Activity of Asiatic lions in relation to activity of prey and kleptoparasitism

Abstract

Carnivores alter their activity to maximize individual fitness by increasing encounters with prey, reducing overlap with humans and minimizing opportunities for loss of kills to kleptoparasitism. We observed 16 radiocollared lions, Panthera leo leo, within the Gir landscape by continuous focal animal sampling for a period of 2–10 days in each session and studied their hunting and feeding patterns with respect to the activity patterns of their prey, chital and domestic livestock. Lions were mostly active during the night while most of the day was spent resting under cover, when temperatures and human activity were high. Activity of lions differed between the sexes but coincided with the activity of their prey. Feeding intervals and feeding bouts for lions were longer inside the protected area compared to multiuse landscapes outside it. Lions tended to feed longer on predated than scavenged carcasses. Livestock comprised the majority of the lions’ diet in the Gir landscape. We observed a low level of kleptoparasitism in the Asiatic lions compared with their counterparts in the Serengeti in Africa. Hunting by lionesses declined during the corresponding male activity period, possibly to minimize kleptoparasitism by male lions. We conclude that the hunting and feeding times of lions are adapted to maximize payoffs.