ENVIRONMENT
Strategy of the hunt
Life in the pride Each member of the pride has its own role, to ensure all the lions benefit from family life
Lionesses do the majority of the hunting for the pride
Each predator plays to its strengths, executing different tactics to hunt and catch their prey Lions use their sheer size, brute strength and power in numbers to go after large prey items, such as buffalos, zebras and giraffes. They both stalk prey and attack en masse, coming at prey from different angles to startle and confuse. Lions will also scavenge, stealing kills off other predators such as hyenas and cheetahs. All the other big cat species are solitary hunters, and need to employ a very different and more fine-tuned approach. Cheetahs use their highly specialised bodies to generate massive thrust, using propulsion and attuned senses to home in on their quarry. They then use their dewclaw to trip the prey, causing it to stumble and fall. Tigers will use their keen senses and superb camouflage to stay hidden in the undergrowth. They stalk prey until close enough to strike – lunging at it from around six metres away. With razor sharp claws outstretched, any animal in this cat’s sights may struggle to get away! These cats can even launch attacks from water. The tiger will then use its bulk to grapple with its prey. Snow leopards are ambush predators and will use their rocky, mountainous home to their advantage. They will often creep up on prey near cliff ledges and drop onto them from above. Leopards and jaguars have similar strategies. To locate prey in the dark, leopards have excellent night vision, around seven times better than ours. They rely on their hypersensitive paws to feel the terrain, ensuring that no twig-snaps or leaf rustles give away their position. A quick lunge and a powerful bite are enough to seal the deal. However, due to their climbing preferences, these cats will employ the ‘drop from above’ tactic too. Leopards and jaguars aren’t afraid of swimming and will happily get wet to secure a meal, or sometimes they won’t bother hunting at all, and will keenly scavenge a meal.
Hunting school
Lesson number one: eat, or be eaten! How young cubs learn to be predators
018 | How It Works
Young males
When they reach maturity, young males are often ousted and leave the pride to form bachelor groups before they join their own pride.
Lionesses
There are around 12 lionesses in a pride unit, and they are usually all related.
Time to leave
If a male or female is injured or too old and can’t perform their role, they are pushed out of the pride.
Safety in numbers
Lions live in open grasslands, where a kill draws easy attention. The pride works together to defend food from scavengers.
“Big cats’ finely tuned senses make them hyperaware of their surroundings” Lion
Play fighting is a big part of learning. Lions in the pride will encourage cubs to pounce and stalk one another before being introduced to live prey.
Tiger
By the time they reach 18 months, tiger cubs will be skilled hunters. They learn through watching their mother and finishing off her contests.
Mealtime hierarchy
After a kill, the males always eat first. Then the females will eat their fill and the cubs follow.
Leopard
The essential skills that leopard mothers teach their young include how to pin down animals, and the best place to clamp down on a throat.
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