Competitive interactions between spotted hyenas and lions in the Etosha National Park, Namibia

Abstract

Spotted hyenas are successful hunters, but they also scavenge. Their main food competitors are lions. In the Etosha National Park, Namibia hyenas are unable to prevent kleptoparasitism by lions and fail to acquire kills from lions. The reasons are the small ratio of hyenas to female and subadult lions at kills and the presence of adult male lions. Because of the hyenas' small clan sizes and large territories they seem to be unable to recruit sufficient clan members to take over lion kills or deter lions from their own kills. In Etosha, 71% of hyena mortality was due to lions; four cubs and one adult female hyena were killed by male lions during a 1-year study. Hyenas have evolved adaptations against lions and initiate aggressive interactions with lions without the immediate availability of food, which is termed mobbing behaviour. Etosha hyenas initiated mobbing attempts when lions were near the hyena's communal den. Possibly, Etosha hyenas mobbed lions to distract lions from the hyenas' den and their cubs and to warn their dependent offspring to hide from lions. © 2005 African Journal of Ecology.