Animals That Can Kill Lion
Giraffe Like most apex predators, lions tend to pick out the sickest and most vulnerable prey animals to target, a form of natural selection that keeps evolutionary trends pressing forward — but it’s a tactic that makes sense when you take into account the sheer weight and reach of a giraffe.
Crocodile These species don’t normally intercede on one another, but large carcasses can draw them into territorial disputes — and crocodiles have been known to prey on lions that are caught lingering too deep in the watering hole.
Rhinoceros Lions are known to selectively prey on the black rhinoceros — and those that are most selective are generally the lions that live the longest. While lions are known to hunt down rhino calves, attempts to take down fully grown rhinos are rare even when there’s an entire pride of lions at work.
Black mambas There are multiple recorded cases of black mambas killing lions. The snakes are generally peaceful and only strike when they feel threatened, and likewise, lions know not to tangle with snakes, but no system is perfect. Encounters occur and, as you can see in the embedded video, it doesn’t always go well for the lions.
Porcupine While the quill-covered porcupine might not seem like an appetizing meal to us, there’s a lot of succulent meat there that can be tempting to predators like lions during lean seasons. Lions that live a long time tend to learn better than to sink their claws into porcupines early on — and it’s generally young males of the species that try and fail to hunt porcupines.
Hyena Hyenas and lions have a lot in common, but their shared habits and habitats make them fierce adversaries. Hyenas are known for eating their prey alive to prevent their kill from getting poached by lions or other larger predators — and they’re also known to scavenge the kills of lions.
Water Buffalo Water buffalo aren’t the largest prey that lions are known to pursue, but that doesn’t make them any less deadly. Lions take advantage of the large herds that these animals travel in and strike from behind to avoid their brutally sharp horns.
Hippo While they may just look like big, goofy pigs, hippos kill more humans a year than lions. Lions usually make a habit of respecting their territorial boundaries. Despite weighing over 3,000 pounds, these enormous mammals can reach top speeds of 35 miles per hour.
Elephant The elephant is the largest land mammal, a characteristic that ensures a pride will need all lions on deck to have a chance of bringing one down with claws and teeth. It’s no surprise that these animals can kill a lion.