Lions are often praised to be the king of the jungle. Even movies like Lion King depict this animal as a ferocious and mighty king. On the other hand, tigers are also of equal strength and importance. Both of them belong to the Panthera class and are feared by all. But have you ever wondered why is lion the king of the jungle because tigers are no less too? And is there constant competition between tigers and lions? And if it is so, how do they survive in the ecosystem? Do lions and tigers hunt together? Do lions eat tigers? Well, these are some of the most interesting questions that we will answer here.
1. Who is the King of Jungle?
The king of the jungle is a lion. In many cultures, lions are regarded as symbols of power, strength, and nobility. It is the female lions who go out hunting for food in a pride of lions and the job of the male lion is to defend and protect the cubs from danger.
Lions are the species of animals in the wildlife that sit at the top of the food chain, considered to be one of the most powerful animals in the ecosystem with no animal going near them. That is also the reason why they are regarded as the king of the jungle. To know- do lions eat tigers, read till the end of the article. (See What Symbolizes Bravery?)
2. Why Tiger is not King of Jungle?
Now that we are aware of who is the king of jungle, you may wonder why a tiger is not the king since both of them are equally strong. Tiger is not the king of the jungle because of their solitary hunting techniques and non-leadership qualities. Tigers usually hunt solitary whereas lions come out in groups for hunting. So, no matter how powerful and strong a tiger is, it cannot stand the strength of two or more lions.
Lions govern their colonies and everything that takes place there happens only after their approval and command. They guide the cubs and lionesses and lead their entire colony effortlessly. Must read What is the Animal that Symbolizes Growth?
3. Do Lions and Tigers get along?
No, lions and tigers do not get along with each other. These mighty beasts do not get along with each other because their primary predatory characteristics do not allow them to have a peaceful coexistence. Usually, lions and tigers do not coexist in the same territories. The difference between lions and tigers also arises due to their living practices.
Lions are social animals who live together in pride, whereas tigers are solitary beings who stay alone. They both are carnivores and hunt large herbivores, so there is competition for food between them. Their equal amount of aggression and strength leads to higher chances of clashes and fights between the two. (See How many Bengal Tigers are Left in the World? )
4. Do Lions and Tigers hunt together?
After getting an insight into their coexistence, one might wonder, do lions and tigers hunt together? No, lions and tigers do not hunt together. Although they form part of the largest group of predators in the natural world, they stay away from each other. In the pride of lions, female lions or lionesses are the ones who go out and hunt and usually do it in a group of two or more, whereas, tigers are solitary hunters and prefer to always hunt alone. So, do lions eat tigers? read the next segments to know the answer. (See Group of cats collective noun)
5. Are Tigers afraid of Lions?
Tigers are not afraid of lions. Since lions and tigers almost share the same habitat, there’s constant competition for livelihood between the two. Although they aren’t afraid of anyone, the pride of lions can defeat a tiger due to their solitary nature. So the two are tough competitors but neither of them is afraid of the other. (See What would Happen in an Ecosystem without Herbivores?)
6. Who is more Fearless Lion or Tiger?
Lions and tigers are both fearless animals. They are those ferocious animals that sit at the top of the food chain. There is a constant rivalry between them, although there are seldom instances of them living together and sharing a habitat. Both being fearless and brave, there is a great fight between the two whenever they face each other. Whenever these two big cats clash, lions tend to win because of their lifestyle of living in a group. (See 7 Fun Facts About White Lions)
7. Who runs Faster Lion or Tiger?
Lions and tigers are wild cats and mighty beasts. They both have superior strength and great body physiques. Tigers are more powerful animals than lions when compared to their strength and are larger in length than the lions. But despite their superior physical strength, tigers are slower than lions.
Lions can achieve a speed of 50 miles per hour. Therefore, lions can cover a distance of 80.5 Kilometers in an hour whereas a tiger has a top speed of 40 miles per hour and therefore, tigers can only cover a distance of 64 kilometers in an hour. So comparatively, lions are faster than tigers. (See What is an African Lion’s Weight in kg?)
