Lions are one of Africa’s best-loved animals. Living in family units called prides, they are social animals that are well adapted to life in the savannah. If you’ve ever read a lion story or watched a nature documentary featuring these big cats, you’ll know that it’s lionesses who often do the hunting. But that doesn’t mean the male lions never get involved. In fact, lions can be a key part of a successful hunt. But which is the better hunter?

Lionesses

Lionesses usually work as a team during a hunt, stalking, surrounding and killing their prey together. They are more effective stalkers than male lions, because they are smaller, faster and blend in better with their surroundings. A lion’s mane can give him away among the golden and green hues of the savannah, especially if he is in good physical condition because this makes his mane more likely to be dark in colour. If the prey is small to medium-sized, perhaps kudu , zebra or warthog, lionesses are generally more effective hunters.

Lions

Contrary to popular belief, male lions do get involved in hunts, and some are carried out by male-only groups. Often lions are more successful at hunting larger prey - such as buffalo and giraffe - than lionesses. This is because of their size: taking down bigger animals requires more strength and bodyweight, which the lions have.

Collaborative and solitary hunting

It’s not uncommon for males and females to hunt together. Sometimes males will approach prey upwind, enabling them to catch the lions’ scent. This drives them towards the lionesses, who are lying in wait downwind.

Males that have been cast out by a pride will sometimes need to hunt alone in order to sustain themselves until they can find a new pride. Sometimes these solitary males band together to form a coalition, which is why groups of males can be found hunting together.

Success

Whether carried out by lions, lionesses or a combination of the two, hunts are not as successful as you may think. Lions that hunt at night in pairs or groups have a success rate of around 30%, while those hunting alone in daylight may only be successful 17-19% of the time.

Scavenging

In addition to hunting, lions and lionesses will scavenge from other animals. They will often chase off smaller predators, such as cheetahs or hyenas, and eat their kills. According to the Kruger National Park in South Africa, up to 50% of a lion’s diet can come from scavenging rather than hunting.

Thanks to their hunting abilities, lions are often a symbol of courage and you’ll find lots of instances of this in children’s stories, TV shows and theatre productions. The lion and the mouse book, The Lion Inside, is a great example of how a lion can represent bravery and boldness. However, in this particular lion and mouse story, all is not as it seems. Want to find out more? See the award-winning tale brought to life on the stage at a theatre near you.