The content of this particular video is not too different from a house cat playing with a common lizard. However, it’s not entirely normal to see a pride of lions actively engaging a fearsome crocodile, even though it feels so commonplace in the video itself. If you’ve never seen a lion interact with a crocodile, you should check out this video!
…but what do lions usually eat?
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As the video progresses, you see a crocodile interacting with multiple lions, both male and female. The male lion was particularly interested in the crocodile, biting its hind leg and trying to pull it out of the water. It’s not clear whether the male lion wanted to eat the crocodile or just play with it, especially considering that crocodiles aren’t usually on a lion’s menu.
While lions are fairly opportunistic eaters capable of hunting large prey, crocodiles are not usually what they eat. Given the tough skin of crocodiles and their shared status as top predators, most lions would not engage them. However, given that the crocodile was on land, it was at higher risk of encountering a conflict. But the content of this video seems interesting, if not purely curious!
Do crocodiles usually beat lions?
© iStock.com/slowmotiongli
One interesting thing to point out in this video is that the alligator is very slow trying to escape. This is even more interesting when you consider the fact that water is nearby, a place where crocodiles have a significant advantage over lions of any size or gender.
However, all parties involved in the experience seem to be taking their time. Both the crocodiles and the pride of lions they interacted with seemed to enjoy investigating each other, although the males in the pride seemed to be more aggressive than the females. The alligator remained calm, at least until the lion tried to drag him away!
When the crocodile turned on the male lion and tried to bite it, the male lion seemed to get the message and got tired of the male lion’s constant investigation. This isn’t the first time a crocodile has come into conflict with a pride of lions, and it certainly won’t be the last. Check out some of the other videos for other interactions between lions and alligators! :
- Watch a cornered crocodile fight five grown lions
- The crocodile decides to ambush the pride of lions; big mistake.
- Huge male lion destroys crocodile walking on his land
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.
