CHAPTER (it 
MY ACQUAINTANCE WITH LIONS 
OR many thousands of years lions have ap- 
peared in literature and art as savage and 
ferocious animals. For about that length of 
time man has been attacking lions and when the 
lions fought back man has set down this judgment 
against them. At the same time, with the criticism 
of his savagery, man has put in all his records testi- 
mony to the courage, strength, and fighting qualities 
of what has been called through the ages the King 
of Beasts. 
The lion’s savagery is very much the same as man’s 
—that is, he kills other animals for food. and not 
having developed any specialized industries like the 
packers, each lion kills for himself. His day’s work, 
instead of getting money to buy food, consists chiefly 
in getting food, and he goes about it something in 
this manner. About dusk he comes out from his 
resting place, yawns, stretches, and looks about for 
something to eat. In East Africa his favourite diet 
is zebra, but he likes any of the game animals, and 
he prefers the larger animals to the smaller antelope 
because the larger ones are easier to catch. His in- 
tention is to get his food the easiest and quickest way. 
He goes out on the plains and by scent, sight, and 
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