Are you planning a trip to Africa, or Kenya to be specific? If you are, brace yourself for some of the most incredible times of your life. Kenya is one of the leading destinations in East Africa, boasting spectacular sceneries, beautiful landscapes, and friendly people. It is also the one of the best places to watch different wild animals in their natural habitats. Among the hundreds of animal species in the country, some, like the lions, hyena, leopard, and cheetah, sit at the top of the food chain. It is a scene to behold, seeing these predators on safari in their natural habitat.
In this article, we’ll look into some of Kenya’s deadliest predators that you must see in your trip.
The Lion
Lions are commonly referred to as the ‘King of the Jungle’ although are not actually found in the jungle but rather on the grasslands of Afria and are strong and powerful. However, what you may not know is that they are not the best hunters. If anything, lions are lazy, and can’t keep up with the speed of their prey over distances. But don’t let that fool you. Lions are good at stalking.
Hunting is usually done by the female lions – that often move in highly coordinated pairs or groups for efficiency. But the male lions also offer a lending hand –, especially for the bigger prey. And thanks to their size, they are the only predators that try to catch larger prey like wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, and buffalo (and sometimes, elephant or hippo).
African wild dogs
The African wild dogs are arguably the deadliest hunters in the world; their lean frames and adorable large ears are deceptive – but these carnivores are no joke. In fact, their relentless and marauding nature has been a cause of friction with livestock communities, accounting to deaths that almost led to their extinction. These dogs move in packs of between 6-30 animals with the hunting prowess significantly increasing when the pack has more members. They have excellent stamina and hunt down prey including small and large wildebeest, impalas and so on.
Cheetah
As you would expect it, cheetahs are one of Kenya’s deadliest hunters – thanks to their speed. They are the fastest mammals on land and have a high hunting success. They stalk in wide open grasslands and charge towards their prey at speeds of around 60km/h. That’s usually too fast for an unlucky victim to escape.
Leopards
Leopards are way more successful than lions when it comes to hunting down prey. They are quiet and stealthy when approaching prey and will sneak up close before making their move. For their size, leopards are the most powerful of African cats and can pull a kill that’s more than half their weight up a tree to ward off other predators like hyenas and lions.
Spotted hyena
Hyenas are known to be excellent scavengers, but they hunt and kill their own prey about 90% of the times. Hyenas can also steal prey from almost all predators, including lions, leopards, and even cheetahs. However, they often don’t pull this stunt with adult male lions.
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