Although they cooperate well together lions are not the most efficient hunters - as many as four out of five attacks will be unsuccessful. Their reputation as human-eaters is largely undeserved as in most circumstances they will flee on seeing a human. However once they have the taste for human flesh, and realise how easy it is to make a meal of one, lions can become habitual killers of people. This mostly occurs among the old lions which no longer have the agility to bring down more fleet footed animals. Lion cubs are born in litters averaging two or three.
Lions reach full maturity at around six years of age.
Unguarded cubs are preyed on by hyenas, leopards, pythons and hunting dogs.