# Why don’t lions hunt other lions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 29, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534 "2011-08-29T19:28:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/21 "2011-09-03T12:08:38Z")
Sorry, but I just googled ‘lion cannibalism’ and came up with quite a few reputable looking records of lions being seen killing and eating other lions- including several videos of lions eating cubs. Killing each other in dominance fights is not uncommon. Lions eating adult lions is described as a ‘rare occurence’, but certainly not unheard of. Wolves on the other hand are known to eat dead wolves -though they appear to be averse to eating their own pack members, even when killed by outside forces. They regularly kill in pack dominance fights, but such corpses are often found almost untouched, with no signs of being fed on- and the majority of these found during studies have been high up in the pack heirachy, not the weaklings that you would expect. They might well eat their dead pack mates in times of food shortages, and possibly even kill them in times of starvation, but they seem to avoid doing this as much as possible. I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re trying to show, or where you get this ‘common knowledge’ from. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/22 "2011-09-03T12:27:49Z")
The bear I’ve had is the nastiest, stringiest, gameiest pile of nastiness ever put on a plate. Maybe somewhere the is farm raised bear on a controlled diet or something. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/23 "2011-09-03T12:58:16Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Sorry, but I just googled ‘lion cannibalism’ and came up with quite a few reputable looking records of lions being seen killing and eating other lions- including several videos of lions eating cubs. Killing each other in dominance fights is not uncommon. Lions eating adult lions is described as a ‘rare occurence’, but certainly not unheard of. > > Wolves on the other hand are known to eat dead wolves -though they appear to be averse to eating their own pack members, even when killed by outside forces. They regularly kill in pack dominance fights, but such corpses are often found almost untouched, with no signs of being fed on- and the majority of these found during studies have been high up in the pack heirachy, not the weaklings that you would expect. They might well eat their dead pack mates in times of food shortages, and possibly even kill them in times of starvation, but they seem to avoid doing this as much as possible. > > I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re trying to show, or where you get this ‘common knowledge’ from. As I said, the OP seems to be more interested in metaphors than zoology. Perhaps she is writing an updated Bestiary for self-help relationships / business people / lifestyle advice. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/24 "2011-09-03T13:21:55Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > As I said, the OP seems to be more interested in metaphors than zoology. Perhaps she is writing an updated Bestiary for self-help relationships / business people / lifestyle advice. Looks that way.. I’m just a bit incapable of not checking and then arguing when anyone states something about animal behaviour that I’m sure is wrong, even if I doubt they care. 😉 Lions would not really be my choice for any positive moral example. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/25 "2011-09-03T13:32:17Z")
I cannot help but wonder if we strayed from the OP’s intention in this thread by completely ignoring the second part of the post, and the actual question. > [@Reza](#): > > … > Can you think of any examples of humans’ behavior which resembles the two above mentioned manner? But we are the types who examine the presumptions behind a statement, and if the examples given are, um, of questionable veracity, then we do not even start to discuss the conclusions drawn from them. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/26 "2011-09-03T13:56:01Z")
> [@Reza](#): > > There’s no tough stuff to understand it, wolves simply attack each other once they’ve not found any prey and they are extremely hungry. > > This is a general knowledge = Hungry wolves sleep in a way which they see one anther’s face, in order to be protected against each other. I stress when they are hungry! They sleep with their eyes open? ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/27 "2011-09-03T14:06:05Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Cats are eaten in many locales all over the world (it was one of the staples of some late-historic Australian Aborigines) Ah, I think you need to explain something here, **Toxylon** … I’m as interested as **Cicero** in knowing the Australian native cats to which you refer. And as to the question of why lions don’t eat other lions, it’s quite simply a matter of pride. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/28 "2011-09-03T16:10:46Z")
> [@Reza](#): > > that’s the question part of the case; wolves are mammal, aren’t they? They do but lions don’t. > > Thanks for your time. Yes, wolves occ kill other wolves in fights, they will eat dead wolves when there’s no better food and they will kill wolves for food when they are starving. _But they do not normally hunt and kill other wolves for food._ ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/29 "2011-09-03T17:28:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > My dad- who grew up in Alaska with the natives- sez that bear- when on a salmon or caribu diet was nasty. But that bear during berry season was very tasty indeed. Huh. And C S Lewis, in _Prince Caspian_, says more or less the same. > [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > And as to the question of why lions don’t eat other lions, it’s quite simply a matter of pride. Ouchie. