The answer to whether lions eat lions is complex, but the short answer is yes, under specific circumstances, they do kill and sometimes consume other lions. This behavior, known as conspecific killing and cannibalism, is not a typical hunting activity for the species, which primarily preys on large herbivores. Instead, these actions are driven by intense social, reproductive, and ecological pressures that govern life within and between lion prides. While rare, the killing of a fellow lion is a documented natural behavior that plays a role in the dynamics of their social structure and gene propagation.
Reproductive Strategy: Infanticide
The most frequently observed form of conspecific killing in lions is infanticide, which is directly linked to the male reproductive strategy. When a new coalition of males successfully takes over a pride, they face the challenge of a limited tenure, typically lasting only about two years before they are displaced by stronger rivals. Lionesses nursing cubs fathered by the previous coalition will not enter estrus, or sexual receptivity, while they are lactating.
The incoming males eliminate these unweaned cubs to drastically shorten the time until the females become fertile again, allowing the new males to sire their own offspring immediately. This behavior maximizes the new males’ chances of passing on their genes within their brief window of dominance. Unweaned cubs are the primary targets, as their survival would consume the females’ reproductive capacity for up to two years.
Female lions actively attempt to defend their offspring against this threat, sometimes forming cooperative groups to fend off the larger males. Despite their efforts, the male’s aggression often prevails, and the majority of cub mortality during a pride takeover is a direct result of these infanticidal acts. This reproductive conflict is a major factor contributing to the high mortality rate of lion cubs in the wild.
Adult-on-Adult Conflict
Lions also engage in violent, often fatal, conflicts with unrelated adults, primarily to defend territory and pride boundaries. Male coalitions regularly patrol their established home range and aggressively challenge intruding males who threaten their dominance or access to females. These territorial disputes frequently escalate into brutal physical fights involving powerful bites and clawing, aiming to drive off or kill the intruder.
Fights between rival male coalitions can result in severe injuries, including broken bones and deep lacerations, which often lead to death from infection or trauma days later. Female lions also participate in these territorial battles, fiercely defending their pride’s resources and boundaries against intruding lionesses. These confrontations are highly consequential, as the survival of the male coalition determines the pride’s ability to hold its territory and protect its young.
Lions will also clash over resources, such as access to a carcass or a water source, though these encounters are usually less lethal than a full-scale territorial war. In one documented case, a group of male lions cornered and killed a young female from a rival pride they encountered in their territory. The violence of these adult conflicts is a significant source of natural mortality for adult lions, particularly for males.
The Difference Between Killing and Cannibalism
While the killing of conspecifics is a known behavior in lion society, the act of true cannibalism, or the consumption of the killed lion, is less frequent. Cannibalism makes up only a minute percentage of the total kills made by lions. However, in specific instances, the killing of a fellow lion is immediately followed by consumption.
This behavior is most often observed following an infanticide, where the male will sometimes consume the cub he has just killed. Cannibalism of adults can also occur, particularly when a rival lion is killed during a territorial fight, especially if the victim is an outsider. In these cases, consuming the carcass may eliminate competition and provide a source of protein and nutrition that would otherwise be wasted.
True cannibalism in lions is generally discouraged by the social implications of consuming a member of the same species and the potential risk of disease. However, in times of extreme food scarcity, the incentive to consume any available meat increases. While conspecific killing is a consistent part of lion behavioral ecology, the act of eating another lion is a rarer, opportunistic behavior driven by the immediate availability of a carcass or severe hunger.