Research overview: lion predation impact on buffalo populations

A survey of the predator-prey relationship between lions and African buffalo, a preferred large prey whose size and defensive behavior make it both rewarding and dangerous to hunt. Lions, especially male-containing prides, take buffalo through cooperative attacks, and buffalo form an important share of lion diet in many systems, while buffalo defense, herd vigilance and body condition strongly influence vulnerability. This overview synthesizes how lion predation interacts with rainfall-driven buffalo body condition and disease, whether predation limits or merely tracks buffalo numbers, and how the relationship shifts with drought. It connects to classic Kruger and Serengeti studies and to the broader question of top-down versus bottom-up regulation of large ungulates. The topic illustrates predator-prey dynamics for a large, dangerous prey species.