Lion attacks on elephants are uncommon. They can occur under specific circumstances, often when a pride faces environmental pressure or encounters a vulnerable elephant.
The Great Divide: Size and Strength
The inherent physical disparity between lions and elephants explains why attacks are not routine. An adult African elephant can weigh between 6,000 to 14,000 pounds and stand up to 13 feet tall, making it the largest land animal. In contrast, a male African lion weighs 330 to 550 pounds. This substantial difference in mass, often an 11:1 ratio, presents a formidable challenge for any predator.
Elephants possess natural defenses. Their skin, thick in areas like the back and legs, can be up to 1.5 inches deep, offering protection against bites and claws. They also wield powerful tusks, which can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 100 pounds each, inflicting severe injury. The trunk, a muscular, dexterous appendage, can deliver bone-crushing blows or pin down an attacker.
When the Odds Change: Circumstances of an Attack
Despite an elephant’s formidable defenses, certain conditions can prompt a lion pride to attempt an attack. Lions target the most vulnerable individuals within an elephant population. This includes very young calves, often separated from the herd, or sick, injured, and elderly elephants.
Environmental factors, such as severe drought or food scarcity, increase the likelihood of such attacks. When preferred prey, like wildebeest or zebra, become scarce, large lion prides, numbering 20 to 30 individuals, may resort to hunting elephants out of desperation. The Savuti region in Botswana is an example where lions have adapted this behavior, with some prides specializing in elephant hunting during dry seasons.
Pride Tactics and Elephant Defenses
When a pride hunts an elephant, it is a coordinated group effort. Lions aim to isolate a chosen target from its herd, as the collective strength of a group provides protection. They focus on vulnerable areas such as the legs, trunk, or hindquarters to incapacitate the large animal. Ambush techniques, utilizing dense bush or darkness, help surprise their prey and gain an advantage. Some reports describe lions attempting to jump onto an elephant’s back to bring it down or targeting the trunk to suffocate it.
Elephants exhibit defensive responses. Herds form a protective circle around their young, with adults facing outward, presenting a wall of tusks and bodies to deter attackers. Individual elephants may charge, stomp, or swing their trunks forcefully to fend off lions. Their keen senses of hearing and smell enable them to detect approaching threats, allowing them to prepare or retreat.
Success and Survival: The Outcome
Even when a lion pride hunts an elephant, their success rate remains low. The power and defensive capabilities of elephants mean such encounters carry risks for the predators. Lions can sustain serious injuries or even death from an elephant’s charge, tusks, or powerful stomps.
Successful predation on elephants occurs under specific, rare circumstances where the elephant is severely compromised or very young. While some prides have developed specialized hunting techniques, these events are exceptions rather than the rule in the savanna. The inherent dangers outweigh the potential reward for lions, making elephant hunting an unusual, high-stakes endeavor.