However, it is claimed that they mostly feed on carrion, and they often attack living prey. They charge at high speed and hit the throat or underbelly, killing their prey within seconds, then ripping it apart and swallowing in a few big bites. If the prey is small, like a goat, they can devour it whole within 15 to 20 minutes. Sometimes they press their prey to the tree to speed up ingestion, which may end with the tree collapsing.
A small tube located under the tongue allows them to breathe while swallowing food.
