How Likely Is An African Lion To Turn Man-eater?


I was wondering what anyone of you believe is the likely hood of an African lion or lions (Panthera leo leo) to take to humans( Homo sapiens) as a food source. And if so what would be the causes?
I know of man-eating lions, but want to see what the regular person knows about them.

4 Comments so far

  1. /// Had this To Say

    Population growth into the Lions habitat.
    Lions that turn man eater are usually old lions who have trouble hunting normal prey and don’t usually belong to a pride, most being nomads. The lions in tsavo were found to have serious tooth decay when they were caught, this was also the case in another man eater but i can’t recall the name of the place, it was a lioness though rater than two lions.
    There could be factors that could be affecting the lions normal prey, migration, disease etc.
    If humans approach lions offering food, they may associate the human with food.
    If there have been a disease or famine in the human population the lions may have just gotten used to eating the human corpses.

  2. J G Had this To Say

    Would say likely hood would be directly proportional to the level of hunger, as well as preceved threat. Its not a matter of “turning” a lion to being a man eater. It is a matter of if humans are available as a food source. Humans are better able to protect themselfs (guns) so lions would probably chose other sources of food, but its not like humans are something they would only eat as last resort.

  3. Hairy McClary Had this To Say

    Not very likely. Lions normally avoid humans when possible. Man-eaters are usually old or injured lions that can’t catch their natural prey any more, and even then they must have learned that humans are easy to kill.
    By the way, Panthera leo leo is the Barbary lion, a subspecies which is extinct in the wild.

  4. katerina c Had this To Say

    If you want our views, then what I know is that the instinct of the animal don’t change; they will kill to eat only if they are hungry or if they feel that they / their babies are in danger.
    But history has a lot of stories where humans have helped
    lions and then they got friends!






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