Lion Hunting

Lions hunt large mammals such as wildebeest, buffalo and warthogs, but they occansionaly attack larger prey such as giraffes and smaller prey such as impalas. Because impalas and other small mammals are faster than their normal prey, they need to pounce on them at the exact moment, as they have no hope at winning a chase.The lionesses do most of the hunting for the pride. When the lionesses find potential prey, they position themselves in the grass or bushes surrounding their prey. A few lionesses called flushers select a good target and chase it towards where the fastest runners of the pride, called strikers, are waiting. The strikers then leap out at the prey, attempting to knock it to the ground and kill it. Lions have long canines placed four inches apart. When they dig their canines into their prey's spine, the teeth fit perfectly into the grooves of the spine, paralysing their prey. Another method they use to kill their prey is by suffocating it. They either grasp their prey's throat until it suffocates, or hold its mouth and nostrils closed with their own mouth.