Lion Under a Big Tree

About this drawing

A lion under a tree in the afternoon may well be sleeping off a huge meal, and that habit reveals a lot about how the species lives. Lions are strict carnivores, so meat makes up their entire diet, and one large animal can feed several members of a pride.

What's on the menu depends on location. On the African savanna, zebras, wildebeest and antelope are the usual targets, and large prides will even take on buffalo. Lions aren't picky when an easy chance appears. They'll eat smaller animals and scavenge carcasses, and they sometimes steal food from hyenas, who will happily try to return the favor.

Lionesses do a large share of the hunting, often as a team. They creep forward low to the ground, using tall grass and darkness as cover, and spread out to cut off the prey's escape routes. Males hunt too, particularly in thicker brush where an ambush works well. The final rush has to start from close range, and plenty of attempts fail.

Once a pride brings an animal down, the feeding starts fast, since nobody knows when the next chance will come. Males usually muscle their way in first, and cubs tend to get what's left. Then the eating is over and the resting begins. With full stomachs, the lions look for a shady tree and may hardly move for a whole day.

• lion
• tree
• nature scene
• wild animals
• detailed coloring