# Which Mammalian predator has the highest success rate in hunts?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-mammalian-predator-has-the-highest-success-rate-in-hunts/321971>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 16, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-mammalian-predator-has-the-highest-success-rate-in-hunts/321971 "2005-09-16T14:50:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-mammalian-predator-has-the-highest-success-rate-in-hunts/321971/21 "2005-09-20T17:52:51Z")

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Most pet cats probably would have a better kill rate if their preferred prey, small rodents, were more available. Mice and rats are largely eradicated in typical suburban environments, and cats that are allowed outside therefore tend to switch their focus to birds, which are much harder for them to catch.

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**Author:** ![Innuendo\_Hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Innuendo\_Hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Innuendo_Hunter)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-mammalian-predator-has-the-highest-success-rate-in-hunts/321971/22 "2005-09-20T18:21:34Z")

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Cheetahs (solitary) apparently have a 40% success rate. Compare that to a 15% success rate for a solitary lion. Cheetah’s rock!

The African painted dog (pack) of South Africa has a 50-70% success rate.

That’s all I got.

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**Author:** ![Innuendo\_Hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Innuendo\_Hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Innuendo_Hunter)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-mammalian-predator-has-the-highest-success-rate-in-hunts/321971/23 "2005-09-20T18:22:48Z")

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Wait, wait…That African Painted Dog stat was solitary, not pack!

Thanks

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**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-mammalian-predator-has-the-highest-success-rate-in-hunts/321971/24 "2005-09-20T22:04:34Z")

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> [@vetbridge](#):
>
> I don’t think so. I have friends who take time off during deer season. They drive to their or a friend’s “camp” where they drink a huge volume of beer. If one or two hunters out of a group of 10 gets a deer, they are all happy. If nobody winds up maimed, it is a successful hunt.

I guess it’s all relative. In my view of hunting, that would go down as an UNsuccessful hunt.

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