6 Major Enemies Of Lions (Complete List!)

Lions are one of the strongest animals on the planet and are at the top of the food chain. This means they are in charge of their environment and no other animal hunts them. But that doesn’t mean that lions don’t have any natural enemies in the wild.

So, who do lion fight? Hyenas, crocodiles, wild dogs, and other big cats are among the lion’s main enemies in the wild. Even though lion enemies don’t stop them from living, they fight with them often, usually over food and territory.

We’ll name all of the lion’s enemies and talk about how they fight in the wild.

What Animals Do Lions Compete With?

Hyenas

Hyenas are one of the most dangerous enemies of lions, mostly because of how they act.

These animals are scavengers, which means that when other predators hunt, they will try to steal the dead animals. Because of this, they often fight with lions after one of them kills something.

Hyenas often travel in big groups, and even the strong lions should be careful around them.

These bloodthirsty predators are known for killing female lions, especially ones alone and far from their pride. But hyenas don’t usually eat lions because, like lions, they are carnivores.

Lions and hyenas fight over more than just food. They also fight over their territory and their young.

So, lionesses carefully watch out for their cubs, especially when they see hyenas. Hyenas will quickly grab and kill a cub if they have even the slightest chance to do so.

Because of this, lionesses usually stay close to the nest to scare away enemies who might be near their young.

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Leopards

Most of the time, lions and leopards don’t get along. Leopards and lions are both big cats, but leopards compete with lions for food, which makes leopards one of lions’ biggest enemies.

Lions are stronger than leopards in a fight, but that doesn’t mean a leopard is afraid of a lion.

Leopards are known to be the strongest big cats pound for pound, making them competitors. Leopards are the most successful hunters of all big cats, with a 38% success rate.

They are also good climbers, which makes it hard for lions to steal their food because they often eat in high trees. Even though lions can jump high, long, straight trees are hard for them to climb.

Lion cubs are also in danger from leopards. Leopards often eat young cubs, especially when there isn’t enough food.

Cheetahs

In the wild, lions and cheetahs are also dangerous enemies. Cheetahs are known to be hunted and killed by lions, mainly because they can. Lions are much bigger than their skinny relatives so that they can do this.

Cheetahs are one of the biggest competitors for food, so a group of lions will kill them to keep them out of their feeding areas.

Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land, so they often use their speed to escape their much bigger and stronger big cat brothers.

Also, just like every other lion enemy, cheetahs will kill the cubs of a mother lion who isn’t paying attention.

Even though killing babies seems cruel, it makes sense in a fight for survival to get rid of the competition before they can fight back.

But you’re wrong if you think lions won’t hurt the children of people they don’t like. Lions are giant carnivores that kill young animals just to show who is boss.

Crocodiles

Crocodiles and lions don’t like each other, so they often fight and eat each other. They are both the top predators in their territory, so a fight between them is not pretty.

Crocodiles live in rivers and lakes, so lions are usually careful when they drink from them. Crocodiles kill lions the same way they hunt and kill herbivores that come to their home to drink.

Crocodiles are not picky about what they eat. Since they have to eat meat, they kill and eat any animal they come across, including birds, antelopes, lions, and leopards.

Because of this, lions are always careful around watering holes. Lions sometimes hunt crocodiles to protect themselves; if they are hungry enough, they may eat their meat.

But this is mostly true for smaller crocodiles that can’t eat a lion all the way through. The lion will usually run away when there are only two of them. It is hard to beat a crocodile, especially in the water.

Crocodiles are prehistoric giants with tough skin, strong jaws, and super strength. There’s a good reason why they are one of the strongest animals in the world.

African Wild Dogs

The African wild dog is a big threat to the lion. They often have to fight over food, especially since dogs tend to be scavengers.

Sometimes, these clever animals steal the food lions have killed, leaving the big cat hungry and angry. African wild dogs are some of the most annoying animals that lions have to deal with in the wild because of this.

But wild dogs always have to worry about being attacked and killed because they know who is in charge.

So, African wild dogs don’t usually get close to lions. Instead, they wait patiently from a distance until the lions are done eating so they can eat what’s left.

But these wild dogs often hunt and kill lion cubs because it is a quick and easy way to get food.

What Are Lions Scared of?

Even though lions are the top predators, they are still afraid of a few animals in their environment. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and hippos are all much bigger than lions. This makes them afraid of them. Most of these animals are a lot bigger than lions, which they use to keep lions away.

Because of this, lions are afraid of elephants, and even though they eat plants, they rarely try to hunt them. The lion will die instantly if it gets stepped on or kicked.

Giraffes are another animal that lions tend to avoid because they are harmless. Giraffes are the tallest mammals in the world. Their long, strong legs help them kill lions when they need to protect their young.

A full-grown male giraffe can easily weigh more than 2,000 pounds and is very hard to fight.

When they are hungry enough, lions will try to kill a giraffe, but only when there are a lot of them around. Still, a lot of these attacks fail in the end.

Rhinos and hippos are too big for the jungle king to eat, so they almost never go after these animals.

What Is The Lion’s Worst Enemy?

Hyenas are the worst threat to the lion. Hyenas are always around lions, waiting for them to hunt so they can steal their food. When there are a lot of them, they can be dangerous to lions because they are known to kill them.

Are Lions And Tigers Enemies?

Lions and tigers don’t live in the same environment, but if they did, they would fight fiercely because they are both carnivores and hunters.

Also, both species of big cats are very territorial, so they would fight for their territory. Even though tigers are stronger than lions, they have a big advantage over their relatives because they live in groups.

How they would get along in the wild would be interesting to see. They would be some of the worst enemies in the world.

What Animals Can Kill A Lion?

Lions can be killed by crocodiles, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, and hippos, among other animals. Small animals like the hyena are all about how many there are. 

If a lot of them attack a single lion, it is easy for them to kill it. The bigger animals, on the other hand, can kill lions with just one or two powerful steps or kicks.

Conclusion

And that’s the end of it. In the wild, lions often fight with African wild dogs, hyenas, crocodiles, and other big cats. Most of the time, lions fight with their enemies over food and territory.

Even though lions are top predators and one of the strongest animals in the world, that doesn’t mean they don’t have enemies.

Even if you are the king of the beasts, life in the wild is full of struggles and fights to stay alive.

About
Jake Willhoite
Jake runs AnimalDome.com and has had cats and dogs his entire life. As a kid his family adopted several dogs from the local shelter which set him down the path of animal rescue.
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