Hungry lions

Winter Appetite

All of us know the effects of winter... even here in Zulu-land we have to reach for the blankets and heaters as soon as the sun goes down! With the cold, there is also the ‘craving’ for more food... We need to eat more to provide our bodies with more fuel as well as that extra insulation against the cold...

Well, the same goes to the animals! Especially the lions here at Amakhosi... Since they don’t hibernate, they have to fuel up in order to survive the winter. And that’s exactly what they’ve been doing these last few days!

One of our prides consists of 11 lions - 5 males, 2 old ladies, a pregnant lady and a mom with 2 cubs.

Since lions need an average of 5 -7kg of meat daily for normal activities and functioning (but can gorge up to 50kg at a single sitting), they need to hunt often in order to survive.

In less than 2 weeks, these amazing cats have killed a giraffe, nyala, kudu, wildebeest and a buffalo!

They have a very expensive appetite…

Lions are expert stalkers, especially the females who can use very little cover to creep unnoticed up to an unsuspecting animal. They move very carefully and freeze as soon as their prey moves.

Another useful skill is their coordination and teamwork. With large prey such as giraffe and buffalo, the females will do most of the hunting while the males only help-out with the finale kill. Males are efficient hunters, but with age come the black mane that makes concealment quite difficult! Thus, a male’s main priority is defending his pride and their territory…

Lions are most of the time inactive and spend up to 20 hours resting, but with an increased appetite, come more opportunities for our guests to witness Africa’s largest predator in action.