Of course everyone loves the big cats. So many stories have been written about cats with character- Androcles and the Lion, all those fables, Jungle Book... I was so amazed at how healthy the lions and cats of Tanzania were. Do remember that there are no fences here. These animals roam, kill, eat and carry on as they have always done. The biggest threat of course to the lions is man. There is an organization called Lion Aid that is working with governments to stop the slaughter of these unique animals.
Tanzania has 42,000 square kilometers of 14 National Parks. You pay a fair amount entrance fee to get into the parks, each day. There is a curfew on when you have to leave. I suspect that these cat fellows do plenty in those after hours when no one is watching.
Male lions can reach 550 lbs. From Wikipedia- In the wild, males seldom live longer than 10-14 years, as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their longevity. They typically inhabit savanna and grassland. Lions are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride of lions consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males. Groups of females typically hunt together, preying on mostly large hoofed mammals. Lions are apex and keystone predators although they are also expert scavengers obtaining over 50% of their food as opportunity allows.
By and large the lions sleep in the day although they don't have to. We saw no killing but it is clear from these characters, they are getting their meals. We were delighted to have several sightings of cheetahs and a wonderful leopard, as you will see. The circle continues...
No comments:
Post a Comment