Loading...
 |
The lion at the hands of pilloried dentist Walter Palmer has sparked worldwide outrage, with virtual mobs tanking Palmer’s Yelp ratings, real mobs leaving angry messages at his office, and activists and celebrities alike calling for his metaphorical (or literal) head. But the tragic death of one lion belies a much more widespread and serious problem affecting wildlife in Zimbabwe.The landlocked, southern African nation is one of the hardest-hit places on the continent when it comes to the killing of big game, both legal and illegal.Hunting buffalo can be dangerous business, but for the lions, the rewards usually outweigh the risks. In this case, though, it seems the big cats made a strategic error by leaving a young male lion in charge of the spoils while the rest of the pride headed out in search of water. With the carcass poorly guarded, hyenas saw an opportunity to claim it for themselves.”The young male fled the scene and ran for his life; shortly thereafter, the hyenas began yodelling, whooping and calling their numbers and confidence grew,” he adds.
All the commotion brought even more contenders to the scene, with a smaller pride of three lions trying to stake a claim next. “They fed for a few minutes with the hyenas encircling them and getting braver and braver, until eventually the hyenas could not wait any longer. The hunger and excitement exploded in an incredible display and a battle between two super-predators,” Legg recalls.
0 comments:
Post a Comment