One of the most renowned and respected animals on the planet, the mighty lion is seen to symbolize both power and royalty in numerous cultures and countries around the world. Due to their phenomenal strength, hunting prowess, and regal nature, as well as the male’s majestic manes, they are often fittingly called the ‘king of beasts’.

While prides of the powerful predators once roamed Europe, Asia, and Africa, today most lions living in the wild are only found south of the Sahara. One isolated population is also located in the Gujarat state of India.

In total, there are sadly only believed to be around 20,000 of the incredible creatures still living in the wild today. This is in large part because human activity has encroached on the grasslands, savannas, and woodlands where lions hunt prey such as antelopes and zebras.

So what are the remained places where lions live in the wild? Luckily, the fearsome hunters do still exist in around 26 African countries with some being home to stable and even increasing populations. Seeing them in the wild is an awe-inspiring experience and safaris are one of the best ways to see lions happy and in their natural habitat.

1. Tanzania

Home to the most remaining lions in the world, Tanzania is without a doubt the best place to see these majestic animals up close and in the wild. Every year thousands of tourists flock to the East African country to go on safari amidst its stunning scenery. The Serengeti alone is thought to be home to around 3,000 lions.

On the expansive plains, teams of lions coordinate and work together to bring down gazelles, zebras, and wildebeest for the pride to feast on. While both dusk and dawn are their most active periods and preferred hunting times, you can sometimes see them stalking prey throughout the day.

In addition to the Serengeti National Park, both Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Ruaha National Park house large populations of the ferocious predators.

2. Botswana

Botswana’s main draw is undoubtedly its wildlife with huge swathes of nature and wilderness protected as national parks. While lions are commonly spotted throughout the country, the most spectacular place to see them is the Okavango Delta; one of the most unique and unforgettable safari destinations on Earth.

While lions usually dislike water, in the Delta they have learnt to navigate channels, floodplains and even islands in search of prey. Even more remarkable is the fact that Botswana’s big cats hunt and bring down, not only antelopes and gazelles, but buffaloes, hippos, and adult elephants too.

Besides the Delta’s Moremi Game Reserve, the other main place to see lions in the wild is Chobe National Park, which is home to a huge concentration of game.

3. Kenya

Rivaling both Tanzania and Botswana in terms of their wonderful wildlife is Kenya, which has long been a popular safari destination. Thanks to successful and innovative conservation initiatives and close work with local communities, more than 2,000 lions are now believed to live in its numerous national parks.

The best place to see them though is the renowned Maasai Mara, which stretches away endlessly in the southwest of the country. While its vast grasslands are home to the Big Five and innumerable lions, lionesses, and cubs, visitors can also see large prides on safaris in both Meru and Tsavo West national parks, among others.

Impressively enough, lions can even be spotted in Nairobi National Park which lies literally on the outskirts of the nation’s capital.

4. South Africa

One of the most famous and popular places to see lions in the wild is in South Africa, which boasts an astounding array of excellent national parks and nature reserves. Once scattered throughout the country, lions now mostly reside within protected pockets with the only free-roaming felines to be found in the north and eastern parts of the nation.

While the Gondwana, Kwandwe and Shamwari game reserves all offer up some fabulous wildlife viewing, the star of the show is undoubtedly Kruger National Park, which is home to around 1,600 lions.

In addition to snapping photos of them resting in the shade or seeing prides of lions roaming about the savanna, you may also encounter the elusive and rare white lion from time to time.

5. Zambia

Although it is often overlooked in favor of neighboring Botswana and Tanzania, Zambia is also home to one of the largest populations of lions on the continent. In total around 1,200 of the mighty creatures are believed to reside within the country. Most visitors head off on unforgettable safaris after having taken in the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls.

The three main places to see lions in the wild are the national parks of South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi, and Kafue. While all three offer incredible wildlife viewing, it is the former that is widely considered to be one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. On top of seeing prides of lions during the day, visitors can organize nighttime safaris and even exhilarating safaris on foot through the bush.

6. Mozambique

While countless lions once roamed the game-rich wetlands of the Zambezi Delta, Mozambique’s fifteen year-long civil war sadly saw their numbers dwindle drastically. Now, however, the southeast African country’s lion population is slowly recovering with over 150 of the majestic animals to be found in Gorongosa National Park alone.

Seldom visited by tourists, the sprawling park encompasses a vast valley with its savannas and woodlands being the perfect habitat for lions to live in. While they remarkably spend around twenty hours per day reclining and sleeping, the rest of the time you can see lions prowling about and hunting for prey.

Besides Gorongosa, you can also spot lions in the wild in Banhine and Limpopo national parks, as well as up north in the Niassa Nature Reserve.

