Lions are known as the “kings of the savannah”. They are top predators in the vast grasslands of Africa.
Their prey includes antelopes, buffaloes, and even giant African elephants. However, gorillas rarely become targets for lions in the complex food chain of the African wilderness.
So why do we rarely hear about lions attacking gorillas? To answer this question, we first need to understand the characteristics and behaviors of these two species.
1. Behavior of the “King”
Lions primarily inhabit the vast savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. They are one of the most powerful felines on the African plains and are strictly carnivorous.
Lions typically live in groups like a family.
Lions have short, dense coats that are light gray with a hint of yellow, providing some camouflage when stalking prey. Their compact body structure, thick and strong limbs, enables them to run and chase effectively. Their sharp claws are always ready to grip and tear into their prey.
The social habits of lions are quite unique. They often live in groups resembling a family. A lion pride consists of multiple generations of female lions, at least one adult male, and several growing cubs with a strong territorial instinct. Their territorial behavior is very pronounced, with each pride occupying a fixed territory of 8 to 30 lions.
Living in groups significantly increases the success rate of hunting among lions. They exhibit excellent teamwork skills, knowing how to select the most suitable hunting methods depending on the characteristics of their prey and environmental conditions.
On the scorching continent of Africa, they conserve energy by resting. When prey appears, they hunt with incredible speed and teamwork.
African buffalo is a frequent target of lions.
Each adult lion is a skilled hunter. Among them, the adult male plays a key role in hunting and is primarily responsible for tracking and ambushing prey. Meanwhile, other pride members maintain close coordination, following closely, seeking the right moment, and delivering fatal strikes to the vital parts of the prey with remarkable speed.
Lions rest for long periods after eating, as their digestive systems require time to process a protein-rich meal. Therefore, they spend most of the day resting in the shade to reduce energy consumption and escape the heat.
During rest periods, lion cubs learn hunting skills, preparing for future high-speed hunts.
2. Behavior of the “Closest Relatives to Humans”
Gorillas are one of the closest surviving relatives to humans; both groups share a common ancestor about 10 million years ago. Due to this shared ancestry in the course of evolution, their genetic makeup is 98% similar to that of humans.
Although both have taken distinct evolutionary paths, humans and gorillas still share many biological and behavioral traits, including some complex social behaviors and unique communication methods.
Gorillas are one of the closest surviving relatives to humans.
Wild gorillas primarily inhabit dense forests in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in East Africa; and the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria in Central and West Africa.
The bodies of gorillas are covered with thick black fur, with wrinkled faces, deep-set eyes, protruding jaws, and well-developed canine teeth. Adult male gorillas usually weigh between 130 to 180 kg and can reach heights of about 1.7 meters, while females weigh about half that.
Overall, this species is large and robust, with muscle strength five times greater than that of humans. They are good climbers, can walk upright, enjoy swinging from trees, and will pound their chests and shout to display their strength. Unlike lions, gorillas are omnivores, consuming grass, leaves, roots, fruits, and occasionally some protein-rich species like insects or ants.
Gorillas are diurnal and primarily terrestrial. They usually move about on all fours, with some weight supported by their finger joints.
Gorillas are highly social animals, typically forming groups that include one adult male, several females, and their young. The adult male, known as the silverback, leads the group and is primarily responsible for ensuring the group’s safety and maintaining order, which includes fending off other male gorillas to protect the pride from predators.
Intruders may face the formidable, aggressive silverback. Displays of threat can include chest pounding, loud calls, or charging at the intruder.
Gorilla groups are not fixed, and young males may leave the group upon maturity to establish their own or join other groups.
3. Do Lions Eat Gorillas?
The simple answer is NO or RARELY because lions and gorillas generally do not inhabit the same areas. Lions live in vast savannas, while gorillas reside in dense forests. Encounters between lions and gorillas are extremely rare.
Lions rarely hunt gorillas because they usually do not live in the same areas.
The real threats to gorillas come from leopards, spotted hyenas, and giant pythons.
In the rare case that they do encounter each other, an adult male lion may attack a gorilla if the gorilla is alone, but this is also very uncommon. Typically, lions prefer to hunt more easily captured animals such as antelopes and zebras.
4. Hypothetically, if Lions and Gorillas Fought, Who Would Win?
Since the habitats and activities of lions and gorillas rarely “overlap”, but if both were locked in a large enclosure, who would come out on top?
To provide a relative answer to this scenario, let’s analyze the following points:
Size
An adult lion weighs between 130 kg and 250 kg, slightly heavier than an adult gorilla.
Speed
True to their title as the “Kings of the Savannah”, lions possess remarkable speed. They can run at speeds of up to 48 km/h (about 13 meters per second), which is faster than the fastest gorilla. Gorillas can run at speeds of 40 km/h (11 meters/second) but may become vulnerable while running.
Bite Force
Lions and gorillas use strong bites to injure their opponents during fights. Although lions are famous predators, their bite force is not as strong as many believe, averaging around 650 pounds per square inch (PSI), similar to that of a large dog. The strongest bites can reach 1000 PSI.
Gorillas can bite and tear down large trees with a bite force of up to 1300 pounds per square inch (PSI) – on average, twice that of lions. However, lions have longer and sharper teeth than gorillas and can target vital areas of their prey.
Intelligence/Experience
Gorillas are more intelligent than many other animals. However, they may struggle to use their intelligence effectively in fast-paced confrontations due to various challenges.
In a fight, they might pick up and throw objects at lions, but that might not be very helpful. Lions are smart enough to plan their attacks, waiting for the right moment to strike. While gorillas are intelligent, lions excel in using their intelligence to take down prey.
Conclusion: Overall Strength/Fighting Effectiveness
Gorillas can display impressive defensive capabilities and fighting skills when faced with threats. While gorilla strength largely comes from muscle (very strong arms) and powerful bite, lion strength lies in their sharp jaws, powerful claws up to 4cm long, and their cunning hunting strategies.
In terms of fighting experience, lions have plenty. Living in the vast savannas, they must adapt and survive, especially when food is scarce. Their fighting spirit and survival instinct are very strong.
On the other hand, gorillas primarily consume plant-based food, focusing their daily activities on foraging and social communication, lacking the hunting and confrontational experience that lions possess. Additionally, gorillas typically attack by pushing or hitting their opponents with their hands. Therefore, in terms of fighting spirit and experience, gorillas are generally not as formidable as lions.
Based on the above analyses, lions are superior to gorillas and would likely win in a direct confrontation between the two species. Of course, in reality, it is difficult to definitively determine which would defeat the other.
However, lions are clever enough to avoid hunting gorillas because gorillas are very strong. Instead, the “king of the savannah” focuses on taking down easier and more common prey.