8. Who is more Aggressive Lion or Tiger?
Before understanding- do lions eat tigers or not, let us first understand who is more aggressive among the two. Tigers are more aggressive than lions. Although tigers and lions are both dangerous and powerful, tigers are more aggressive, muscular, and have greater agility. Tigers are dangerous compared to them as lions do not engage in fights and kill other creatures unless there is a good reason to do so. Tigers also kill more humans per year than lions. (See What is the biggest lion in the world?)
9. What Animal eats a Tiger?
Besides wondering- do lions eat tigers or not, note that there are some animals in the wild that eat tigers. Some of these animals are alligators, boas, bears, crocodiles, and dholes.
- Alligators are opportunistic hunters and can easily take down animals much larger than them. They can easily target tigers because tigers tend to live and swim in open areas where alligators can easily sneak upon and hunt them.
- Brown bears are large animals in the wild, capable of hunting and killing these mighty beasts. They kill tigers because tigers provide a lot of meat as food for these animals.
- Boa is a large and dangerous snake and can actively and easily kill tigers due to its excellent hunting abilities. They are able to lie and wait for their prey to come to them before attacking, which works in the favor of boas when they hunt tigers because tigers are such large and powerful animals. The snake also hunts tigers to protect its young ones from the attack of tigers as well as to provide itself with a large source of meat.
- Crocodiles are large animals capable of attacking and killing tigers. They are opportunistic hunters and can kill whatever comes their way. Although they do not usually kill tigers, they can effortlessly do it whenever they get a chance.
- Dholes are wild dogs, capable of killing tigers. They have immense strength and they usually hunt in a pack of 10-12 animals. They surround their prey before attacking them and are capable of a successful hunt because of their teamwork.
10. Do Lions eat Tigers?
Lions and tigers both stay at the top of the food chain in the ecosystem. They are considered hyper-carnivores. They both share the same spot at the top of the food chain and have similar strengths and powers. They seldom share the same habitat in an ecosystem. So, do lions eat tigers? Although they both are fierce animals and fight violently wherever there is a clash between the two which also means that eating each other will be a far-fetched thought.
Then why do lions eat tigers? Well, both of them may eat each other if there is no other prey left. Check out Is Lion Herbivore Carnivore or Omnivore?
11. Can Tigers eat Tigers?
How can tigers eat tigers? Tigers do not usually eat other tigers. But there are some instances of adult tigers eating tiger cubs for food. The tigers can kill other tigers when a fight breaks out but eating each other will be very rare. The fights between tigers occur when some other tiger tries to enter their territories. (See How strong is a tiger compared to a human?)
12. What Animal kills Lions?
- Giraffes are capable of hunting and killing lions. They have an edge over lions because of their height and long legs. A giraffe can kick with a force of 2,000 pounds per square inch which is enough to kill a lion.
- Crocodiles are one of the animals that are really skilled hunters in the wild. They can take down a lion too. The crocodile uses the tactic of killing lions by drowning them and also possesses very strong bites which can give deep wounds to its prey.
- Rhinos are excellent hunters and a fully grown rhino can take down a lion even when the lion is in pride. They do not attack and kill without any reason. They only attack when they feel like they are being threatened.
- Porcupines are skilled hunters of lions. Their quills can easily cause the death of a lion. These small animals provide a lot of succulent meat to lions because of this they try to hunt and kill these animals. Instead, the lions themselves get injured and sometimes die.
- Hippos are one of those animals that lions are afraid of. Lions respect the territorial boundaries of hippos and usually do not attack these mighty and large animals. But sometimes the lack of food forces lions to attack them, which generally leads to their death. The thick skin and strength of hippos are the reason why even a pride of lions cannot kill them.
So, here in this article, we talked about lions and tigers and how they are so fierce. Do lions eat tigers? Now, you know the answer to this question as well. This was actually fun to know about! (Also read How to Protect Endangered Species?)
