Wild Cats 101: Male Lion Coalitions

Learn all about why, when and how male lions form coalitions as well as insight into the importance this phenomenon has for wild cat conservation. 

Wild cats have a reputation for being solitary. But there are exceptions to this rule, most notably amongst cheetahs and, of course, lions. For the largest cats roaming Africa’s plains, fraternal alliances are key to successfully passing on their genes.

Why lions form coalitions 

Male African lions typically form coalitions of two to four individuals, although coalitions as large as eight lions have been recorded. Male coalitions are typically made up of brothers or cousins, although some also include unrelated males. The foremost reason male lions form coalitions is to compete with other male lions for mates. When a coalition is successful (by defeating a ruling coalition), they share access to these mates. Larger coalitions are stronger than smaller coalitions; thus, they are better able to take over access to females and maintain access to females for longer. Therefore, young males living in a land of large coalitions will have greater genetic success if they can form or join a large coalition. 

At what age do male lions leave their pride? 

At an age of roughly three years old, male lions will leave their pride after being pushed out by their fathers or after a takeover of their pride by another coalition. For the next two or three years, these young males will wander the lands on their own, trying to avoid confrontations with older, stronger males. During this time, single males might find other males of a similar age and join them. When the males reach roughly four to five years old and in their prime, they will challenge other male coalitions for access to a pride of females. 

However, the density of lions in an area influences the age at which males disperse from their natal prides. If their fathers can maintain control over a pride, excluding unrelated males for longer, then the young males may remain with their original pride longer, benefitting from their mothers’ hunting abilities. One group of four young males I tracked in Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe stayed with their mothers late into their third year, fully tolerated by their fathers — who themselves went unrivaled for all of those years.

The size of male lion coalitions 

Once a male coalition challenges another male coalition, an arms race begins. Larger challenging coalitions necessitate larger defensive coalitions. The size of the coalition, therefore, really depends on the size of neighboring coalitions and the frequency of challenges, which are largely dependent on the density of lions. For instance, I tracked lions across southern Africa, where the coalitions reliably consisted of five lions in the highest lion density areas. However, this number decreased to two lions in each coalition in mid-density areas, then to only single males in the lowest-density areas, where there is very little competition.  

Can single male lions maintain access to females? 

In a word, yes. In Senegal, where Panthera colleagues and I are studying the population of Critically Endangered West African lions, this topic presents an interesting case study. All of the older males in the country’s Niokolo-Koba National Park are solitary, which indicates that a "coalition" of one is sufficient to maintain access to females, or it has been for at least the past lion generation or so. However, a new, younger coalition of three males has recently formed, which is clearly going to have an advantage. Once this coalition does take over access to females, they will likely be unbeatable by any upcoming single male. The next cohort of males will probably have to form a larger coalition or risk going for many more years without access to females. 

Scientists have speculated that lions in West Africa formed smaller coalitions as some kind of regional anomaly. However, it is more likely because their densities were so low. Now, as their conservation status has slowly begun to recover, thanks to the efforts of Panthera and our partners, they are starting to show traits resembling healthier lion populations. Consequently, we have found that the size and character of a male lion coalition differs significantly by location.

Male lion coalition formation is just one of the incredible behaviors we study when determining how to best conserve lions. An understanding of behaviors and population dynamics is crucial to informing successful conservation action strategies, like Panthera’s work in Senegal. When male lion coalitions are larger, this may be a good indication of a healthier ecosystem. As we monitor the new lion coalitions of Niokolo-Koba National Park, this portends an encouraging development.

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