Planning for success: Serengeti lions seek prey accessibility rather than abundance
Abstract
Summary We used long‐term radio‐telemetry data to investigate how Serengeti lions (Panthera leo) distribute themselves with respect to hunting opportunities. Specifically, we investigate whether lions hunt in areas where prey are easy to capture or where prey are locally abundant. We used resource‐selection functions (logistic regressions) to measure the location of kills/carcasses with respect to five different habitats: the view‐sheds from large rocky outcrops, river confluences, woodland vegetation, erosion embankments and water sources. As expected for a sit‐and‐wait predator, resting lions spent more time in areas with good cover. On a broad‐scale, lions shifted their ranges according to the seasonal movement of prey, but at a finer scale (< 100 m) lions fed in areas with high prey ‘catchability’ rather than high prey density. Plains lions selected erosion embankments, view‐sheds from rocky outcrops, and access to free water. Woodland lions tended to use erosion embankments, and woody vegetation. The results emphasize the importance of fine‐scale landscape and habitat features when assessing predator–prey theory and conservation.
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For Serengeti lions, kills were more closely associated with good hunting habitats (stalking cover) than with areas of high prey abundance.
“Hopcraft et al. (2005) found similar patterns for Serengeti lions (Panthera leo), whereby lion kills were more closely associated with good hunting habitats (in this case, stalking cover) than areas of high prey abundance.”
From Landscape heterogeneity shapes predation in a newly restored predator–prey system (2007) · cites this paper as Hopcraft et al. 2005
Viewsheds have previously been shown to influence predation sites.
“Although viewsheds have previously been shown to influence predation sites [19], quantification of 3D vegetation structure and how animals perceive their surroundings is challenging in the field, and field-based measurements are difficult to translate into viewsheds (i.e. what an animal will actually be able to see).”
From Effects of Vegetation Structure on the Location of Lion Kill Sites in African Thicket (2016) · cites this paper as [19]
Lions usually hunt in groups and are considered ambush predators, choosing prey catchability over prey abundance and relying heavily on concealment during hunting.
“Lions usually hunt in groups [35] and are considered ambush predators, choosing prey ‘catchability’ over prey abundance and rely heavily on concealment during hunting [19].”
From Effects of Vegetation Structure on the Location of Lion Kill Sites in African Thicket (2016) · cites this paper as [19]
Dense vegetation at kill sites provides cover for stalking lions and suggests an ambush style of attack.
“These conditions provide cover for stalking lions and suggest an ambush style of attack, in keeping with findings for lions elsewhere [19,22].”
From Effects of Vegetation Structure on the Location of Lion Kill Sites in African Thicket (2016) · cites this paper as [19]
Although vegetation structure has previously been recognized as an important component of lion hunting success, it has been considered less influential relative to other environmental variables.
“Although vegetation structure has previously been recognized as an important component of lion hunting success [16,19,36,37], it has been considered less influential relative to other environmental variables [23].”
From Effects of Vegetation Structure on the Location of Lion Kill Sites in African Thicket (2016) · cites this paper as [19]
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Background
- Authors
- HOPCRAFT, J. G. C., SINCLAIR, A. R. E., & PACKER, C.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Corresponding author
- HOPCRAFT, J. GRANT C.
- Venue
- Journal of Animal Ecology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005-05
- Volume
- 74
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 559-566
- ISSN
- 0021-8790 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2656
- OpenAlex
- W1739950599
- Cited by
- 557
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 36 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 30
- FWCI
- 11.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Animal Ecology (publishedVersion)
- ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Keywords
- lion, hunting behavior, prey density, habitat selection, resource selection functions, water access, woodland habitat, predator-prey interactions, lion conservation
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