Lions are about as smart as dogs. They are the apex predators and social animals, both of which are signs of high intelligence. They are also one of the most intelligent felines, similar to tigers. Their intelligence isn’t comparable to that of humans, but they are still smart animals.
Lions are fairly smart, known for using use group tactics to cooperate and take down large, tough prey.
They have about the same neuron count as dogs, which suggests they may be similar in intelligence. They also have the highest neuron count of any feline.
But how does this intelligence transfer to their survival and hunting? In this article, we’ll live deeper into how lions use their intelligence.
Are Lions Smart?
Yes, lions are smart, displayed by their general. Lions are social animals that work together for their common safety. They hunt and raise the young together. They are undoubtedly smarter than most animals, and they are amongst the smartest mammals.
Lions are smart. While their size and strength make them dangerous to prey animals, their intelligence is what allows them to thrive.
They can learn how to solve problems and learn by simply watching other lions carry out tasks. This is a sign of true intelligence, separating lions from many other animals.
Their social lifestyle is also evidence of their smarts. They cooperate to keep the pride or the coalition safe, hunt together, and even raise cubs together.
Are Lions Smarter Than Dogs?
Lions are about as smart as dogs.[7] Depending on the dog breed they may be smarter or not.
Lions’ Instinct
Lions have great hunting and survival instincts. They are efficient hunters, using their superior intelligence and strength to surprise and kill large animals. These instincts are found in tame lions too, making them dangerous to their people and animals.
Lions are apex predators, meaning they are at the top of the food chain. They use their hunting and survival instincts to locate and catch prey.
Their instincts coupled with their strength and intelligence make them especially effective hunters.
These hunting instincts are ingrained into a lion’s subconscious. Even “friendly” lions can exhibit predatory outbursts. Lions raised in captivity may pounce on the back of their caretakers out of pure instinct.
Never turn your back or run from a lion.[1]
Lion Cognitive Intelligence
Lions exhibit many signs of cognitive intelligence. They adapt well to their environments, able to solve problems that they haven’t encountered before. They are surprisingly intelligent and can learn simply by watching other lions.
Lions are intelligent animals. They can use their cognitive abilities to solve many problems that they encounter in nature.
They are highly adaptable and can get used to different types of environments, prey, and hunting tactics.
When tested by humans with different puzzles, lions have shown that they can adapt and learn things that they haven’t encountered in nature.
This was showcased in an experiment done by PBS.[2] After taking about 20 minutes for the lioness to learn how to open a door and grab a piece of meat, she could do it in only a couple of seconds.
A second lioness that merely watched the first one could also repeat the process to get the meat. This proves they can learn from watching each other.
Lion Social & Emotional Intelligence
Lions are some of the most socially intelligent animals and the most social felines. Most lions live in groups with each member having a role. They cooperate for hunting, defense, and raising the young and may also exhibit signs of emotion.
Lions are the most social feline in the world. Only a few lions live alone as nomads, generally, young males, and even then they frequently travel in pairs. Lions are inherently social, and being part of a group is part of lion identity, much like humans.[3]
Within the group, lions cooperate. They hunt together and regularly help in defending the group from outside dangers. Lions also partake in other group activities:
- Grooming
- Playing
- Raising cubs
Raising lion cubs doesn’t exclusively fall upon their mother’s shoulders. Lionesses help one another, especially when their cubs are around the same age.[4]
When it comes to showing emotion, ions seem to react differently to different members of their pride. This suggests they have different relationships with one another.
Cubs have been observed showcasing distinct behavior patterns from one another, pointing to a personality of sorts. It’s clear that they have some emotional intelligence.[5]
Are Lions Smarter Than Other Felines?
Yes, lions are smarter than most other felines. They are similar in cognitive capabilities to tigers. It’s still debated whether lions or tigers are smarter.
Lions are one of the smartest felines, but it can’t be definitely said that they are the smartest. Tigers have larger brains than lions (with similar body sizes) which means that tigers have the potential to be smarter.
Some people point to the fact that lions are social as evidence that they are smarter than tigers. This isn’t exactly true because while tigers are generally solitary, they can cooperate.
The differences between tiger and lion behavior aren’t significant. They are exceedingly similar anatomically so they have similar intelligence.
Depending on the individual a tiger or a lion may be smarter.
Lion Brain Size
Lions have decently sized brains, but a larger brain isn’t necessarily indicative of high intelligence. The brain size of African lions is similar to that of tigers, while Asian lions have smaller brains.
| Trait | African Lion | Asian Lion | Tiger | Cat | Human |
| Size (Cranial volume) | 265-205 cm3 | 225-183 cm3 | 302-259 cm3 | 27-30 cm3 | 1400 cm3 |
| Brain to Body Ratio | 1:550 | 1:550 | 1:470 | 1:100 | 1:40 |
A tiger’s brain is on average 16% larger than a lion’s. This doesn’t necessarily mean tigers are smarter but it can nevertheless affect intelligence.[6]
Conclusion
Lions are highly intelligent animals. They are nowhere near our level of intelligence but they are smart. They are able to learn new behaviors and solutions to different problems only by watching others. Lions are socially intelligent and living in a group is normal for most lions. They aren’t necessarily the smartest feline, competing with tigers for that spot.