7. Namibia

Widely considered to boast some of the most successful conservation strategies in all sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia is now thought to be home to as many as 800 lions. While most roam about Etosha National Park, some prides of hardy desert lions eke out a living along the sun-scorched Skeleton Coast. They sometimes feed off of seabirds and even seals when other food sources are scarce.

Most of the country’s lions, however, live and hunt within the remote realms of northern Namibia; Khaudum and Etosha national parks house the largest populations. In addition to seeing lions congregate around the Okondeka or Ombika waterholes, visitors also stand a great chance of seeing them in the parks and reserves of the Caprivi Strip.

8. Cameroon

Delightfully known as ‘Africa in Miniature’ due to its diverse peoples, cultures and ecosystems, the Central African country of Cameroon is also fittingly home to lots of lions. While many populations are under pressure from human activity, prides of the predators can still be found in the numerous national parks scattered throughout its northern realms.

While only a dozen or so are thought to remain in Waza National Park, many more are believed to live in both Benoue and Bouba Njida national parks, as well as Faro Reserve. In total, just under 300 lions are estimated to reside among Cameroon’s grasslands, woodlands, and transition zones. Their most common prey consists of antelopes and waterbucks, as well as the occasional buffalo.

9. Benin

As it is home to some of the largest prides of the critically endangered West African lion, Benin is one of the best places to see the ferocious hunter up close and in the wild. One of the last remaining strongholds of the big cat in the region is Pendjari National Park, which is located in the northwest of the country.

Although often overlooked by tourists, Pendjari is one of West Africa’s top wildlife destinations and has around a hundred lions residing within its confines. Besides seeing lions play, prowl, and hunt for prey amidst its vast savannas and woodlands, visitors can spy everything, from elephants and hippos to cheetahs and antelope.

10. India

Although it is almost certainly not the first place that springs to mind when people think of lions in the wild, India is actually home to the last remaining population of Asiatic lions. While they once roamed across much of the Middle East and Western Asia, the majestic animals can now sadly only be found in Gir National Park in Gujarat.

A conservation success story, the lions are now thought to number around 600, up from just a dozen in the late 19th century. Slightly smaller than their African cousins, Asiatic lions also have a thicker coat and less of a mane. Going on safari in Gir National Park is an amazing experience as you can see lions prowling about its sparse woodlands and dry grasslands.

Lions are incredible, yet ferocious, animals. With this in mind, it’s no wonder why so many are intrigued when it comes to how lions behave and what their diets consist of.

If you’ve ever pondered the question “what do lions eat?”, the short answer is “meat and flesh”. As apex predators, lions are adept at hunting for their food, which is typically other animals that live within its habitat. This can include anything from antelopes, giraffes, zebras, wild hogs and even crocodiles.

The long list of animals lions prey upon is one of the main reasons they are referred to as the ‘kings of the jungle’. To put it simply, lions are at the top of the food chain in the wild and can almost hunt any animal they choose given their brute strength, sharp teeth and claws, and intelligence.

In this article, we’re going to explore what lions eat in detail to help you fully understand these amazing (and massive) felines.

Exploring a Lion’s Diet

Lions are carnivorous animals that only eat meat. A carnivore is an animal that scavenges or hunts animals to gain energy and nutrients from their respective flesh and tissue.

As the “Apex Predator”, lions are at the top of the food chain which means no other animal sees them as prey. Also referred to as “Obligate Carnivores”, lions only consume animal flesh for nourishment. “Facultative Carnivores” are animals that eat non-animal foods in addition to meat.

Why Do Lions Eat Meat

As “Obligate Carnivores”, over 70% of a lion’s diet relies on meat. Lions do not naturally produce the level of amino acids their bodies need to survive. In order to fulfil their daily intake, lions have to consume animal flesh.

While lions cannot effectively digest vegetation, they still may nibble on some grass or fruits. Lions do not have the enzymes responsible to break down plant matter; they can only digest meat successfully.

What Animals do Lions Prey on?

Lions are not picky when it comes to what they prey on, including:

• Antelopes
• Giraffes
• Rhinoceros
• Buffaloes
• Smaller elephants
• Zebras
• Wild Hogs
• Crocodiles

If they were to come across these smaller prey, they are very likely to eat them as well:

• Mice
• Birds
• Hares
• Tortoises
• Lizards

Exploring a Lion’s Diet in The Wild

Lions will eat any and every animal they are able to capture. In the wild, this results in a wide variety of animals in their daily diet.

