How Do Lions Normally Hunt Zebra?

At first, it appears as if this lion is hunting by herself. She is adopting the classic ‘stalk and quick charge’ tactics that are so successful for this big cat. If you look very closely, you can see her approaching with her body low to the ground in a crouched position. Her ears are flattened and her eyes are on the zebra. Her approach is unhurried and lions are perfectly willing to wait for half an hour or even longer for the optimum moment to make their move. If the prey looks up, they freeze. A landscape with long vegetation is just right for stalking – uneven terrain is even better.

When the attack comes – it is swift and violent. You can see the lioness attacking the rump and shoulders of the prey, grabbing hold of the zebra with her sharp claws. She tries to avoid the rear limbs because they can deliver a very nasty kick!

At this point, we realize that the lioness is not alone. Her hunting pal arrives from a different direction to join in with the kill. This is not unusual because other members of the pride often run ahead of the prey animal to cut off its escape route.

Lions try to make zebras break their neck in a fall!

How Do Lions Kill and Eat Their Prey?

Lions hold onto their prey and drag it to the ground whilst biting into the flesh. The plan is for the prey to break its neck in the fall but that does not always happen. It has not happened in this clip. Therefore, the lion has to strangle or suffocate the zebra by applying huge pressure to the windpipe (trachea). It can’t take us long as 10 minutes for this to take effect but eventually, the zebra stops struggling.

Lions sometimes feed at the site of the kill or they may drag the carcass to a more sheltered spot nearby. Adult males, if they are present, get the first feed at the carcass. Followed by the females and finally the cubs!

Watch the Impressive Hunt Below