Watch This Gladiator Lion Fight Off 30 Hyenas by Himself and Prove His Title as King

Male lion with two hyenas
© AfricaWildlife/Shutterstock.com

Written by Angie Menjivar

Updated: October 22, 2023

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A tired lion is still more powerful than a pack of 30 hyenas as the video below proves. This lion is not going down, even if it’s exhausted. Not only does it manage to keep the hyenas from getting too close, but it also manages to make a rare kill.

Watch the Tense Footage Below!

Lion makes a rare kill amid a hyena pack attack.

Do Hyenas Attack Lions?

Though hyenas are significantly smaller than lions, they use their strength in numbers in the same way as lions. Hyenas are capable of taking down a lion, especially if the lion is old, injured, or still a cub. When they do attack, they approach the lion from all sides. If it’s a lone hyena, the lion can easily overpower it. In these instances, hyenas know their best chance of survival is to flee.

Lion and Hyenas battle over a warthog kill.

Lions and hyenas are mortal enemies in the wild.

©Mark Sheridan-Johnson/Shutterstock.com

Do Lions Have Any Natural Predators?

Lions are apex predators, meaning they don’t have any natural predators. However, like with hyenas, there are other animals in the wild that take advantage of the vulnerability of lion cubs. Sometimes, herbivores like buffalo can trample and kill lions but they do not eat them. There are several animals capable of killing a vulnerable lion, though not all choose to feast on them. However, crocodiles and African wild dogs are capable of snatching and feasting on lion cubs.

Lion vs. Pack of Hyenas

When the video below starts, a lion is in a grassy field surrounded by a pack of hyenas. The hyenas are loud and restless, and the lion has a blood-stained face. It’s breathing hard. Despite clearly being tired, it chases off the hyenas that get too close. But it stops to catch its breath. Although surrounded, it still walks with confidence. But the hyenas stay close. The camera follows the lion as it walks and then picks up the pace to cross a dirt road right where the safari vehicles are parked.

Then you realize the lion only picked up the pace because it saw an opportunity to overpower a hyena away from the pack. It moves quickly, taking it down and biting its neck to kill it. This is when the pack goes wild, attacking the lion with bites to its legs, back, and face. The lion responds by chasing them off, but the pack returns riled up after witnessing the mauling of one of its pack members. The lion is exhausted and clearly wants to eat but with the pack of hyenas present, that is not an easy feat.


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About the Author

Angie Menjivar is a writer at A-Z-Animals primarily covering pets, wildlife, and the human spirit. She has 14 years of experience, holds a Bachelor's degree in psychology, and continues her studies into human behavior, working as a copywriter in the mental health space. She resides in North Carolina, where she's fallen in love with thunderstorms and uses them as an excuse to get extra cuddles from her three cats.

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