Zebras, Pigs, buffaloes, antelopes, hippos, giraffes, rhinos, and wildebeests are the animals lions are most likely to consume. Lions will also prey on small and young offspring of large animals anywhere from 50 to 300 kg in size.

On average, an adult lion kills 15 animals annually. They usually feed off of the corpses of kills made by the hunters of the lions’ pride. In the wild, scavenging accounts for half of a lions diet.

What Do Lions Eat at The Zoo?

In a zoo, lions are usually kept to a diet of beef (sometimes the bones as well), chicken, rabbit, sheep, and horse.

In addition to the animal flesh, captive lions will indulge in commercially and specially formulated cat food. These foods are crafted to sustain all of a lion’s dietary needs.

What African Lions Eat

Usually found in the grasslands, African lions often eat:

• Antelopes
• Wildebeest
• Zebras

What White Lions Eat

White lions are also obligate carnivores so they require the flesh of animals to satisfy their dietary needs.

These days, white lions are rarely found in the wild where they originated from Timbavati, South Africa. They would eat the same animals as African lions including zebras, pigs, buffaloes, gazelles, rabbits, and wildebeests.

They are often found in captivity where they are held by a variety of animals and the formulated cat food.

What Do Lions Prefer To Eat?

Considering lions’ digestive systems are crafted to digest animal flesh, they will always crave other animals. Some of their favorite animals include:

• Antelopes
• Buffaloes
• Crocodiles
• Young or small elephants
• Giraffe
• Hippos
• Hogs
• Rhinos
• Wildebeests
• Zebras

How Much & How Often Do Lions Eat?

An average lion in the wild eats around 10 and 25 pounds (4.5 and 11 kg) of food per day.

If there are copious amounts of food, male lions are able to eat up to 43 kg of meat compared to a female who can ingest up to 25 kg in a day.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommends that a male lion in captivity should eat around 3.6 kg (8 pounds) and a female should eat around 2.7 kg (6 pounds). Lions are required to eat daily. However, they are able to survive up to 14 days without food if necessary.

How Lions Eat Their Food

Like most carnivores, lions are equipped with three types of teeth:

• Canines
• Incisors
• Carnassials

In order to eat their food, they use their specialized teeth and strong jaws. A lion’s mouth can open up to 11 inches (28 cm) wide. Lions also have one of the largest bites in the animal kingdom.

The extreme long and sharp canine teeth are used for grasping and killing their prey, while thier incisors are the smaller teeth in the front of the moth used for tearing smaller pieces of meat from the fresh corpse.

In order to tear away large chunks of meat, lions use their sharp carnassial teeth located in the bath of their mouth. Instead of chewing their food, lions just swallow large chunks of meat.

Where & When Do Lions Eat?

Lions almost always consume their prey immediately after to kill. But if they kill their prey in a body of water, they will pull it to the shore first.

If they are unable to finish the meal in its entirety, they will guard the carcass from unwanted scavengers and wait until they are hungry again. Sometimes, lions will enjoy their kill in the shade to avoid the heat.

While lions can hunt during the day, they usually save their prey for the nighttime. After a pride successfully kills their prey, they take turns eating the flesh. Adult males go first, then lionnesses, and then the cubs and older or weaker lions.

Do Lions Eat Each Other?

Lions usually only kill each other if there is a conflict in the pride or a shift in control in a new territory. From time to time, male lions will kill a lioness who refuses to mate in a newly acclaimed territory.

Do Lions Eat Their Cubs?

Lions will sometimes kill and eat their cubs in order to make their mother pregnant. Male lions may also kill and eat new young cubs of a new territory.

Do Lions Eat Humans?

It is uncommon for lions to eat humans, however there have been a few cases where a lion has eaten a human. The most famous case being the 1898 Tsavo man-eaters. In 9 months, two lions consumed 28 railways workers while they were building the Kenya-Uganda railway.

American and Tanzanian scientists revealed a staggering report. From 1990 to 2005, at least 563 villagers in the rural parts of Tanzania were attacked by lions and many were eaten.

Packer estimates that 200 to 400 Tanzanian people are killed by wild animals, 70 of these deaths are by lions.

At least 35 people were killed by a main-eating lion in Southern Tanzania along the Rufiji river, before game scouts hunted and killed it in April of 2004. Asian lions are also capable of eating humans. Attacks on humans were reported twice in 2012 from an area about 55 km from the Gir sanctuary.

Conclusion

As you can see, when it comes to what lions eat, it can vary depending on the region and circumstances the lion is in. Regardless, though, all lions eat meat and flesh and love to hunt for their prey, which is what makes them such a ferocious predator in the wild.

For more fun facts and guides about wild animals, check out some of the other articles on WildlifeTrip!