Yes. Lions are opportunists. They: eat carcassesof animals that died from disease, drought or injury steal kills from hyenas, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs follow vulturescircling over a carcass In some ecosystems, a significant share of a lion’s food comes from scavenging rather than hunting.

Rarely. Humans aren’t natural lion prey, and most lions avoid people. Attacks can happen when: lions are old, injured or sickand can’t hunt normal prey wild prey has disappearedfrom an area people surprise lionsat close range or approach them on foot On a guided safari, staying in your vehicle and following your guide’s instructions keeps you safe.

What Do Lions Eat? Lion Diet, Prey & Hunting Explained

Q: What Do Lions Eat in Uganda?

Park Main lion prey Where to look Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda kob, buffalo, warthog, waterbuck Kasenyi plains (where kob gather to breed), Ishasha sector (tree-climbing lions) Ishasha sector (Queen Elizabeth) Uganda kob, topi, buffalo Lions rest in fig and acacia trees and watch the kob below Murchison Falls National Park Uganda kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, buffalo, warthog, oribi The northern bank: Buligi game tracks Kidepo Valley National Park Buffalo, zebra, hartebeest, warthog, antelope The Narus Valley The Uganda kob is the lion’s most important prey in Uganda. Kob gather in large numbers on open plains, especially at their breeding grounds (leks) on the Kasenyi plains. That makes these plains one of the best places to watch lions hunt. Read more about the tree-climbing lions of Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Ishasha sector.

Q: How Much Do Lions Eat?

Adult maleseat on average about 7 kg of meat a day. Adult femaleseat about 5 kg a day. One big meal:after a long gap, a large male can eat 30 kg or more in one sitting. That’s a large share of his body weight. Feast and fast:lions eat heavily after a kill, then rest and digest for several days before hunting again. Lots of sleep:lions rest for up to 20 hours a day, which saves energy between meals.

Q: Who Eats First in a Lion Pride?

Feeding at a kill can be noisy and competitive: The dominant males usually eat first,often taking the best parts, even when lionesses made the kill. Lionesseseat next. Cubseat last. In hard times, many cubs die of starvation because adults eat before them. Lions often begin with the internal organs, such as the liver, heart and kidneys, which are rich in nutrients.

Q: What Do Lion Cubs Eat?

Age Diet Birth to about 3 months Only their mother’s milk. Lionesses in a pride may nurse each other’s cubs About 3 months They start tasting meat at kills About 6–8 months Mostly weaned, eating meat but still nursing sometimes About 1 year They join hunts to learn About 2 years Young lions can hunt for themselves

Q: Do Lions Eat Plants?

Lions don’t eat plants for food. They sometimes chew grass, possibly to help digestion or clear hair from the stomach. They also eat the stomach contents of their prey, which contain partly digested plants. Lions get almost all their nutrition from meat.

Q: Do Lions Drink Water?

Lions drink regularly when water is available, often after eating. They can survive for several days without drinking because they get moisture from their prey’s flesh and blood. That helps them live in dry areas such as Kidepo Valley in northern Uganda.

Q: FAQs: What Do Lions Eat?

What is a lion’s favourite food? Medium to large hoofed animals, such as wildebeest, zebra, buffalo and antelope. In Uganda, the Uganda kob is the most important prey. How much meat does a lion eat a day? On average about 5 kg (females) to 7 kg (males), but they eat in big meals of 30 kg or more, then go days without food. How often do lions eat? Usually every few days. After a big kill, a pride may not hunt again for 2–4 days. Do lions eat other lions? Rarely. Males that take over a pride often kill the previous males’ cubs, but this is to bring the females back into breeding condition, not mainly for food. What eats lions? Adult lions have no natural predators except other lions. Cubs can be killed by hyenas, leopards and rival lions. Humans are the biggest threat to lions. Do lions eat elephants? Large prides sometimes hunt young or weak elephants, but adult elephants are usually too dangerous. What do lions eat in Queen Elizabeth National Park? Mainly Uganda kob, plus buffalo, warthog, topi and waterbuck.

What Do Lions Eat: Lions are carnivores. They eat meat, mostly from large hoofed animals.

