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The lion can be considered the king of the jungle, but this does not mean that this predator is invincible. The African habitats that these big cats call their home have spawned many dangerous creatures, and many of them are ready to slay the lion, whether in self-defense or as a territorial opportunity. Here are eight animals known to kill a lion in the right situation.
# 8: Giraffe – Long and Dangerous Legs
Like most apex predators, lions tend to target the most painful and most vulnerable prey animals – a form of natural selection that supports evolutionary trends forward – but this tactic makes sense given the animals’ enormous weight and reach. … giraffe. The average male giraffe weighs over 2,000 pounds and reaches seven feet in height, not including their six feet of neck. This leaves them above the average 450 pounds and seven feet long lion. While baby giraffes are easy prey, adults pose just as high a risk as a high reward. Because while a single corpse can feed a pride and its floating scavengers for some time, a giraffe can kick with a force of 2,000 psi. This is enough to decapitate a lion from getting too close.
# 7: Crocodile – Nightmares of the Nile
Lions are not afraid to fish eggs from alligators’ nests when they have little opportunity, but adults of this species can pose a real danger to lions. These species do not usually intercede for each other, but large carcasses can drag them into territorial disputes – and crocodiles are known to hunt lions caught too deep in watering holes. The crocodile has an average bite force of 3,700 psi, a clear step up from the 650 psi lion’s bite force. These are battles that are likely to be decided by the environment. The lion pack tactic gives them an edge in many situations, but the crocodile’s tactic of grabbing onto a target and simply drowning it can be a very effective way for this animal to kill a lion when it challenges lions from their element.
# 6: Rhino – Walking Tank
Lions are known to selectively hunt black rhinos, with the lions that live the longest being the most selective. While lions are known to prey on rhino calves, attempts to eradicate adult rhinos are rare, even when a pride of lions are at work at work. While they are known to sometimes refer to elephants as a competition, rhinos usually keep to themselves – and they only tend to attack when they sense that they or their cubs are being threatened.
They can weigh approximately 4,500 pounds, but an adult rhino can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour, and its horn is capable of hitting an adult lion. Most lions understand that a collision with an adult rhino is not worth the risk, but researchers warn that such random attacks will become more frequent as drought and other weather conditions lead to greater scarcity.
# 5: Porcupine is the most painful food
While the feathered porcupine may not seem like a very appetizing meal to us, there is plenty of juicy meat in there that can tempt predators like lions during lean seasons. Lions that live a long time tend to learn better than digging their claws into porcupines early on – and usually young males of this species try, but fail, to hunt porcupines. This is a scenario in which having friends can mean the difference between life and death.
Sometimes lions die from needles when no one helps them, while others are so injured as a result of the attack that they are forced to resort to hunting for easier prey. Quills and injuries to porcupines often cause lions to turn to human communities as easy prey. Desperate conditions force young males to hunt dangerous prey such as porcupines, and their injuries push them to more dangerous measures.
# 4: Hyena – Strength in Numbers
Hyenas and lions have a lot in common, but common habits and habitats make them fierce opponents. Hyenas are known to eat their prey alive to prevent poaching by lions or other larger predators, and they are also known to gather prey with lions. Territorial disputes and conflicts over carcasses are common, and victory is often only a matter of quantity.
Lions are more likely to steal kills from hyenas than the other way around, and while these animals can kill a lion, hyenas tend to admit defeat easily and agree to simply harass the lions that have captured the carcass and steal bits of meat. where they can. But in cases where hyenas outnumber lions by six times, or when the threat takes the form of smaller lionesses and young males, hyenas are known to kill with their sharp claws and bony teeth.
# 3: Water Buffalo – Family Wrestling
Water buffalo is not the biggest prey that lions are known to pursue, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous. Lions take advantage of the large herds in which these animals travel and strike from behind to avoid their brutally sharp horns. Lionesses either take the buffalo by surprise or knock down the weakest and slowest when the herd escapes – but the same herd tactics can be fatal to lions.
Many herds of buffaloes practice mobbing tactics that use their numbers to chase away or even kill lions that dare to attack them. The water buffalo also poses a proactive threat, as these giant ungulates are known to seek out lion cubs and trample them to death before they can grow and pose a threat to a herd of buffaloes.
# 2: Behemoth – Jaws of Death
While they may just look like big, stupid pigs, hippos kill more people per year than lions. Lions usually have a habit of respecting their territorial boundaries. Despite weighing
ov
er 3,000 pounds, these huge mammals can reach a top speed of 35 miles per hour. Despite this, lack of food sometimes causes lions to attack hippos – although this requires coordination from the group of lions.
Due to the huge size of the hippos and the thickness of their skin, even an organized lion pride will take a long time to wear down their prey. In contrast, the 1800 psi bite force of a hippopotamus’s jaw – combined with their prominent teeth – can easily grind a lion’s body. One wrong move could mean defeat for the lion. Lions can also become the target of an angry hippopotamus if they venture into their water area.
# 1: elephant – big body and big brain
The elephant is the largest land mammal, a characteristic that ensures the pride needs all the lions on deck to have a chance to knock one down with its claws and teeth. No wonder these animals can kill a lion. This is why lions primarily prey on elephant calves – and this is why these social creatures have developed protective habits to keep their cubs safe.
A male elephant can reach an incredible 14,000 pounds, and entire herds will circle around to physically protect their cubs from the lions. The elephant’s tusks and heavy hooves pose a serious threat even to a group of lions, but they are also known to lift trunks up to 400 pounds and swing them like weapons against attackers.
Lions can easily die when faced with even one adult elephant, and those who do not may be unable to survive due to their injuries. Age doesn’t just give elephants a weight advantage. Researchers have found that older elephants have developed more sophisticated methods of defense against lions and are spreading this knowledge to actively defend their herd from threats.
Next: Are guinea pigs nocturnal?
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