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Africa
Travel Newsletter > African Lion - Unmatched Charisma in the Wild > Page 2
1.1 African
Lion- Unmatched Charisma in the Wild
After a successful hunt, the females prioritise their hunger above that
of their cubs. In contrast, when males hunt, they show more
consideration to cubs by allowing them to eat along with them. A male
will rarely share its kill with other adult males, unless they have
participated in the hunt. They are not always so gallant; they
occasionally steal the lionesses’ kill from right under their
noses.
Though lions are apex predators, they are also partial scavengers- and
never hesitate to steal other predators’ prey. It may appear
rather undignified, but the king of beasts can rely on scavenging for
as much as 50% of its food. This habit has made it into a mortal enemy
of the
spotted hyena; the two animals engage to the death even when there is
no apparent cause.
But male lions are also very good hunters, and in many instances will
step in to aid females in dealing with a stubborn victim. They also
take more risks in hunting and occasionally prey on much larger
animals. They can fiercely take down bull buffaloes, giraffes and even
hippo. In the jungle however, the lions' dominance is at times tenuous-
for they are known to have been killed in encounters with buffalo,
crocodile, hyena, and hippo.
Those who know of the lion’s ambition and fearlessness were
still surprised by the report that a BBC camera crew had recorded lions
preying on elephants near the Savuti River in Botswana’s
Chobe National Park. Even with cooperative hunting, this is quite a
feat – for
elephants have on average 25 times a lion’s body weight!
This desperate and thoroughly risky hunt was prompted by the near
starvation the lions of Savuti were facing. Once they realised that it
was achievable, they successfully repeated it over and over again. The
mutual respect that existed between the two animals in the Savuti was
in no time lost.
Lions require about 7 kg of meat daily to keep healthy, but in times of
plenty they will gorge down as much as 30 kg in a single feeding
session. They can nonetheless forgo 4 days of food, when attending to
the serious business of perpetuating the species. Here, the
king’s performance is truly heroic- for lions can mate up to
40 times a day in
a series of days.
Lionesses have a complex reproductive system where ovulation is
stimulated by the thrust of a male. Lions do not have a specific mating
season as their females are polyestrous. A female will go on heat after
loosing all her cubs or when they stop nursing.
In good shape a female sequentially conceives and gives birth every 2
years. She experiences a gestation period of 3 months 20 days to give
birth to a litter of 2-6 cubs. Usually, 2-4 females in a pride will
conceive and give birth at about the same time so as to nurse their
babies together. This subsequently offers the cubs better protection
and survival. The little ones are born in a hideout away from the rest
of the pride. They are quite helpless at birth- they lack in teeth and
are blind.
Cubs measure about a foot long and weigh as little as a kilo. They
usually have spots on their coats similar to those of the leopard, but
which gradually fade away as they grow up. At 2-3 weeks they can open
their eyes, but see for the first time at 4 weeks. At around this time
they also begin to teeth, which is such a painful process that some die
of it. They are weaned at about 2 months but still continue to depend
on mother’s milk.
Mothers move their cubs by taking them by the scruff, clenching them
gently between the jaws. At about 3 months the little cubs are moved to
the pride area. They begin to practice stealth movements and by 11
months practical hunting lessons begin. This vital life lessons are
given by the lionesses. The cubs are initially allowed to practice with
their mothers’ tails before moving on to small live prey.
An amazing footage aired on the Nat Geo Wild channel revealed a
remarkable hunting lesson. A few females surrounded a small antelope,
held it down and then called the little ones out to hunt. Fumbling with
their prey, they tried over and again until they got it right.
At about 2 years old cubs are outright independent and male cubs are
then thrown out of the pride while the females stay on.
Lions have a well earned reputation for sloth- for they shamelessly
spend up to 20 hours daily resting. The best way to see lions in the
wild is by visiting them in the unrivalled parks of East Africa. It is
generally recommended to take an escorted Kenya and Tanzania safari
package that includes transport, a guide, park fees and accommodation.
The tour guides are usually well versed about the animals; where to
find them, how to get there and other such useful local knowledge.
The media with its obsession with personalities has always been
intrigued by the biggest personality in the wild. The lion has also
kept Hollywood busy- and many movies have been created centred on these
majestic beings. Some outstanding works include Stephen Hopkins 1996
film ‘The Ghost and the Darkness’. The movie is
themed around the book ‘The Man-Eaters of Tsavo’ by
Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Patterson, and features the two notorious
19th century man eating lions that greatly hampered the building of the
Kenya-Uganda railway line.
Others must-watch lion movies include: ‘Born Free’,
which featured the real life experiences of George and Joy Adamson and
Elsa the lioness; and Walt Disney’s 1994 animated children's
feature –‘The Lion King’. There are also
many excellent documentaries – including
BBC’s ‘Big Cat Diary’ which follows the
lives of wild lion characters.
NOTE: If you have a
friend who is going on vacation to Africa and would find the above
information useful then you can email this page to the person by clicking here
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