The post Zebra Sprints Through a Pride of Lions and Somehow Escapes appeared first on A-Z Animals.
There are plenty of videos online of lion prides bringing down zebras, but first they have to catch them. The zebra in this clip bolts past several lions, avoiding their attempts to grab it as it runs through the group. Speed certainly helps, but quick changes of direction can be just as important when prey is trying to escape a lion at close range.
Watch the Action NowWhat Do Lions Normally Eat?
Lions are carnivores that feed primarily on other animals. In Africa, much of their diet consists of medium to large mammals, especially ungulates. Zebras are common prey in some areas, as are warthogs, impala, wildebeest, and buffalo. What lions target depends heavily on what is available where they live, and individual prides can develop preferences for particular prey. Lions will also eat smaller animals, including birds, reptiles, rodents, and fish. They are opportunistic scavengers as well and regularly take advantage of carcasses or steal kills from other predators.
Lions are formidable predators, but that does not mean every hunt goes their way. In fact, most attempts end without a kill. Hunting success varies with prey, habitat, group size, and hunting conditions. Published estimates have put hunting success at about 15 percent in Namibia’s Etosha National Park and roughly 38.5 percent in the Kalahari, while research in the Serengeti has found higher success for lions hunting cooperatively than for those hunting alone.
How Do Lions Normally Hunt?
Lions use a stalk-and-attack sequence to catch zebras.
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Lionesses do most of the hunting in a pride, and they may hunt either alone or cooperatively. Males hunt too, particularly when living away from a pride. Lions typically rely on stealth to get close before launching a short attack. During cooperative hunts, several lions may approach from different directions, surround the prey, or drive it toward another lion waiting to attack. If they get close enough, the goal is to seize the animal and bring it to the ground.
Working together can make a major difference, particularly when lions target large prey such as zebras or buffalo. Lions are powerful sprinters, with females capable of reaching roughly 30 to 35 mph over short distances, but they are not built for a long chase. Zebras can run at more than 40 mph and combine that speed with the ability to turn sharply while fleeing. Research on lion-zebra chases has found that maneuverability can be especially important to a zebra’s chances of escape. In this clip, the zebra gets through the danger zone quickly enough that the lions abandon the chase.
The post Zebra Sprints Through a Pride of Lions and Somehow Escapes appeared first on A-Z Animals.