Where and when does the danger lie? Assessing how location, season and time of day affect the sequential stages of predation by lions in western Serengeti National Park

Lions in the Serengeti National Park's western corridor exhibit significant temporal and spatial variation in predation stages, with encounters more likely during diurnal or crepuscular periods than at night. This nocturnal reduction may be linked to full-moon phases, potentially explaining lions' poor hunting success under these conditions. While seasonal prey abundance varied, predation stage probabilities remained consistent across seasons. Spatially, lions preferred open, prey-rich areas near water and range centers for encounters and kills, suggesting opportunistic hunting, but attacks occurred closer to range peripheries with greater hunting cover, indicating ambush tactics. The study highlights the importance of analyzing different stages of predation to understand predator-prey dynamics fully.

Kittle, A. M., Bukombe, J. K., Sinclair, A. R. E., Mduma, S. A. R., & Fryxell, J. M. (2021). Where and when does the danger lie? Assessing how location, season and time of day affect the sequential stages of predation by lions in western Serengeti National Park. Journal of Zoology, 316(4), 229–239. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12944