Watch a Lion Getting Its Pride in Order After Young Male Bullies a Cub

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Lions are large, magnificent creatures that are known to be quite aggressive. This behavior was demonstrated in a video that recently went viral of a lion pride.

The video depicts a group of lions, including cubs, fighting over a small gazelle. One of the cubs has the gazelle in its mouth while another is trying to rip it away. Eventually, a larger, young male lion steps in to try to steal the gazelle from the cub. 

An older lion interferes at this point, roaring and pushing the younger lion away. Many believe this was done to allow the cub to enjoy its meal and learn how to kill its prey. The younger lion, who bullied the cub, was definitely humbled by this experience, backing off the cubs after being attacked himself.

Where Do Lions Live?

Most lions live in Africa, except for a small population in Asia (India, to be specific). They live in varied habitats, from grasslands and savannas to deserts and woodland. However, during the Ice Age, lions actually used to live around the world — in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. 

Are Mother Lions Protective Over Cubs in Their Pride?

Yes, all mother lions are protective over their cubs and will fight for them. Lion cubs are completely reliant on their lioness for the first few months of life. In fact, a lioness will keep her cubs away from the pride until they’re older (usually around four to six weeks), providing both food and protection to the cubs during this time. 

Do Male Lions Defend Cubs in a Pride?

Male lions will usually protect their cubs while the lioness goes out for food. However, they don’t provide much additional protection and support in raising them. This duty mostly falls onto the mother lion in the pride.

Is it Normal Behavior For Lions to Bully Other Lions?

Lions show the most affection to members of the same sex. Female lions usually stay with their mother’s pride or join a new one. Male lions, on the other hand, often spend just a few years in any one particular pride but maintain lifelong bonds with their coalition partners.

In the world of lion coalitions, competition for access to individual females is a common occurrence, although the skirmishes that ensue are generally less intense compared to those between rival coalitions.

It’s interesting that the extra fighting experience can give male lions an edge in one-on-one encounters with other males making one male more dominant over the others.

Are Lions Aggressive?

Yes, lions are extremely aggressive — to humans, animals, and other lions. In fact, sometimes, lions will even hunt and kill other predators to steal their prey. They elicit fear and establish dominance over other animals, such as cheetahs and leopards. 

Additionally, lions often become aggressive seemingly out of nowhere. Even if there’s no threat, lions will sometimes attack just to win. This goes for humans, too. If you come close enough to the animal, even if you’re not doing anything threatening, it might become aggressive toward you. There have been lion attacks against humans in their own homes. 

In fact, lions are so aggressive that some male adult lions will chase off and even kill male cubs to stake their claim on a lioness when they take over a pride. 

What Do Lions Eat?

Lions are carnivores and generally prefer to eat large animals but will settle for smaller ones during food shortages. Some of their main prey include buffalo, zebra, giraffe, warthog, antelope, wildebeest, and gazelles. However, some will also feast on rodents and even reptiles when necessary.