Normally about three young are born per female, but mortality is high due to disease, starvation and violent death at the hands of hyaenas and rival male lions. When pride males are displaced by other stronger males, the new males kill the cubs of their predecessors and this stimulates the females to come into oestrus. They kill mostly by strangling or by clamping their mouths over the prey's muzzle. Other pride members do not wait until the victim is dead before they start feeding, and when sufficient food is available, they can eat up to 35kg at a sitting, rendering them almost immobile. Lions are immensely powerful and have been known to tackle young elephants and hippopotamus and have been observed killing an adult white rhino.
Lions are active at night, mainly around sunrise and early evening.
The nocturnal hunting is a combined effort, but the females usually do the killing. In the case of small prey, a swipe from a powerful paw is sufficient to kill it. Larger prey is killed by having its neck twisted and broken by a powerful wrench between the lion's forelegs and its jaws, which are clamped to the victim's neck. Larger animals are also suffocated by a powerful grip across the larynx or the muzzle. Day to day, the life of a lion can be described as restful and sociable.