I haven't seen the full movie Lion King all the way through in years. I just noticed the scene where Simba returned and there were skulls of dead animals everywhere.
I'm wondering if this was just the hyenas overhunting or if Scar had a more sinister purpose, like crushing several animals so that there wouldn't be a rebellion able to be launched against him.
By wiping out perhaps some of the strong animals like Wildabeasts, Antelope, and Elephants, Scar could really tip the balance in his favor as his army of hyenas plus Zira and her group would outnumber the lionesses, at least strong enough for Nala's side to not dare to challenge Scar without a strong male lion on their side.