Survival of the Fittest: Watch This Macho Lion Overpower a Pack of Wild Dogs

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After a kill, a pack of wild dogs comes together to share its hard-earned meal. But when there’s a larger predator in their midst, they have to give it up. Watch how the lion in the video waltzes over to feast on a stolen meal.

How Do Wild Dogs Hunt?

Wild dogs are mainly active at dusk and again at dawn. They rely on their eyesight to spot prey and move in. Their natural fur colors help them blend into their environments, which allows them to move sneakily toward their prey. They usually stalk their prey for a bit and when the animal flees, they lean on their incredible endurance, chasing the prey until it eventually tires. Once their prey is at a disadvantage, exhausted and unable to continue fleeing, wild dogs move in for the kill.

Do Lions Fear Any Animals in the Wild?

Although perceived as the kings of the jungle, lions aren’t without fear in the wild. For example, lions don’t mess with elephants. If an elephant wants a lion to retreat, it lets it know and lions move away. Elephants tower over lions and lions don’t see them as prey. They remain a respectful distance from them. When lions have to cross a body of water and hippos are present, they’re cautious. Hippos are massive and can attack and kill lions. They’re not docile, either. They’re aggressive and lions know it.

Lion Steals Meal From Wild Dog Pack

When the video below starts, there’s a pack of wild dogs happily enjoying a recent kill. Their faces and necks are stained with blood. One of the wild dogs bites the dead animal, scooting it closer to it while the other wild dogs look around, ensuring it’s safe to devour their meal. In the next scene, the whole pack has arrived, and they are all eagerly eating, biting wildly at the carcass in between them.

Some wild dogs stand off to the side, either satiated or keeping a lookout. They all continue enjoying their kill for several more moments before they spot a nearby lion. Immediately, they start their vocalizations, alerting one another of the danger looming just behind the bright green brush. Then, the lion walks in as if it has just been purposely served a meal of its own. It approaches the pack’s kill and calmly begins feasting.

How Large Are Wild Dogs?

African wild dogs typically have an average weight range of 40 to 79 pounds, with males slightly outweighing females.

In terms of size, they measure between 30 to 43 inches in length and stand at a shoulder height of 24 to 30 inches, with females being slightly larger in this aspect.

African wild dogs have a body length ranging from approximately 2.4 to 3.6 feet and a standing height of 2 to 2.5 feet. Their tails extend to about one and a quarter inches in length. On average, their weight falls within the range of 39 to 79 pounds.

In contrast, wolves are notably larger and heavier, with lengths ranging from about 4 to 6 feet and standing heights of 2 to 3 feet.

Is it Normal Behavior for a Lion to Steal Food From Wild Dogs?

Lions are notorious scavengers and will gladly steal food from other animals, so it is completely normal behavior for them to take food from wild dogs or any other animal. They are also known to eat leftovers from a meal that someone else has killed and quite often when other carnivores have caught prey, the lion will bully them into relinquishing their meal.

This behavior is a type of kleptoparasitism, a form of feeding in which one animal deliberately takes food from another. Research indicates that due to food theft from lions, wild dog populations, as well as hyena populations, may actually be suppressed as they won’t have enough food to recover.