Inside the Fierce Rivalry Between Lions and Hyenas

Disney’s The Lion King unfairly vilified spotted hyenas, but it did capture the tenuous relationship between hyenas and lions in real life. Hyenas tend to avoid lions, and for good reason—lions often treat hyenas as pests and may attack them. However, hyenas are fast and live in large groups, making it a bit more difficult for feline bullies to get to them. As this video shows, the two species are constantly at odds. While hyenas can sometimes overpower a lone lioness, they are much less likely to challenge a dominant male lion.

Where Do Lions and Hyenas Live?

African lions and spotted hyenas share the land south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. Lions prefer areas with thick grasslands, open woodlands, or brush. Spotted hyenas, on the other hand, are quite adaptable, surviving in different habitats like mountain forests, swamps, savannas, and semi-arid areas. However, the territories of the two animals often overlap, and coexistence causes frequent conflicts.

Competition for Food and Territory

Lions and hyenas are top predators, and both share a carnivorous diet, although lions often target larger prey. Their shared diet makes them the primary competition for one another in their habitats. A lion pride typically consists of two to 40 individuals. Female lions are the pride’s main hunters and can run up to 50 mph in short bursts. Lions are ambush predators and patiently stalk their prey before launching a surprise attack, typically hunting in the early morning, late evening, or at night. Lionesses may hunt solo, in pairs, or even in coordinated groups to bring down larger prey. 

Like lions, hyenas usually hunt at night. However, they are incredibly adaptable and frequently shift their hunting habits to daylight hours to avoid competition from lions. Hyenas live together in large clans with up to 100 individuals, often cooperating during hunts to take down their prey. Alternatively, a hyena may hunt alone to target smaller animals like guinea fowl. 

Unlike lions, hyenas strategically focus on separating a single animal from a group and can pursue it relentlessly over long distances. Spotted hyenas can run up to 37 mph for quite a while, allowing them to chase down their prey. Due to this style of hunting, hyenas typically prefer open areas for hunting. In contrast, lions prefer areas with cover for their ambush tactics, such as large embankments or tall grass. 

Conflicts Between Two Apex Predators

While lions and hyenas share overlapping territories and food sources, they generally do their best to avoid each other. To minimize conflict, both species often adjust their resting and hunting schedules when they have to share space. However, human activities have intensified competition, as habitat loss brings the two species into more frequent contact. Although pop culture often depicts hyenas stealing food from lions, in reality, it’s usually the other way around!

Lions, of course, are the larger of the two species, weighing up to 500 pounds. Hyenas, on the other hand, weigh up to 190 pounds, which makes them easy targets for stealing food. Despite their tremendous size difference, however, hyenas are tenacious, intelligent, and scrappy. When threatened, hyenas often employ a “mobbing” tactic, coordinating numerous attacks and loud vocalizations to intimidate or annoy lions. While mobbing is an effective strategy, it is also extremely risky due to the size and strength of lions. 

Do Lions Eat Hyenas?

Lions rarely eat hyenas, as their meat is less nutritious and not as palatable as that of herbivores. However, the big cats do commonly target hyenas, particularly cubs or hyenas resting alone, to eliminate their competition. In many regions, lions are the leading cause of death for hyenas. In contrast, while hyenas are opportunistic hunters, they rarely target lions. On occasion, a group may target a lone lion, a cub, or an injured lion, but this is quite rare.