Lions typically hunt large herbivores, but on rare occasions, they engage in intraspecific predation, or cannibalism. This behavior is not a typical dietary choice but rather a context-specific action driven by reproductive strategy, territorial dominance, or extreme environmental stress. The act can range from actively killing and fully consuming to opportunistically scavenging the remains of a deceased rival or cub. Cannibalism provides insight into the intense pressures that shape their social structure and survival mechanisms in the wild.
Infanticidal Behavior and Consumption
The most common context for a lion to consume another lion involves infanticide, a reproductive strategy employed by new dominant males. When a coalition of new males successfully takes over a pride, they systematically locate and kill any unweaned cubs fathered by the previous coalition. This aggressive behavior is primarily motivated by the need to accelerate reproduction. Lionesses do not cycle back into estrus while they are still nursing young cubs, a period that can last up to 18 to 24 months.
By eliminating the cubs, the new males can shorten the reproductive timeline, often bringing the females into heat within a few months. This is a time-sensitive adaptation, as male coalitions typically only maintain their dominance over a pride for a relatively short window, averaging about two years. The consumption of the cub after the killing is often an opportunistic action, providing a quick source of protein and calories following the physical exertion of the takeover and the killing itself. Infanticide is estimated to account for a significant portion of cub mortality in the first year of life.
Eating Rivals After Territorial Conflict
Adult lions are occasionally consumed following intense territorial battles, particularly between rival male coalitions. These conflicts are brutal, often resulting in severe injury or death, as the stakes involve control over the pride, territory, and breeding rights. The motive for the fight is to eliminate genetic and territorial competition.
After a rival male is defeated and killed, the victorious lions may partially consume the carcass. This consumption is viewed less as a dedicated hunting effort and more as an opportunistic act of scavenging on the spoils of victory. The calories gained from the defeated rival provide immediate energy to the victors, who are often exhausted and injured from the fight. This consumption serves to reinforce the dominance of the winning coalition and is a practical way to recover energy without immediately needing to hunt large prey. This behavior is a documented consequence of the fierce competition for social and territorial control among male lions.
Survival Cannibalism During Extreme Scarcity
A third, less frequent cause of lion-on-lion consumption is driven purely by environmental stress and severe hunger. In times of extreme resource scarcity, such as prolonged drought or when primary prey populations crash, lions face starvation. During these periods, the instinct for survival can override the typical social taboos against consuming a conspecific.
Lions may scavenge on the remains of any deceased lion, including weaker pride members who have died from injury, disease, or malnutrition. This is a desperate, last-resort measure to acquire calories and nutrients when no other food source is available. The consumption is not tied to reproductive strategy or territorial defense but is solely a caloric decision. The consumption of a familiar carcass, though unusual, becomes a necessary action to maintain life when the alternative is certain death from starvation.