# Why don’t lions hunt other lions?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534>\
**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:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**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 5, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/41 "2011-09-05T14:37:26Z")

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> [@AskNott](#):
>
> 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.

Well I could buy your argument that the usurping male kills the cubs to prevent future challenges if I could find evidence that male lions will copulate with their mothers and aunts and that the usurping male lions only kill male cubs.

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**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 5, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/42 "2011-09-05T22:17:49Z")

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> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> Well I could buy your argument that the usurping male kills the cubs to prevent future challenges if I could find evidence that male lions will copulate with their mothers and aunts and that the usurping male lions only kill male cubs.

Make that mother, aunts, and sisters. Male lions are upwardly mobile, and the greatest hazard for the head male is the younger males in his pride. Eventually, he’ll be killed by a younger male, who will take over his position.

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**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 5, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/43 "2011-09-05T22:24:03Z")

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> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> Well I could buy your argument that the usurping male kills the cubs to prevent future challenges if I could find evidence that male lions will copulate with their mothers and aunts and that the usurping male lions only kill male cubs.

Pretty sure they try to kill all cubs. The female won’t go into estrus if she’s still taking care of other cubs.

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**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-lions-hunt-other-lions/594534/44 "2011-09-06T22:48:29Z")

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Looks like _someone’s_ a cat person.

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