Feeding group demographic structure affects per capita food intake in
African lions
Abstract
The African lion ( Panthera leoLinnaeus, 1758) has evolved
complex associations in which individuals’ survival is an interplay of
cooperation among pride members. Although feeding behaviors of African
lions are widely known, our understanding on how each age/sex class
affect per capita intake of other individual members in a pride remains
unclear. This study used long-term population monitoring data collected
from 2003-2022 to assess how feeding group composition affects food per
capita intakes of lion cubs, subadults, adult males and adult females.
The results indicate that cub per capita food intake was reduced by
increased numbers of cubs and subadults. For subadults, the per capita
intake was reduced as the number of cubs, subadults and adult females
increased. However, subadults increased their per capita intake rates
when feeding together with both cubs and adult females. Adult females
also showed competitive interactions when feeding at carcasses with
cubs, subadults and fellow adult females. Nevertheless, the adult female
per capita intake was increased when more females feed with cubs or
subadults and when feeding in combination with cubs and adult males. For
adult male lions, only increased numbers of adult females led to a
reduced per capita intake at carcasses, reflecting competition. These
varied effects on per capita food intake suggest how age and sex-based
composition of feeding groups play a role in foraging success of the
African lions and how food availability may influence the demographic
composition of prides. Our findings emphasize the necessity of
maintaining healthy prey populations to promote conservation of the few
remaining African lion populations and ecosystems.