Their main prey in Africa:

antelopes:wildebeest, Uganda kob, topi, hartebeest and impala
zebras
buffaloes
warthogs

Lions also:

eat smaller animalswhen they can, such as hares, birds and rodents
scavengecarcasses
steal killsfrom hyenas, leopards and cheetahs

How much they eat:

An adult lion eats on average about 5–7 kg of meat a day.
A hungry male can eat far more in one meal, often 30 kg or more.
Lions can then go several days without eating.

In Uganda, lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park feed mainly on Uganda kob, buffalo, warthog and topi.

Lion Diet at a Glance

Feature	Details
Diet type	Carnivore (almost entirely meat)
Favourite prey	Medium to large hoofed mammals, roughly 190–550 kg
Typical prey in Uganda	Uganda kob, buffalo, warthog, topi, waterbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest
Average daily intake	About 5 kg (females) to 7 kg (males)
Largest single meal	Often 30 kg or more for a large male
How often they eat	Every few days, with big meals then long rests
Main hunters in the pride	Lionesses
Hunting time	Mostly at night, at dawn and at dusk
Water	They drink regularly when water is available, but get some moisture from prey

What Do Lions Eat in the Wild?

Large prey: their main food

Lions prefer animals big enough to feed the whole pride. Studies across Africa show they favour prey of roughly 190–550 kg. Their most common prey includes:

wildebeest:the classic lion prey in East Africa’s savannahs
zebras
African buffaloes:dangerous, but one buffalo feeds a whole pride
antelopes:Uganda kob, topi, hartebeest, waterbuck, impala and gemsbok
giraffes:occasionally, usually hunted by large prides or coalitions of males
warthogs:a common, easier meal

Smaller prey

When large prey is scarce, lions take smaller animals, such as:

hares and rodents
birds, including ostrich eggs where available
reptiles, including tortoises
fish, occasionally, in flooded areas

Very large prey

In some areas, big prides hunt young elephants, hippos and even young rhinos. Large males are especially likely to tackle these big, risky animals.

What Do Lions Eat in Uganda?

Park	Main lion prey	Where to look
Queen Elizabeth National Park	Uganda kob, buffalo, warthog, waterbuck	Kasenyi plains (where kob gather to breed), Ishasha sector (tree-climbing lions)
Ishasha sector (Queen Elizabeth)	Uganda kob, topi, buffalo	Lions rest in fig and acacia trees and watch the kob below
Murchison Falls National Park	Uganda kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, buffalo, warthog, oribi	The northern bank: Buligi game tracks
Kidepo Valley National Park	Buffalo, zebra, hartebeest, warthog, antelope	The Narus Valley

The Uganda kob is the lion’s most important prey in Uganda. Kob gather in large numbers on open plains, especially at their breeding grounds (leks) on the Kasenyi plains. That makes these plains one of the best places to watch lions hunt.

Read more about the tree-climbing lions of Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Ishasha sector.

How Much Do Lions Eat?

Adult maleseat on average about 7 kg of meat a day.
Adult femaleseat about 5 kg a day.
One big meal:after a long gap, a large male can eat 30 kg or more in one sitting. That’s a large share of his body weight.
Feast and fast:lions eat heavily after a kill, then rest and digest for several days before hunting again.
Lots of sleep:lions rest for up to 20 hours a day, which saves energy between meals.

How Do Lions Hunt?

Lionesses do most of the hunting

In most prides, lionesses do the majority of hunting. They are lighter and faster than males, and they often hunt as a team:

They stalkclose to the prey, using grass and darkness as cover.
They surroundthe herd, with some lionesses circling to the sides.
They charge in a short sprint.Lions are fast, but only over short distances.
They take the prey down,usually with a bite to the throat or by suffocation.

Hunting success: many lion hunts fail. Success rates are often around one in four or one in three, depending on the prey, terrain and group size. Group hunts are more successful, especially against large prey such as buffalo.

What male lions do

Male lions defend the pride’s territory from rival males. They hunt less often, but they’re important when the prey is large and dangerous, such as buffalo. Nomadic males without a pride must hunt for themselves.

