Territoriality, density, and prey of the lion in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

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Abstract
The population size, area of occupation, and prey consumption of the resident prides of lions at Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, were studied from 1970 to 1972. Each pride of lions maintained a territory, yet this sometimes differed for the two sexes. The mean pride territory was 87.5 km2 corresponding to 5 km2 per lion.Net food consumption of an adult female was 2413 kg per year, of which about one-quarter was scavenged from prey killed by hyaenas. In contrast about one-quarter of the hyaena's food was scavenged from the lions' kills (a proportion involving forcing the lions to depart).The social organization of the lions in Ngorongoro Crater appears finely tuned to the extent that with a relatively stable food supply the population of lions remained stable with low input of young, no starvation losses of young during their period with the pride, but losses to the young age-classes resulting from aggression by adults. Aggressive interaction between prides primarily involved the males and seems not to be food related.