Hundreds of pounding hooves pulverize the earth, kicking up a cloud of red dust. As the dust blows away, we see the three lionesses standing alone, panting heavily. Their prey has eluded them. Perhaps another opportunity to hunt will come tonight, perhaps not. As agile and quick as they are, lions are only successful 30 percent of the time when hunting.
Starvation is thus one of the greatest threats that lions face.
The strength of a full-grown lion is remarkable. Hunting in prides, they have been known to pull down and kill animals weighing over 3,000 pounds. Lionesses do 90 percent of the hunting, but it is the larger males that usually get the lion s share when the meal starts. When game is scarce, lions are sometimes so hungry that they will drive their own cubs from the kill. The Hunted Long ago the majestic lion roamed the entire African continent and some parts of Asia, Europe, India, and Palestine.