This Male Lion Refuses To Let These Hyenas Indulge In His Meal

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A lion knowing that he is king of the jungle has its perks. After all, he knows that few animals out there will mess with him. While there are animals such as crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, and leopards that are capable of killing lions, they would just as soon leave this vicious king alone. A fight with a lion would not be a fight that one could walk away from unscathed. Don’t miss this lion standing up to hyenas in the video above. 

Hyenas Try to Steal a Kill From the King of the Jungle

The YouTube video posted at the top of this blog post takes us to the open plains of Africa where a hyena pack is trying to steal this lion’s prey. The Incredible Wild Animals Sightings YouTube page got sent this video to share with their followers. They regularly share footage of newborn animals, epic hunts, and wild fights. 

Male Lion Takes Down a Giraffe

As the video starts out we see that a male lion has completed a hunt by taking down a massive giraffe. Now, this is one for him to mark down in his portfolio. Lions are famous for eating prey such as zebra, wildebeest, or even small rodents. However, taking down the tallest animal on land is quite impressive. 

According to the Denver Zoo, “Males range from 16-18 feet (4.8-5.5 m) tall and weigh as much as 4,200 pounds (1,900 kg).” So, not only are these mammals the tallest on land, but they also are about eight times larger than a lion, weigh up to 550 pounds, and reach eight feet in length. 

As the lion goes gorging on this meal, a pack of hyenas sniffs out this freshly killed prey. In no time at all, they surround the lion. Waiting for any moment to come in and steal this kill. However, this lion is determined to stand his ground. He’s not giving up even a bite of this meal. He will gladly overstuff himself just out of greed to make these hyenas jealous. 

Do Hyenas Have a Good Sense of Smell?

Hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) tend to get a bad rap in the animal world. Not only are they a bit scruffy looking, but they also are known as the thieves of Africa. However, these animals are more intelligent than what a lot of people give them credit for. Their sense of smell is incredibly acute.  

The Journal of Mammalogy describes that “Spotted hyenas emit a rich repertoire of visual, acoustic, and olfactory signals.” They go on to describe that they use their sense of smell to communicate with each other and are able even to tell the difference between those hyenas that are a part of their clan and those who are invaders. 

Their sense of smell is just another communication tool that hyenas use to converse with each other. And as we can see from the video above, these hyenas worked together to wait out this lion patiently.