Felids Interactions - Intraspecific Conflicts

[Spalea]

Daniel Rosengren: " Male lions, usually brothers and cousins, form coalitions of up to four individuals. This makes them stronger competitors against other males when it comes to territorial fights. The larger coalition you are in, the more likely you are to chase other males away. But, there is a disadvantage too, the larger coalition you are in, the more males there are to share females in heat with. In a large coalition of four, the least dominant male normally don't get to mate at all. Sometimes the female simply choose which male she want to mate and solicit him. In other cases, the males fight it out about mating rights. That is the case in this image, two brothers from the same coalition are fighting about the right to mate with a female in heat.
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. "

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