What do lions eat?

Answer:

Lions are carnivores, they eat meat: Buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and waterbuck make up the bulk of their diet, but lions will take a wide range of prey, from small rodents and birds to young rhinos, gazelle, hippos and elephant. Asiatic lions prey largely on deer and livestock. Lions also frequently scavenge.

Most hunting is nocturnal, but they may ambush prey in daytime at waterholes in the dry season. Females do most of the hunting, males tackling larger, slower prey such as giraffe or buffalo. Lion will hunt cooperatively, fanning out to partially surround prey, but more often only one or two lions hunt, while the remainder watch. Lions can only reach 36 mph (58 kph), so rely on stalking to within range of a short dash. They kill prey by suffocation, clamping their strong jaws on an animal's wind-pipe or muzzle.

Only one in four hunts are successful, with moonless nights best. Lions eat communally, but males take the "lion's share" of the food before lionesses are allowed to eat, then cubs last of all. In lean times, cubs frequently die of starvation. Lions need about up to 15 lb (7 kg) of food per day, but feeding is often irregular and a male may eat 110 lb (50 kg) at one time.

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