See a Starving Lion Risk It All and Fight Off Jackals and Hyenas To Protect Its Supper

The often barren stretches of the African savanna can be unforgiving to its inhabitants. Although the mighty lion is seen as proud and resourceful, they face impossible odds occasionally. In the video below, we see a lone lioness fighting to prevent a drove of scavengers from stealing her kill. Multiple hyenas and jackals are aware of the carcass and are curious if they can sneak a bite in too.

The huntress is obviously going through a tough time, as her underfed physique is more than obvious. All of the swarming rivals don’t seem as poorly off and are clearly faring better than she currently is. Despite this and persistent badgering from the scavengers, the footage implies that she gets to keep her spoils.

This determined group of animals was sighted in the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, an area found within Masai Mara. This region is the oldest conservation zone of The Mara and is special because of its rich history.

Make sure to pack enough food for the trip to southern Kenya and read on. Let’s discover more about the diverse predator-scavenger relationships found in Africa!

See the Driven Huntress Prevail

Is the Lion the Master of the Savanna?

Lions have been nature’s icon of the professional hunter forever. Therefore, they’ve been acclaimed worldwide for their complex hunting strategies and fierce adaptability. Although they run into a mild failure rate when coordinating hunts, they still endure and supply their prides with enough food to survive. Not only do they have a honed sense of camaraderie in their hunting teams, lions have impressive and appropriately stealthy tactics. These are employed early and often, giving them an edge against prey and earning them the title of the true apex predator of Africa.

Are Scavenger Species Afraid of Lions?

Hyenas and jackals may not come across as the strongest or bravest critters found in Africa. However, they are surprisingly bold, even if ever-intimidating lions are in the mix. Jackals are certainly timid, but even they will push boundaries when a tasty morsel is on the line. Hyenas, on the other hand, are bolder than expected. We can see one of them in the below clip pestering the lion’s tail in a possible attempt to ward her off the food.

Both of these pesky critters should be wary, though, as lions are not shy about hunting them. While jackals and hyenas pose their own obstacles, they do show up on the menu if the opportunity arises. This simply adds more clout to the supreme reign that lions exert as the true apex predator of their domain!

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