Hunting in life of lions, as well as any other predators, has paramount value. It is the only way of production of food which is necessary for activity continuation. Lion's hunting has the features caused by a way of life of these predators and their physiological building.
Instruction
1. Lions live in the small flocks consisting of a male, several females and their cubs. The duty to get food in each such pack is assigned to lionesses while the lion is responsible for safety of the family and participates in reproduction. As lions not so fast hunters as, for example, cheetahs, they try to attack production all together – it increases chances of successful hunting.
2. Lions get food in three ways: independent hunting, its collecting at others or picking up of those animals, which died from an old age. Usually hunting begins at sunset, however at strong feeling of hunger the lions can hunt at any time. And the victim these predators see any living being who moves, whether it be a zebra, a mouse or a hippopotamus. Of course, special delicacy for lions are large hoofed animals.
3. Having noticed herd of hoofed animals, lionesses quietly are selected as it is possible closer to the victims, and then suddenly attack them. Their hunting often is unsuccessful as they cannot pursue the victim long time, unlike the same cheetah. However if at least one animal is for a while deafened by heavy blow of a lioness, it will manage to leave already hardly as other members of lion's family immediately will come to the rescue.
4. Lions also often hunt near reservoirs - there they can wait quietly for the victims for the whole day. Those lions which should hunt alone often resort to such way. As a rule, lions do not attack animals who are much larger than them. Nevertheless the yearned predator can attack also very large buffalo or a hippopotamus.
5. Lionesses surely bring the production in family. The right to sate the stomach with the first belongs to a male. Only after the lion will gorge on, can start a meal of a lioness. And kids in families eat the remains. Quite often the lion should drive away females from almost eaten production that little young lions could receive the share too.
6. The hungry adult lion can eat to 30 kg of food in one step, and after a while 15 more kg. After that within 1-2 days he can not hunt absolutely as such amount of meat sates it for long time. Feature of these animals also that they kill only for hunger satisfying. The full lion will never attack running around animals.