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Behavior Guide: sleeping Many people are surprised to learn that lions spend most of their time resting or asleep. In fact, lions seem to spend more time asleep than almost any other animal in the Serengeti. Are lions simply lazy? Actually there are several good reasons why they are so inactive.
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First of all, sleeping conserves energy. While photos and films of lions give the
impression that lions are constantly hunting or feeding, finding enough food is actually
very difficult. Hunting success is low and scavenging is unpredictable, so on average
lions eat only every 2 or 3 days. Lions have distensible stomachs that allow them to eat
large quantities at once, and resting is a good way to make each meal last longer.
Another reason is that lions are the largest predators in the ecosystems where they're
found. This means, quite simply, that they have very little to fear from other animals.
The need for vigilance, which keeps other species alert, is consequently relatively low
in lions. Finally, lions are primarily nocturnal. This means that whey they do move,
we as spectators are far less likely to observe it. However, even at night, lions are
more like to be resting than active.