Can lions eat Leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs and other cats?

If you are wondering whether lions kill and eat other predators like cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas. The answer is simple, No, they don’t.

This raises the question of why, after killing hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, or African wild dogs (adults or pups), lions never consume them. The truth is that they just will not eat them.

A lion won’t gain much by consuming the flesh of another predator, considering that cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, and African wild dogs aren’t exactly a well-deserved meal or a wanted snack – and their flesh isn’t nutritious or provide the promise of sustenance, no matter how hungry the golden cat becomes. So it contented itself with viciously murdering that carnivore and letting its uneaten carcass rot, comfortable in the knowledge that it had just eliminated another rival for food and territory, as well as another possible threat to its young.

Also, lions (like most carnivores) don’t eat other carnivores because of a rule known as “The 10% Energy Rule in the Food Chain,” which states that the higher the trophic level, the lower the energy – thus, predators like lions derive more energy from eating herbivores rather than other carnivores; and in some extreme cases, breaking the skin, removing the flesh, and digesting it are all energy-

Other carnivores, on the other hand, have a larger parasite and disease load than herbivores.

Any animal at the top of the food chain picks up illnesses from the other animals it eats. On the evolutionary scale, eating another predator has a far larger survival cost than eating herbivores, which are likely to have less sickness in general.

Top predators with a proclivity to consume other top predators are at a higher risk of both physical injury and illness accumulation. Those who do not consume them survive longer and so have the opportunity to reproduce, passing on their genetics and overall disposition to their children.

That’s why, after killing them, lions never eat leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, or hyenas.

Edit: Other huge predators, such as hyenas, have been consumed by lions on a few instances, as demonstrated in this video (also shared by Rebecca):

Though I still think it’s a rare instance because lions aren’t known to eat hyenas after they’ve been killed (the males here must have been desperate).

If by any chance lions eat other predators like leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and wild dogs, it would be merely because of hunger, opportunity, and territorial dominance.

• Leopards: Lions do kill leopards, especially when leopards infringe on their territory or attempt to steal their kills. While instances of lions eating leopards are less common, there are documented cases where lions have consumed leopards, particularly when food is scarce or if the lion is extremely hungry. The interaction between lions and leopards often involves lions dominating the smaller cats to reduce competition for food and space.
• Cheetahs: Lions are notorious for killing cheetahs, especially cubs, to eliminate competition. However, they rarely eat them. There are situations where lions might eat cheetah cubs or even an adult cheetah if they are extremely hungry or if no other food sources are readily available. Adult cheetahs are usually avoided due to their speed and agility unless caught off guard or injured.
• Hyenas: Lions and hyenas have a complex relationship marked by competition and sometimes conflict. Lions are known to kill hyenas, especially during territorial disputes or over food. Although lions generally do not eat hyenas after killing them, there are instances where they might consume a hyena, particularly if they are desperate for food.
• Wild Dogs: Similar to other predators, lions may kill African wild dogs, particularly to reduce competition or protect their cubs. Again, eating wild dogs is not common, but it can happen under extreme circumstances or if the lion is particularly hungry.
• Other Cats: Lions might kill other smaller cat species if they cross paths, but eating them is not typical behavior. For example, lions might hunt servals or caracals if they encounter them, but these interactions are rare due to habitat overlap and the smaller cats’ tendency to avoid lions.

The main reasons why lions kill other wild cats

1. Opportunistic Predation: Lions are opportunistic hunters and will kill other predators when they can, mainly to assert dominance or reduce competition rather than for food.
2. Hunger and Scarcity: The likelihood of lions consuming other predators increases when they are extremely hungry or when prey is scarce, which might explain some of the exceptions where lions do eat these animals.
3. Territorial Behavior: Much of the killing of other predators by lions relates to territorial disputes or protection of resources, not necessarily for sustenance.
4. Rare Occurrences: While lions can and do kill these other species, eating them is not standard behaviour and is more likely to happen in unusual circumstances like droughts or severe food shortages.