Male lions tend to leave the hunting duties to female lions. Lionesses are more agile and can work with other females as part of a team to surround and overwhelm prey. However, when male lions do attack, they have a huge advantage in strength and power.
In this very special footage filmed in Africa’s Masai Mara, we see a male lion named Olobor fight a pack of 20+ hyenas with shocking results!
Olobor against hyenas
At the beginning of the shot, we see the majestic lion turning his back on the hyena, expressing his contempt for the hyena. He’s completely non-threatening to their presence and doesn’t even feel the need to keep an eye on them!
We learn from the video that Olobor is not afraid of any animals and is always ready to defend his territory. After a while, commotion began in the hyena herd. You can hear them calling and running around frantically. If you look closely, you can see a lion among them. He pounced on one hyena after another, but they managed to escape at the last moment.
The entire wolf pack realizes they are in danger and is trying to work together to keep everyone safe. You can hear the low roar of the lion over the high pitched cry of the hyena. Tragically, a young hyena was limping towards the camera after being badly injured in an altercation with a lion. There were obvious bloodstains on their coats. The hyena was panting and looking in pain – and in shock. Meanwhile, the rest of the pack is still distracting the giant lion – but not for long.
Olobor spotted the young hyena, now out of the pack, and started his move. With quick trots and powerful lunges, he grabs the wounded hyena by the neck with his powerful jaws and rolls on the ground. However, the Lion doesn’t get things his way. The larger hyenas attacked him from behind, biting his legs and back, and he had to let go of the prey to drive them away. Several older hyenas also looked injured and limping after the frantic encounter. Sadly, the end was inevitable, and the lion settled down to enjoy his feast. The hyena pack felt hopeless and kept their distance.
©Vladimir Turkenich/Shutterstock.com
Hyena Lifestyle
Hyenas are medium-sized four-legged mammals with scruffy fur. They also look like a cat and dog cross! There are several different types of hyenas that live in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The hyena’s habitat includes open savannah plains and grasslands. Some species of hyena prey on larger animals, while others feed on termites.
A distinguishing feature of hyenas is that they hate lions! I believe everyone will know after watching this video!
Next:
- Watch a cheetah face off with an adult lion
- Watch a cornered crocodile fight five grown lions
- Watch a baby giraffe miraculously survive an attack by an adult lion
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
