lions?
Hyenas and lions compete over the same prey. Lions may be eating a fresh kill when a group of hyenas comes in to attempt to steal the food away. However, when you’re dealing with a pack of lions versus a clan of hyenas, the lions will always dominate. Where things get tricky for the lions is when they find themselves alone amid a group of hyenas. Hyenas will also take advantage of younger or weaker lions that are alone. A group of hyenas can easily overcome a young lion or one not at full strength.
What we don’t know by watching the video from Robert John is what caused the hyenas to circle the lion. Did the lion target the hyenas first, and were the hyenas merely defending themselves? Or did the hyenas spot the lion alone and think they had a shot at taking down the large prey?
A story from BBC’s Natural History Unit shows how a young male lion thought it was a good idea to chase individual hyenas. However, these hyenas called their group members for help, and the lion was quickly outnumbered and in danger. In the BBC video, the lion’s luck changes when his companion comes to help. Two adult male lions are usually able to defend themselves against even a large clan of hyenas, but a sufficiently large and determined hyena group can still pose a serious threat, depending on the circumstances.
Do Lions Hunt Hyenas?
According to the Ngorongoro Hyena Project, a group of behavioral biologists studying spotted hyena behavior, lions steal more food from hyenas than the other way around. (The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to a diverse population of wildlife in Tanzania and is also a World Heritage Site.)
The scientists explain that while people commonly think of hyenas as stealing food, lions are actually more likely to steal from the hyenas. And there isn’t much the hyenas can do about it besides lying down and waiting for the lion to get its fill and move on.
The biologists also explained that lions will seek out hyena dens and kill the young cubs during the night. They will also stalk hyenas in their resting places. However, the hyenas stand a better chance when fighting against female lions than against males. The article stated that if hyenas have a group that outnumbers female lions by at least six to one, they may be able to hold onto their kills, or at least stand their ground and eat alongside the female lions.
The post When Numbers Matter: 30 Hyenas Challenge a Male Lion appeared first on A-Z Animals.
