Do big felines (like lions) attack humans for food or only when they feel threatened?

Answer 1

lions dont feel threatened by humans... bothered at best...

but seriously... most predators that are capable of eating humans dont do so normally... in fact they do thier best to avoid us... why is that?

natural selection.

ever since men formed social groups they relentlessly hunted down and killed predators... not for food, but because they felt threatened... can you say irony? they even made special efforts to get those individuals that actually attacked them. and they do so to this day...
this leads to the early exclusion from the species genepool of such predators as made a habit out of eating humans, favorising those that preferred to avoid us completely, which was easy enough, because by animal standards, humans STINK. bigtime... for this very reason probably.

of course natural selection works in statistical scales, so there are still predators that go for the easy, albeit dangerous prey... especially those that are ill or handicapped... or, as in the case ot the indian tigers, famous maneaters throughout history.... where humans had come to live so close that there was no other prey left.
but still, these are hunted mercilessly, with tremendous effort if necessary, keeping the selective pressure up on them.

there you go
darwinism at work.

Answer 2

Well, nothing attacks for food when it feels threatened. Being threatened and having a hearty appetite don't go together (at least in most critters, although a lot of humans immediately go to the fridge when they're antsy).

Big cats will attack when they feel threatened.

They might be hungry after an attack and eat what they have killed, but chances are they didn't attack for that reason initially.

However, under other circumstances, if there's nothing else around but people, they will hunt, attack and eat people. Sort of like you will actually eat the three day old pizza in the fridge if that's all there is. But people are not ther main preference. They'd rather have a nice, juicy caribou (wouldn't you?). We're actually pretty slim pickings as food.

I'm not a biologist, nor do I play one on TV, so this is only a very basic answer. It will be interesting to see what any biologists out there might have to say.

Answer 3

they do no longer attack people reason they're hungry!! They attack in the event that they sense threatened with the help of the human. female lions have female organs and male lions have male organs...hahha. And the male has a mane and is often bigger, while the female does not have a mane. women tend to stay longer, many times used life expectancy is like 18 years while the male's is approximately 12. and frequently speaking the boys do no longer hunt, yet watch the ladies, who do circulate searching. the two lions and tigers are rather territorial, so they're the two ferocious.

Answer 4

They rarely attack adult humans. Some tigers do, though. Presumably, a tiger will attack humans if there are no other prey around and may then develop a taste for human meat.

Answer 5

If they are hungry, and you happen accross, they'll eat u..

And if that happens a couple of times, they realize how easy to catch we are (we can't run fast, we can't fight back, we can't climb trees very easily, so on...), they get lazy and start hunting for humans...

Otherwise, you're just another animal... If they've just had their meal, and you're uncomfortably close to them, they'll attack you for self-protection... (u're a strange animal.. not usually seen in the forest.. they wouldn't know whether you're a rabbit, or a predator...)

Answer 6

We are prey to them but its for both reasons sometimes they attack us because we are a easy target and a easy meal and sometimes they attack because were in their territory or feel threaten.

Answer 7

yes
after all we are just intruders for them and if they feel we may cause harm they attack us.
but in certain cases when they get old and cant catch prey they require they go for humans and are termed as man eaters.

Answer 8

Both, one never knows how a lion will react

Answer 9

Mountain lions will attack you because you are tasty.

Answer 10

only for food