322 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



meat. When Kafirs kill an animal and cut it up, they almost 

 invariably tear open the paunch and intestines and spill the 

 contents over the meat, making everything in such a filthy 

 mess that some people would lose all appetite at the very 

 sight of it ; but lions invariably remove the interior economy 

 of their victims with a surprising neatness, and without defiling 

 the meat in any way. When they have killed an animal, they 

 will sometimes commence feeding on the soft meat of the 

 inside of the buttocks, tearing the carcase open at the anus ; 

 but in nine cases out of ten they work through the thin skin 

 of the flank, at the inside of the hind leg, and then remove the 

 paunch and entrails. After this they eat the heart, liver, lungs, 

 and kidneys ; next, as a rule, they attack the buttocks and tear 

 off the soft meat in mouthfuls, swallowing it in great lumps, 

 often with the skin attached. If the animal they have killed 

 is fat, they will eat the whole brisket, bones and all, and also 

 chew off all the ends of the ribs, but they never swallow any of 

 the larger and harder bones. The paunch and entrails are 

 almost invariably left untouched, and are often covered over 

 with earth and grass. But there are exceptions to every rule, 

 and I think it is indisputable that in some cases lions will eat 

 both the entrails and the paunch of an animal they have 

 killed. 



In March 1892, whilst examining the country between 

 Manica and the East coast, in company with Mr. JesserCoope, 

 with a view to laying out a new waggon road between Umtali 

 township and the railway terminus, we came suddenly upon 

 the remains of a buffalo which had been killed only a few 

 hours previously by a number of lions. These animals must 

 have heard us approaching, and only retreated into the long 

 grass just as we rode up, and as the whole country was covered 

 with grass eight feet high all pursuit was hopeless. Judging 

 by the number of distinct ' lay places ' round the carcase of 

 the buffalo, which were ten in number, there must either have 

 been ten lions, or five, each of which had lain down in two 

 different places. The latter number, I think, is the true esti- 



