Dylan Jacobson submitted this footage to Latest Sightings. He filmed it while on a game drive at Mjejane Private Game Reserve in South Africa.
From a cloud of dust
As Dylan’s short video starts, a cloud of dust alerts us to the action. In the haze, we can make out two lions, a male and a female, although a second male was also present.
Lions are Africa’s largest predators and the only large, social cat. From this, we surmise that the trio had been hunting when pandemonium broke out.
Watch the sighting:
Next deduction
Seconds later, one of the males runs out of the dust cloud with something hanging from his mouth. As he does, a piercing squeal breaks the silence.
Consequently, we deduce that the lion has caught a young warthog. And, from the dust cloud, we gather that the lions may have dug the unfortunate pig out of its burrow.
Lion maths
As the big cat runs from his pride mates, it’s not hard to work out the ‘lion maths’ that led to his flight. For cats this big, a baby warthog is a mere snack, and this guy is not in the mood to share.
Male lions often gorge themselves on meat. Some estimates suggest they can consume up to 40 kilograms in one sitting.
When we consider that the meat yield from an adult hog is only around 35 kilograms, his thinking quickly makes sense. He’s hardly about to ‘pig out’.
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Silence of the ham
Having escaped his compatriots, the lion has another problem he must deal with. The warthogs’ squealing is an alarm call that is sure to attract the attention of other predators.
That aside, it can’t be pleasant having the high-pitched racket screeching when all you want to do is enjoy a quiet ‘hog d’oeuvre’ under a shady bush.
As a result, the lion pauses as he lowers the pig to the ground. Then, with one swift and powerful bite, he drives his four 8-centimetre canines into the piglet’s skull.
In an instant, the squealing stops, replaced by the nervous laughter of the spectators. Then, as the lion stands once more, we see the pig’s leg twitching as its life force fades to nothing.
Dinner is served
After stealing the hog and killing it, the lion needs only to find a quiet place to enjoy his meal.
As he turns to go, we see the massive size difference between predator and prey. Male lions weigh between 330-570 lbs (150-260 kg), second only to tigers in the cat family.
As you would imagine, they are immensely powerful creatures, capable of single-handedly bringing down large prey, including giraffe and Cape buffalo.
Young male lions are evicted from their natal prides when they reach sexual maturity. Occasionally, they form alliances with other young males.
They must then survive to full maturity, at which point, they will attempt to secure a territory and acceptance from the females therein.
They may service two or three prides, moving among them and providing protection from intruding males and other threats.