{"id":380016,"date":"2026-04-07T18:53:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/380016\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T18:53:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:53:25","slug":"what-happens-when-hyenas-lions-and-an-elephant-converge-on-one-buffalo-carcass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/380016\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens When Hyenas, Lions, and an Elephant Converge on One Buffalo Carcass"},"content":{"rendered":"

The post What Happens When Hyenas, Lions, and an Elephant Converge on One Buffalo Carcass<\/a> appeared first on A-Z Animals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Watch the Video<\/p>\n

Click here to watch on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n

Quick Take<\/p>\n

Lions are both hunters and scavengers, and they will readily return to a carcass if there is still enough meat left to make it worth the risk.<\/p>\n

Hyenas often back off when lions arrive, especially when a large male is present, but the outcome can depend on numbers and the situation at the carcass.<\/p>\n

In the wild, a buffalo kill can quickly become a crowded feeding site, drawing in multiple scavengers and predators in a tense battle over leftovers.<\/p>\n

This buffalo carcass is attracting a lot of attention! It has been left partially submerged in the water after the buffalo was originally caught by a pride of lions. They have had their fill from the carcass and now a group of hyenas<\/a> is helping itself to what is left. The passing elephant<\/a> is not too impressed by the presence of the hyenas but there is little to interest it here and so it passes by. The hyenas do not back off even though the elephant trumpets loudly.<\/p>\n

Things are a bit different, however, as a male and female lion approach. Hyenas are often especially cautious around male lions because males are larger and can be extremely dangerous. But hyenas also give way to lionesses, particularly when lions have the advantage at a carcass. Once the hyenas have fled, the female lion approaches the carcass but takes a drink first. There is very little meat left now and she is not that interested.<\/p>\n

Do Lions Eat Leftover Carcasses?\"Animal,<\/p>\n

Hyenas often retreat from lions, especially males, but the outcome depends on numbers and context.<\/p>\n

\u00a9iStock.com\/Wirestock<\/p>\n

(iStock.com\/Wirestock)<\/p>\n

That depends on the carcass. These lions were probably attracted by the presence of the hyenas and were hoping for something a bit more impressive! Lions both hunt and scavenge, and how much they rely on scavenged food varies by habitat, prey availability, and competition from other carnivores. In some areas scavenging is a minor part of the diet, while in others it can be much more important.<\/p>\n

Because lions are so large, they do not have to wait until the animal that caught the prey has left. They are perfectly willing to steal prey from other predators before they have a chance to eat it. It is typical for lions to steal prey from hyenas but they also pinch carcasses from African wild dogs, cheetahs, and even from other lion prides.<\/p>\n

Lions can be drawn to carcasses by cues such as vultures overhead or the sounds and activity of other scavengers, though it is not possible to confirm from this clip exactly how these lions found the carcass.<\/p>\n

If the hyenas remain nearby, they may return to the carcass once the lions move off.<\/p>\n

Watch the Video<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to watch the video.<\/p>\n

The post What Happens When Hyenas, Lions, and an Elephant Converge on One Buffalo Carcass<\/a> appeared first on A-Z Animals<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The post What Happens When Hyenas, Lions, and an Elephant Converge on One Buffalo Carcass appeared first on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":380017,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[181923,85,46,44772,141,386],"class_list":{"0":"post-380016","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-buffalo-carcass","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-lions","12":"tag-science","13":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}