Can a captive-raised lion survive and hunt in the African wild?

[sevensages]

If an adult lion is raised in captivity from birth by a circus or a zoo or by anyone other humans, would that adult lion be able to survive if it was released into the wild in the Savannahs of Africa? If a lion was raised from birth in captivity and fed chunks of meat by humans, would that lion know how to hunt and eat game on its own?

I've always wondered about this. Has there ever been any research into the outcomes of lions that were raised in captivity from birth and then released into the wild?

 

[Borek]

Starting point that some of us were raised with: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_Free

 

[berkeman]

would that adult lion be able to survive if it was released into the wild in the Savannahs of Africa?

What reading have you been doing about this so far?

Would it make a difference if the lion were male vs. female, and why?

Do you understand what it means when it is said that those lions are "social" animals?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion

 

[gleem]

One issue with animals raised in captivity is that they are used to humans and that by itself can be a danger to them.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Two words: feral cats.

 

[Lnewqban]

... If a lion was raised from birth in captivity and fed chunks of meat by humans, would that lion know how to hunt and eat game on its own?

If it can't create its own or be accepted by, and learn to socialize and to hunt in cooperation with a group, it would go for easier livestock, facing the most dangerous, common and widespread species of primate:

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.u...oison-is-a-growing-threat-to-africas-wildlife

 

[berkeman]

Today I Learned (TIL) that there actually is a zoo that is dedicated to helping to re-introduce lions into the wild and uses a very innovative technique to ween the lions off of their human contact experiences...