are maneless male lions more aggressive than other lions?
i was watching a television show on man eating lions, all three of which were maneless males. does this play a role in why they might have attacked humans?
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Absolutely NOT!
Don’t be absurd.
It seems that they are, yes. The famous ‘man-eaters of Tsavo’ were maneless males, and they killed a large number of people – more than they could eat, which is very unusual behaviour. Tests with maneless males show a higher level of testosterone in their systems, and as you probably know, more testosterone means more aggression. Maneless males tend to have more scars, suggesting they get into fights more often, and usually do not form coalitions, suggesting they are less sociable – most males join forces with other males to aid them in taking and holding territory, but maneless males seem to prefer to rule alone.
Of course, none of this applies to young males that are only maneless because they haven’t grown manes yet!