They’re not as fearless as you might think. Lions are very nervous animals that can easily get spooked by just about anything.
This fearfulness has even been observed in some cases when these big cats were raised with other species like dogs or horses.
Lions are naturally fearful of many things, including elephants, humans, hippos, hyenas, leopards, jackals, snakes, crocodiles, and wildebeest.
In this article, we will be discussing some of these animals and why the lion is afraid of them.
What Causes Fear In The Lions?
The most common reason why lions are afraid is that they live in an environment where there are lots of dangers around them all the time.
These dangers include predators such as leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas. There are also large prey animals that could potentially harm them, which include wildebeests, zebras, impalas, and antelopes.
Another factor that causes fear in the lions is the presence of people.
The sight of people can cause the lions to feel threatened and uncomfortable, but if the lions do not see any signs of danger from people, then they may become less cautious and more likely to attack.
Another major source of fear is the sound of loud noises. When lions hear loud sounds, it makes them anxious and uneasy.
For example, if they hear a vehicle driving near them, they will run away quickly.
What Animals Are Lions Afraid Of?
Now, let’s take a look at some of the animals that lions are afraid of! We will be breaking down each animal and looking at why lions are afraid of them.
Crocodiles
Crocodiles are one of the scariest animals for lions. Even though they don’t usually eat lions, they still pose a threat to them.
Most of the time, they try to avoid getting into fights with the lions, but sometimes they end up doing so. Crocodile attacks happen mostly during mating season.
When the male croc sees a lion approaching, he tries to scare him off by wagging his tail and making loud roars.
He does this by raising his head high above the water and waving his tail back and forth.
When the lion hears this noise, he becomes frightened and runs away. However, he doesn’t always run far enough away.
Sometimes, the lion gets too close to the croc and ends up being attacked.
Elephants
Elephants are one of the biggest threats to lions. They can weigh up to 12 tons and are much stronger than lions.
Because of this strength, elephants can easily kill them.
Lions are also afraid of elephants because they know how dangerous they can be when they charge at them.
To prevent an elephant from charging at them, the lions will lie down on the ground and pretend to be dead.
Hippos
Hippos are another large animal that lions are afraid of. They are similar to elephants in size and strength.
Hippos use their trunks to grab things and pull them towards them. This behavior makes them very dangerous to lions.
Humans
Although lions are scared of us, they have been known to get over their fear of us very easily too.
They are even willing to approach humans who are wearing protective clothing or equipment. Some researchers believe that lions are attracted to human beings.
The reason why lions can overcome their fear of humans is that they find it interesting to watch us. This interest leads them to want to play with us.
They often come closer to us than they would to other animals. It is advised that humans be wary around lions though.
They don’t always attack us, but it is important to remain vigilant around them.
Hyenas
Hyenas are another animal that scares the hell out of lions. Hyenas are extremely aggressive towards each other and often fight over territory.
As a result, they tend to keep a safe distance from each other.
However, if they encounter a lion, they will attack without hesitation. One way they do this is by pretending to be dead.
By lying down on the ground, they make it look like they are already dead. Then, they wait until the lion passes by before they stand up and start attacking.
Wildebeests
Wildebeests are another type of prey animal that lions fear. They are big animals that weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds.
Wildebeests are found throughout Africa. Their main food sources are grasses and shrubs.
Because of this, they need to drink a lot of water every day. Unfortunately, many areas where lions live are located next to rivers.
As a result, when the wildebeests come across a river, they begin drinking heavily.
After they finish drinking, they must urinate. This means that there is a good chance that they will cross paths with a lion.
If a lion spots a wildebeest while it is crossing the river, it will chase after it.
It will also try to catch it by grabbing its legs or neck. Once the lion has caught the wildebeest, it will drag it to dry land.
How Do Lions Get Over Their Fear?
There are several ways that lions overcome their fears. One way is through conditioning.
By exposing themselves to situations that are similar to what they are afraid of, they learn to be less afraid.
However, sometimes they still need to be exposed to those situations again and again until they no longer feel afraid.
Another method is through desensitization. This process involves repeatedly exposing the animal to something that scares them so much that they become used to it.
Once the animal gets over their fear, they will be able to handle the situation without being afraid anymore.
Finally, another method is exposure therapy. This technique involves gradually exposing the animal to the thing that they are afraid of.
As soon as the animal realizes that nothing bad is going to happen, they will stop feeling afraid.
Conclusion
Lions may be considered at the top of the food chain in their habitats, but even the strongest of beasts have fears of their own.
Lions are smart creatures and they know when they are likely to be outmatched, hence why they fear both other predators and prey.
There are lots of other animals lions have a fear of, we’ve just covered a few here.
So if you’re still interested in what other animals lions are afraid of, have a look at some of the other animals we’ve mentioned!
Hi, my name is Joe Edwards and I am fascinated by the world of big cats. It all started when my family and I visited a safari park when I was six years old. I begged my parents to get me a stuffed lion as a memento, and later a book about big cats for Christmas.
Now, over 20 years later, I still can’t get enough of them!
