374 THE CARNIVORES 



like buffaloes, but also those of the smaller antelopes ; and he adds that a South 

 African lion would, in his opinion, be quite incapable of lifting a buffalo from the 

 ground, much less of leaping over a fence with it, as the lion of North Africa has 

 been alleged to do. In referring to an instance of this nature when a North African 

 lion' was reported to have leaped over the thorn fence which formed a protection to 

 a camp, and, after seizing a full-grown ox, bounded back with its victim, Sir Samuel 

 Baker writes as follows : "In the confusion of a night attack the scare is stu- 

 pendous, and no person would be able to declare that he actually saw the lion jump 

 the fence with the bullock in its grip. It might appear to do this, but the ox would 

 struggle violently, and in this struggle it would most probably burst through the 

 fence, and subsequently be dragged away by the lion. . . . It is quite a mistake 

 to suppose that a lion can carry a full-grown ox ; it will partially lift the fore- 

 quarters, and drag the carcass along the ground." 



It is stated that the usual pace of a lion when undisturbed is a walk, but even 

 then, from the length of his stride, he gets over the ground quicker than appears to 

 be the case. When going more rapidly, Mr. Selous says that he has never seen a 

 lion bound, but that they come along at a clumsy gallop, somewhat after the man- 

 ner of a dog, getting over the ground very quickly. 



In regard to the ferocity or otherwise of the lion's disposition, very conflicting 

 statements will be found in the writings of different observers. Thus, whereas 

 Livingstone states that nothing would lead him to attribute to the lion either the 

 ferocious or noble character ascribed to it by others, Sir Samuel Baker is disposed 

 to take a rather opposite view, observing that, although he does not consider the 

 lion to be either so formidable or so ferocious as the tiger, yet there is no reason for 

 despising an animal which has been respected from the most remote antiquity. 



All writers appear, however, to be agreed that, as a general rule (although 

 there are exceptions), a lion will not go out of his way to make an unprovoked 

 attack upon human beings, and that, in point of fact, he will rather shun a conflict 

 when possible. "There is nearly always," writes Mr. Drummond, "some explana- 

 tion of its behavior when it acts otherwise : either the hunter has approached so 

 near before being discovered that the animal is afraid to turn tail, and, urged by its 

 very fears, makes a charge ; or it may be half famished, and having got hold of 

 some prey, either of your killing or its own, will not quit it without a contest ; or, 

 if a lioness with cubs, will fight in defense of their supposed danger. ' ' Sir Samuel 

 Baker's testimony is of a very similar character, when he mentions that the expert 

 swordmen of Central Africa have no dread of the lion when undisturbed by sports- 

 men, although they hold him in the highest respect when he becomes the object 

 of chase. Again, in another passage, the same writer mentions that among the 

 Hamran Arabs of the Sudan the lions although numerous, are never regarded as 

 dangerous. 



That lions, especially when hungry, will, however, on occasion attack human 

 beings, on foot or when mounted, there is abundant evidence. Livingstone 

 relates the well-known instance of a hunter engaged in stalking a rhinoceros, when, 

 on looking back, he was horrified to find that he himself was being stalked by a 

 lion. Mr. Drummond also records an instance where a lion, driven by hunger, 



