In the Kruger National Park, male lions, Panthera lee, acquire most of thei
r food by hunting rather than scavenging. This study, the most intensive to
date of male lion ecology, showed that in savanna woodlands, with high buf
falo, Syncerus caffer, densities, male lions were frequent and successful h
unters. The main prey species of all male group types, but particularly non
territorial males, was buffalo: By contrast, females preyed more frequently
on the most abundant medium-sized ungulates, such as wildebeest, Connochae
tes taurinus, and zebra, Equus burchelli. Thus intraspecific prey selection
separation was based primarily on intersexual and, to a lesser extent, soc
ial differences. Furthermore, both nonterritorial males and pride females l
ocated their favoured prey, buffalo and medium-sized ungulates, respectivel
y, more often than other prey. We investigated the influence of several eco
logical variables on the socioecology of male lions, particularly as we had
determined that territorial males spent little time with their pride femal
es and tended to hunt by themselves in their respective male coalitions. Fu
rther analysis showed that in a range of ecosystems in southern and eastern
Africa the proportion of time territorial males spent with, and thus scave
nged from, their pride females was strongly influenced by vegetation struct
ure, and therefore probably by the assemblage of available ungulates. In op
en systems, territorial males were, therefore, likely to be encountered wit
h pride females, whereas in more wooded areas they were likely to be encoun
tered away from their pride females. We suggest that this is because vegeta
tion structure influences food/prey availability and hunting success and in
fluences territory maintenance and/or cub defence. (C) 1998 The Association
for the Study of Animal Behaviour.