Image source: Getty Images
Some lions around Lake Manyara in Tanzania and in the Ishasha Reserve in Uganda have developed a habit of resting on high branches of trees.
From a distance they look like two domestic cats sleeping peacefully, but in reality they are large and powerful lions.
Sitting several meters above the ground, they silently keep an eye on the forests and bushes. This sight surprises those tourists who expect to find lions hiding in tall grass or bushes.
Lions are generally considered to be the kings of open plains. Their powerful bodies are built for stalking prey in tall grass and hunting it on the ground.
Lions are not famous for climbing trees like leopards and monkeys. The body of these animals is light and they also have the necessary agility to move from one branch to another. This is the reason why they are more suitable for living on trees.
However, in some areas of East Africa, lions have changed their nature. Here they have started climbing trees and remain sitting on high branches for long periods of time.
This unique behavior of theirs has surprised and attracted researchers, tourists and wildlife lovers for many years.
The lions in these reserves have changed their habits to a great extent. Here herds of lions are seen resting on the wide branches of trees.
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They spend many hours there during the hottest hours of the day. This view makes them look like leopards, whereas they are the same lions that dominate the open plains of Africa.
Why do these lions climb trees?
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Wildlife experts believe that climbing trees is a strategy for these lions to adapt to their surrounding environment.
As soon as the rainy season starts in the Rift Valley, the tall grass becomes a home for many types of insects. These also include blood sucking flies. Lions get cool air by resting on trees. This reduces the problems caused by these insects.
Apart from this, the ground becomes very hot due to strong sunlight during the day. There is shade on the trees and cool breeze also keeps blowing there. Therefore the temperature on the trees remains very low.
This gives the lions a better place to rest. They do not even have to spend their extra energy to escape the heat.
In addition to providing protection from heat and insects, perching in trees also gives lions a far-reaching view of the surrounding area.
From there they can easily see herds of buffaloes, deer and other animals. These herds often come around to graze or drink water. This helps lions to track and chase their prey.
King of the jungle sitting on tree branches
Although lions can spend some time in trees, they are not adept at climbing trees like leopards. Leopards have a slim body and a long tail. This helps them to maintain balance while sitting on the branches of trees. In contrast, the bodies of lions are much larger and heavier. Therefore it is difficult for them to climb trees.
For this reason, young lions sometimes slip on wet bark or lose their balance after waking up after a long sleep during the day. Sometimes they even fall down from the branches. This sight not only surprises but also thrills those lucky tourists who get a chance to see it.
However, lions do not lose courage due to such incidents. They are quite strong and usually get up and shake the dust off their bodies. After this they again start climbing the tree to reach their resting place, as if nothing had happened.
skills passed down from generation to generation
There are many difficulties in climbing trees, but in these populations of lions this behavior has been a part of their life for many generations. Lionesses start teaching their cubs to climb trees when they gradually become capable of living and walking on their own. In this way this skill keeps passing from one generation to the next.
As lion cubs grow up, they not only learn to climb trees, but also begin to understand when and why they have to do so. Therefore, what may seem strange to an outside observer is a completely normal part of the everyday life of these lions.
For those who think of lions primarily as predators that rule the open plains, seeing them resting peacefully on tree branches may change the way they think about wildlife. This shows that even animals whose behavior seems to us to be fixed and uniform for a long time can adapt themselves to their environment in the face of new challenges.
So if you visit Ishasha or Lake Manyara, don't just look for lions in the tall grass. It is possible that the lion you are looking for is not hiding in the bushes, but is sitting comfortably on a tree branch and keeping an eye on the forest scene from a height.
Published by Collective Newsroom for the BBC.
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