It is said that lions are hypercarnivore animals, and thus most of their diet will be meat. Also, as they are obligate carnivores, they have to hunt other animals and eat their flesh and meat to survive.
Lions generally prefer to go after large mammals that can cater enough food in a single kill. But can lions hunt gazelles matching up to their speed? Let us know more about this topic in this article.
Do Lions Eat Gazelles?
Lions, also known as big cats, need to eat a lot to keep their size and strength intact. They are known to eat pretty much anything they can dig their claws into, and gazelles will be on the list.
Lions usually target the slower or weaker gazelle from the pack in order to save time and energy. Therefore, it is evident that the ones that can’t run fast – usually the old, weak, or young will be in more trouble when a pride of hungry lions shows up for a hunt. They will track the easiest picks and isolate them before hunting.
After all, life is harder for lions too, and if they don’t kill and eat when they can, they will perish. If the lions don’t play it smart, the gazelle can escape their hunt, which will be an additional frustration for a hungry lion.
But when they can, a gazelle makes for a delicious meal for a pride of lions as they are considerably large animals. The lions must be smart and cunning, as the gazelles can easily outrun them.
Though the king of the jungle can move with a deadly speed, the gazelle can outpace it in short bursts. A tricky gazelle would often use its speed to evade death.
So, it will be much easier for lions to hunt in prides as they can deploy ambush attacks with teamwork.
Also Read: Do Lions Eat Antelopes?
Can A Gazelle Outrun A Lion? Lion Vs Gazelle
Lions are one of the most famed and revered predators in the animal kingdom. They are the second largest big cats, just behind the tiger, and are considered the masters of their domain.
Indeed, so legendary is their reputation that the lion is used as a symbol of power in many countries, even where the lion has never natively roamed.
Gazelles may not be as strong as lions, but they are the faster of the two. So, every morning a lion wakes up, it knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death. But for a gazelle, when the sun comes up, it must outrun the fastest lion, or it will be killed. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.
Why Do Lions Eat Gazelles?
Why do you eat food? To survive.
Interesting Fact: Sometimes, gazelle herds are even segregated by gender – like with Thomson’s gazelle. Generally, female Thomson gazelles live in groups with their young, separated from the males, who live with other males in small groups or even roam solo.
Also Read: Do Lions Eat Sheep?
What Other Animals Eat Gazelles?
Gazelles are preyed upon by all major predators in the ecosystem. Not only just lions but other big cats like leopards, panthers, and cheetahs love gazelles to be on their menu. Specifically, they hunt more than lions hunt gazelles and are a comparatively bigger danger.
Hyenas, African wild dogs, jackals, and crocodiles can also hunt them whenever they can. Life in the wild is brutal and cruel, and we have to accept it as part of survival. Even humans hunt gazelles for highly valued meat and hides, even though it is banned in many areas.
How Many Gazelles Are Left In The World?
Gazelles are a type of antelope found in the savannahs and grasslands of Africa, India, and as well as parts of the Middle East and Central Asia. They generally eat grasses and live in herds.
After all the hunting and killing, their estimated population is less than 500, according to a recent survey.
As many of the animals have already made it to the list of endangered animals, we should be more careful and compassionate towards them and try not to kill them without any purpose. That’s the least we can do for nature and mother earth.
Here is the video of a lion hunting a gazelle.
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