![]() 26 in the Journal of Applied Ecology, is the first to quantify the public health and economic benefits of scavenging by spotted hyenas. This disease-control service potentially saves the city $52,000 annually in treatment costs and livestock losses avoided. They determined that hyena scavenging annually prevents five infections of anthrax and bovine tuberculosis in Mekelle residents and 140 infections in cattle, sheep and goats. The researchers wanted to know whether hyenas - by removing this waste from the environment - might also prevent pathogens from jumping into people and livestock. The carcasses of livestock animals that are slaughtered for food there, or that die naturally, are often dumped at the local landfill or on roadsides, where hyenas feed on the waste. ![]() Mekelle is the capital of northern Ethiopia's Tigray region. In a study conducted in and around the Ethiopian city of Mekelle, home to 310,000 people and 120,000 livestock animals, a University of Michigan conservation ecologist and two colleagues found that spotted hyenas annually remove 207 tons of animal carcass waste. You can visit our other guide on what do lions eat to find out more about what these mammals feed on for nutrition.But a new study concludes that spotted hyena scavenging provides significant public health and economic benefits to the African cities they roam. Lions are also predators that must prey on other animals to survive. Male lions are also known to get aggressive with females who refuse to mate and will kill the lioness however, the male lion will not eat her. In those instances, a lion will often just kill the other lion but not eat it. Other LionsĪ lion typically doesn’t eat another lion except under rare circumstances, such as a desperate need for food, territorial rivalry, or to remove lion cubs by a previous male from a newly acquired pride of lions. Wild dogs typically only hunt lion cubs that have strayed from the mother or a weak lion that’s been injured. But despite this animal’s prowess, wild dogs won’t attack an adult lion or lioness.Įven a small 300-pound female lion can easily kill a wild dog, even if it is with other canine predators in the pack. Wild dogs in Africa travel in packs and can easily take down a large wildebeest. ScavengersĪ scavenger like a vulture will eat lions that are killed by other predators or have died from natural causes in the wild.īecause scavengers are not capable of killing a lion by themselves, they must eat the leftover meat and carcass from dead organisms. Typically, hyenas will try to steal a lion’s kill rather than attack and eat lions themselves.īut because hyenas are smart pack predators, they will seize the opportunity to kill and eat lion cubs as well as old and weak lions. HyenasĪ hyena lives in a group called a clan, and while they’re aggressive against other animals, lions are not natural prey for hyenas. ![]() ![]() However, cheetahs may attack lion cubs or a noticeably weak or sick adult lion when the opportunity strikes.Ĭheetahs use their speed and nimbleness to take down faster, smaller, and weaker animals, which are much easier to kill than fierce lions. Lion Predators CheetahsĪ cheetah is no match for killing and eating a lion so it’s not one of the main lion predators. Some species will also compete with lions for food and try to steal their kills. Adult lions do not have many natural predators unless it is sick or weak but lion cubs are easy prey to eat. Animals That Eat Lions Summary What Eats Lions?Īnimals that eat lions include cheetahs, hyenas, scavengers, wild dogs, and other lions.
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