The lion maneuvers to within 15m of the prey, then leaps on its back and breaks the animal's neck with a powerful bite below the base of the skull. Yearly food consumption is between 860 to 1,300 kg of large prey animals. Courtship and mating occur from December to March. Gestation periods last from 82 to 96 days. Estrus lasts about nine days.
Females usually give birth every other year.
After six cycles without mating, the female has a lull for two months before coming into estrous again. When the female is in estrous, she vocalizes freely and frequently rubs against nearby objects. The male responds with similar yowls and sniffs the female's genital area. The highest frequency of copulation was nine times in one hour. A single copulatory act lasts less than one minute.