See An Epic Battle Between 10 Lions and 10 Hyenas in A Turf War

Written by Crystal
Published: February 15, 2023
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Darkness falls, and 10 lions embark on a hunt. This professionally shot wildlife footage allows viewers to experience behind-the-scenes moments of a lion’s life. What begins as a quiet hunt ends in a bloody brawl when a pack of hyenas appears.

Follow along as we reveal what happens in this 8-minute-long video. Who will win an epic battle between 10 lions and 10 hyenas? Read on to find out.

Professional Wildlife Footage Captures Lion Lifestyle

A soothing voice narrates this video. The professionally shot wildlife footage captures a pride of lions waiting out at the end of the day. After the sun sets, a night of hunting awaits them.

The viewer will appreciate the night vision lens. You can see all of the animal’s movements and expressions, even though it’s completely dark outside.

Waiting for Prey to Pass

Sometimes a big part of hunting is waiting for prey to come by. And that’s what happens in this video. It’s 2:00 a.m., and the lions still haven’t seen any passing prey. The extended family begins to rest while the others keep watch. It isn’t long before the silence of the night is broken by piercing yips and cries! It’s the sound of hyenas making a fresh kill.

The Lions Come To Steal the Hyenas Kill

Hyenas and Lion

As top predators in their shared ecosystem, lions and hyenas are often at odds for meals.

©Abdelrahman Hassanein/Shutterstock.com

Seizing the opportunity, the hungry lions slowly begin to follow the sound of the hyenas on the kill. You might not think of lions as scavengers, but they do it a lot. Depending on the available foods, up to half of a lion’s diet can come from scavenging instead of hunting. They’ll either take the food from other animals or eat the leftovers they find. In this video, the lions are ready to steal food directly from the hyenas! It’s the ultimate turf war.

The pride of lions approaches five hyenas. The hyenas are standing over a freshly killed water buffalo. It only takes a couple of seconds for the lions to push the hyenas away from the food. The lions appear to have won, for now.

All of the lions dive in and begin feasting on the stolen water buffalo, tearing its flesh apart. They’re completely consumed with eating and forget to keep an eye on the jilted hyenas. The pride doesn’t notice that the hyenas have reinforcements until it’s too late.

The Hyenas Call for Reinforcements

The hyenas are ready to fight for their dinner! After calling for reinforcements, 10 hyenas move in on 10 lions. An intense battle follows as both species give it their all. The hyenas work together to separate the lions and badly wound some of them.

It’s a messy and bloody animal brawl. After a few minutes of fighting, the lions finally retreat. After the lion vs. hyena turf war ends, the video picks up the next day. You see several of the lions who are badly wounded. They have bloody fur, and one of their leaders can barely move.

Sometimes it can be challenging to watch the reality of wildlife when it’s caught on camera. However, there’s a lot we can learn about animal behavior from videos like these.

Watch the epic lion vs. hyena battle below. And turn up the volume so you can learn all of the fun animal facts the narrator has to share!

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © Saarang/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Crystal is a dedicated writer at A-Z Animals, focusing on topics related to mammals, insects, and travel. With over a decade of experience in the world of research and writing, she also fulfills the role of a skilled video and audio engineer. Residing in sunny Florida, alligators are Crystal's favorite animal.

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