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/30 "2011-09-03T18:04:07Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > And as to the question of why lions don’t eat other lions, it’s quite simply a matter of pride. Manely, I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/31 "2011-09-03T19:24:21Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Sorry, but I just googled ‘lion cannibalism’ and came up with quite a few reputable looking records of lions being seen killing and eating other lions- including several videos of lions eating cubs. Killing each other in dominance fights is not uncommon. Lions eating adult lions is described as a ‘rare occurence’, but certainly not unheard of. > > Wolves on the other hand are known to eat dead wolves -though they appear to be averse to eating their own pack members, even when killed by outside forces. They regularly kill in pack dominance fights, but such corpses are often found almost untouched, with no signs of being fed on- and the majority of these found during studies have been high up in the pack heirachy, not the weaklings that you would expect. They might well eat their dead pack mates in times of food shortages, and possibly even kill them in times of starvation, but they seem to avoid doing this as much as possible. > > I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re trying to show, or where you get this ‘common knowledge’ from. Thanks. I appreciate your time and care. This “Why lions don’t hunt other lions” is from the book " The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins, which I’m half way through it. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/32 "2011-09-03T19:34:44Z")
Be informed that " rezafo" is my another handle. I made it first and later I found that I can’t change it, so I made Reza. [My first name], So take that reply completely from me. In fact I logged in by mistake. I try to discard “rezafo” not to let it happen again. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/33 "2011-09-03T20:25:35Z")
You’re not allowed to have more than one account. You should get in contact with a mod about getting rid of one of them. Or if you wait, I’m sure a mod will be contacting you soon. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/34 "2011-09-03T20:37:22Z")
In most circumstances, hunting predators for food is not an efficient exchange of calories spent compared to calories obtained. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/35 "2011-09-03T23:46:15Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > A male lion intent on taking over another male’s pride will not only kill the papa, but the cubs, too. Observers say the usurper wants to defend his own bloodline. I wonder, though, how do they know what a lion’s motivation is? Bullshit. As if a male lion gives a hoot about bloodlines. What is clear to him is that when he takes over the pride, the sooner he gets rid of the cubs the sooner the females go into estrus and thus the sooner he’s going to get fucked. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/36 "2011-09-04T01:32:10Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Bullshit. As if a male lion gives a hoot about bloodlines. What is clear to him is that when he takes over the pride, the sooner he gets rid of the cubs the sooner the females go into estrus and thus the sooner he’s going to get fucked. As you noted, I don’t accept the idea of a lion doing anything to preserve his bloodline. It’s not good science to assign human motives to other animals. I don’t accept the idea of a predator avoiding the killing of another predator, in the interest of, what? Professional courtesy? I also don’t accept a lion killing cubs for the sake of lust, as you suggest. If we can believe a lion does any long term planning, the usurping male probably kills the male cubs to prevent one of them killing him a few years later, to take over his pride. By they way, packs of hyenas and prides of lions have been observed staging killing raids on each other, for reasons other that meat. Once the kills are made, the quarry is not dragged away or eaten. Despite all our “king of the jungle” mythology, hyenas and lions are competitors competitors for the same prey. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/37 "2011-09-04T02:12:39Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I don’t accept the idea of a lion doing anything to preserve his bloodline. Would you accept the idea that the DNA of a male lion with a genetic predisposition to killing rivals and their cubs might tend to become more common in succeeding generations? ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/38 "2011-09-04T12:54:59Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > You’re not allowed to have more than one account. You should get in contact with a mod about getting rid of one of them. Or if you wait, I’m sure a mod will be contacting you soon. You’re scaring me. lol Yes, I tried a lot to find a way to delete my other account but I failed to do it. Waiting for their contact. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/39 "2011-09-04T12:59:40Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > By they way, packs of \*\*hyenas \*\*and prides of lions have been observed staging killing raids on each other, for reasons other that meat. Once the kills are made, the quarry is not dragged away or eaten. Despite all our “king of the jungle” mythology, hyenas and lions are competitors competitors for the same prey. This post reminded me of the documentary TV series Life! In mammal episode an injured and beaten up hyena summon other peers and attack the lions forcing one of them to climb up a branch of a tree. While they are barking at the stranded lion up on the tree, other hyenas are devouring perhaps leftover of a prey. But someone told me no they kill one of the lions and they are eating it. But in the movie it doesn’t show this action but only eating something. The science is dark and is not clear. Have you seen this part I’m talking about? Do you think they’ve killed a lion and are eating it or my first assumption is right? I think if they had killed a lion nothing would have been most worth watching and been included in the Life movie. How could they have ignored showing that? P.S: I was not sure about using “barking” for hyena. Maybe it should be “laughing”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/40 "2011-09-04T14:33:01Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > They sleep with their eyes open? Probably more their ears and noses open. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534.md?page=3)