28 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



front of us it was certainly not alarm which induced them 

 to go straight across the river just at the place where they 

 happened first to strike it. 



/ Cases of cannibalism occasionally occur. Mr. Healy, 

 one of the Game Reserve rangers, came upon two lionesses 

 and a lion near kilometre 102 on the Selati Railway. He 

 shot the lion, which was a young adult animal, and then 

 proceeded to sit up over the carcass of a wildebeest which 

 the animals had killed. This lay close to the foot of 

 the tree in which Healy had taken up his position, while 

 the remains of the lion were about a hundred yards dis- 

 tant. During the night one lioness returned ; but, instead 

 of coming back to the "kill," she lay up by the carcass 

 of her mate, remaining there until shortly before dawn. 

 In the morning it was found that she had eaten quite a 

 lot of him. A message was sent to headquarters, and 

 I arrived during the afternoon, when I personally saw 

 what she had done. I sat up the following night, but 

 the lioness returned no more. 



Like all beasts of prey, lions are very much bolder 

 by night than by day, perhaps feeling instinctively the 

 advantage which they then have. It is on dark and 

 rainy nights above all that they are to be feared ; when 

 the moon is near its full, and so sheds a brilliant light, 

 they are little more dangerous than by day, and unless 

 really hungry seem then to do little hunting. A story 

 is told of how in Mashonaland, shortly after the rinderpest, 

 when want of food had made these animals especially 

 bold, several police troopers were at dinner one night 

 in a hut. Hearing a disturbance among the horses, 

 which were in a stable some ten yards distant, one of 

 them went out to see what was the matter. He had 

 scarcely stepped outside the door when a lion sprang 

 upon and instantly killed him. 