When lions hunt

Lions hunt mostly at night, and at dawn and dusk, when it’s cooler and their night vision gives them an advantage. On safari, early-morning game drives offer the best chance of seeing lions on or near a kill.

Do Lions Scavenge?

Yes. Lions are opportunists. They:

eat carcassesof animals that died from disease, drought or injury
steal kills from hyenas, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs
follow vulturescircling over a carcass

In some ecosystems, a significant share of a lion’s food comes from scavenging rather than hunting.

Who Eats First in a Lion Pride?

Feeding at a kill can be noisy and competitive:

The dominant males usually eat first,often taking the best parts, even when lionesses made the kill.
Lionesseseat next.
Cubseat last. In hard times, many cubs die of starvation because adults eat before them.

Lions often begin with the internal organs, such as the liver, heart and kidneys, which are rich in nutrients.

What Do Lion Cubs Eat?

Age	Diet
Birth to about 3 months	Only their mother’s milk. Lionesses in a pride may nurse each other’s cubs
About 3 months	They start tasting meat at kills
About 6–8 months	Mostly weaned, eating meat but still nursing sometimes
About 1 year	They join hunts to learn
About 2 years	Young lions can hunt for themselves

Do Lions Eat Plants?

Lions don’t eat plants for food. They sometimes chew grass, possibly to help digestion or clear hair from the stomach. They also eat the stomach contents of their prey, which contain partly digested plants. Lions get almost all their nutrition from meat.

Do Lions Drink Water?

Lions drink regularly when water is available, often after eating. They can survive for several days without drinking because they get moisture from their prey’s flesh and blood. That helps them live in dry areas such as Kidepo Valley in northern Uganda.

Do Lions Eat Humans?

Rarely. Humans aren’t natural lion prey, and most lions avoid people. Attacks can happen when:

lions are old, injured or sickand can’t hunt normal prey
wild prey has disappearedfrom an area
people surprise lionsat close range or approach them on foot

On a guided safari, staying in your vehicle and following your guide’s instructions keeps you safe.

Lions and Livestock: A Conservation Challenge in Uganda

When wild prey is scarce, lions sometimes kill cattle and goats near park boundaries. In revenge, some herders have poisoned lions, a serious threat to Uganda’s lions.

In 2018, eleven lions were found poisoned in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and in 2021, six lions were found dead in the Ishasha sector.

Lions are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Protecting their wild prey and helping communities live alongside lions are key to saving them. Tourism helps by giving local communities a share of park revenue.

Where to See Lions Hunting in Uganda

Kasenyi plains, Queen Elizabeth National Park:the best place for lions hunting Uganda kob, especially on early-morning drives.
Ishasha sector:famous tree-climbing lions resting in fig trees above the plains.
Murchison Falls National Park:lions on the northern bank game tracks, hunting kob and hartebeest.
Kidepo Valley National Park:remote lion sightings in the Narus Valley.

Best time to see lions: the dry seasons, December to February and June to September, when grass is shorter and animals gather near water. Early mornings are best.

See lions on safari:

FAQs: What Do Lions Eat?

What is a lion’s favourite food? Medium to large hoofed animals, such as wildebeest, zebra, buffalo and antelope. In Uganda, the Uganda kob is the most important prey.

How much meat does a lion eat a day? On average about 5 kg (females) to 7 kg (males), but they eat in big meals of 30 kg or more, then go days without food.

How often do lions eat? Usually every few days. After a big kill, a pride may not hunt again for 2–4 days.

Do lions eat other lions? Rarely. Males that take over a pride often kill the previous males’ cubs, but this is to bring the females back into breeding condition, not mainly for food.

What eats lions? Adult lions have no natural predators except other lions. Cubs can be killed by hyenas, leopards and rival lions. Humans are the biggest threat to lions.

Do lions eat elephants? Large prides sometimes hunt young or weak elephants, but adult elephants are usually too dangerous.

What do lions eat in Queen Elizabeth National Park? Mainly Uganda kob, plus buffalo, warthog, topi and waterbuck.

Plan Your Lion Safari in Uganda

Uganda Wildlife Tours runs safaris to Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley national parks, with early-morning game drives timed for the best lion sightings, including the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.