When it comes to hunting buffaloes, however, male lions actually have the edge over the females. Male lions are much larger and more conspicuous than lionesses, and for this reason they are generally less likely than lionesses to be successful in hunting smaller or medium-sized prey animals. I have witnessed a number of kills, from start to finish, in which only male lions have been involved. Such a coalition will normally reign supreme in an area for a few years, during which time they will come to “possess” a few different prides of lionesses, mate with these lionesses and sire a number of cubs. The reality is that, at least in this part of Africa, adult male lions usually operate in coalitions of anything from two to six (or even more) males, usually (but not always) closely related to each other. Many people believe that in such a pride, the lionesses do all the hunting, and when they make a kill, the male lion always eats first, and the lionesses and cubs have to wait until he has eaten his fill, before they are allowed to eat. Myth 1: Male lions do not hunt A popular fairytale version of lion society depicts a typical lion pride as consisting of one adult male, a few lionesses and a number of cubs. In his time, he has had to dispel more than one wildlife myth for visitors to Africa, and although they have not arisen without good reason, reality is often different from popular belief. Leon van Wyk is a veteran field guide at Singita Sabi Sand, and has 25 years of experience tracking and observing animals in the wild.
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