Prey capture by the African lion

Abstract

The capture of prey by the African lion in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, is examined. For analytic purposes the process is envisaged as a consecutive set of events: searching, stalking, attacking, and subduing prey.Initiation of prey capture activity by the lion arises from the interaction of degree of stimulation presented by the prey, timing of the activity cycle of the lion (diurnal or nocturnal), and its level of hunger. These factors yield thresholds for initiation which result in kills being directly related to prey density at high and low densities and inversely density dependent at intermediate prey densities.Success in stalking appears to depend primarily upon the failure of the prey to see the approaching lion until it is within its effective distance. Using data from actual stalks and contrived experiments, the probability is calculated of the lion being detected for a range of conditions.The attack involves a matching of the sprinting abilities of the predator and prey. To analyze this aspect in detail, the velocity curves of running are defined for the lion and four prey species.