Come on then, if you think you're hard enough: Feisty jackal takes on huge lion

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Sharing a drink: The jackal strolls by the lion as it bends down to sip water from a watering hole at the the Ongava Game Reserve in Namibia

When you're sat on by a large male lion you would consider yourself lucky just to escape unscathed.
But this feisty jackal appears so angry at the indignity that it attacks the king of the beasts.
The amazing sequence of pictures showing the unique encounter was captured next to a waterhole in the Ongava Game Reserve in Namibia.
Co-founder and Director of Research at Ongava Research Centre, Dr Ken Stratford told how this sort of behaviour by a jackal has never been seen before.

Oops! The enormous lion leans back and accidentally sits on the tiny jackal which yelps with surprise, throws its ears back and wriggles free from the tight squeeze

Dr Stratford said: ‘The tail end of the dry season is a time of year when the waterholes in Ongava Game Reserve are particularly busy. But no one in my team ever dreamed of seeing this.
‘One of our camera-traps had fired off a sequence of 10 shots revealing a black-backed jackal attacking a young adult male lion - in broad daylight.

You're not getting away with that! The plucky jackal rears up onto its hind legs and bares its sharp teeth at the surprised lion, starting a David and Goliath showdown

The fight is on: The brave jackal refuses to be intimidated by the size of the lion and moves in close enough to grab the predator's beard in its teeth

‘The feisty jackal leaps towards the lion's face risking a side-swipe from the big cat's enormous and deadly paw before continuing to prance around the lion like an irritating wasp.
‘Ominously, the lion rises to his feet, perhaps nearing the end of his patience, towering over the jackal and it is then that the jackal appears to consider the prudence of continuing the assault.
‘Wisely, the jackal decides that the lion has learned his lesson and continues his journey around the waterhole.’

source: dailymail

Read more »

Where's the lid on this thing? Tortoise won't come out of his shell to play with lions... which is why he escaped

By CHRIS BROOKE



Lions in need of a tin opener after being outwitted by a leopard tortoise



When an unfortunate tortoise wandered into a pride of lions there appeared to be only one possible outcome.

So the tortoise did what all tortoises do in such sticky situations…it went into its shell and awaited the inevitable.

But luckily the young lioness cubs were clearly puzzled by the strange shelled creature in their midst and didn’t know what to do next.



Trying to work out if it was a snack or an unusual toy, they licked it, pawed it, squashed it and attempted to eat it.

Nothing seemed to work and every time that hard shell got in the way.

And so having famously outwitted the speedy hare, the tortoise proved too smart for the king of the beasts.



Eventually the female lion cubs got bored of their plaything and moved on in search of a tastier meal.

Tourist Mike Cullis, 62, who took the amazing pictures, said the tortoise appeared to suffer no serious injury and survived its ordeal.

Mr Cullis, a former operations manager in the oil and gas industry from Tenby, Dyfed, snapped the scene whilst on safari in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya last week.



Puzzle: A cub licks the tortoise in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya



He said: 'They seemed to get bored with it after an hour or so and once the lions had gone I think the tortoise just wandered off. I should think it had a bit of a headache though.

'I am convinced they were playing with it like a toy. Let's face it, a tortoise is not much of a meal for a lion. They have much bigger meals than a tortoise would provide.

'The young female lions were about 18 months old and very playful. At one point as a lion played with it, another one came over and put its paw on the tortoise as if to say: "Let me have a go."



Bored: Interest begins to wane as the lions can't open the tortoise shell



'One of the very experienced guides who was with us said they had only ever seen lions playing with a tortoise like this once before. It was a rare sight and I felt very privileged to witness it.

'I don't actually think the lions would have been capable of carving the tortoise open because they have very thick shells and are incredibly well designed for defence.'

It was identified as a leopard tortoise - the fourth largest species of tortoise in the world. Adults typically reach 18 in in size and weigh 40lbs.

They defend themselves from predators by retracting their feet and head into their shell. This often results in a hissing sound, probably due to the squeezing of air from the lungs as the limbs and head are retracted.

They can move relatively fast and stay underwater for 10 minutes.



source: dailymail

Read more »

Three lion cubs play at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin

Three lion cubs play at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on November 4, 2011. The cubs were born on October 9, 2011 at the zoo.





Three lion cubs play at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on November 4, 2011. The cubs were born on October 9, 2011 at the zoo.





Three lion cubs play at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on November 4, 2011. The cubs were born on October 9, 2011 at the zoo.



Three lion cubs play near her mother at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on November 4, 2011. The cubs were born on October 9, 2011 at the zoo.



Three lion cubs play at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on November 4, 2011. The cubs were born on October 9, 2011 at the zoo.



source: daylife

photo: Gettyimages

Read more »

Cliffhanger! Lion cub saved by mum in dramatic scenes caught on camera as he cries out pitifully for help

By PAUL THOMPSON

The drama begins: The mother arrives at the edge of the cliff as her son cries out for rescue after being trapped when he slipped

Clinging on for dear life to the side of a vertical cliff, the tiny lion cub cries out pitifully for help.

His mother arrives at the edge of the precipice with three other lionesses and a male. The females start to clamber down together but turn back daunted by the sheer drop.

Eventually one single factor determines which of them will risk her life to save the youngster – motherly love.


On the brink: Four lionesses look over the edge before aborting their rescue mission because of the sheer drop

Slowly, agonisingly, the big cat edges her way down towards her terrified son, using her powerful claws to grip the crumbling cliff side.

One slip from her and both animals could end up dead at the bottom of the ravine.


Rescue mission: The mother inches her way down the cliff face to rescue the terrified cub before locking him in her jaws and making her way back up the cliff face

Just as the exhausted cub seems about to fall, his mother circles beneath him and he is snatched up in her jaws.

She then begins the equally perilous journey back to the top. Minutes later, they arrive and she gives the frightened creature a consoling lick on the head.


Motherly love: The mother gives her son a lick to say that all is well in the pride following the drama

The dramatic rescue, captured by wildlife photographer Jean-Francois Largot, was played out in Kenya’s Masai Mara game reserve.

Despite the presence of wardens to deter poachers, day-to-day life for the lions is not without its dangers … as the cub learned the hard way.


source: dailymail

Read more »

So close you can almost feel her breath: How wildlife photographer captured amazingly intimate portraits of pride of lions

By Craig Mackenzie

Puzzled: A curious young lioness gazes into the camera, below, which had been set up on a tree in the wild on a game reserve in Zimbabwe

Taking pictures of big cats is always a tricky business, but if you want really intimate shots you have to get as close to them as you dare without becoming their dinner.

That's how wildlife photographer Chris Weston snapped these amazing shots of a pride of lions while documenting big game in Zimbabwe.

He used a remote camera fixed to a tree so he could capture them in off-guard moments and even put one inside a dead carcass and propped it up as though it were alive so he could see the moment the animals attacked.

The 44-year-old from Weymouth spent six weeks gaining the lions' trust, but insisted he was 'never really' in any danger.


He added: 'There is always an element of that when working with animals, especially wild ones, but it's key to be able to read their body language and the way they communicate with you.'

Chris, who has travelled all over the world to film large mammals, wanted to capture the personality of an animal in the same way a portrait artist would with a human subject.

'Lenses change the perspective of the way we see things,' he said. 'What I like to do is show it as we see it and the standard lens is 50mm which means you have to get relatively close.

'The idea is to give the viewer an idea of the personality of that individual animal.

The lion king: The leader of the pride runs towards the Chris Weston's camera. He had spent six weeks gaining the trust of the big cats


'In much the same way as you would take a person's portrait, you can't be standing half a mile away with a long lens. You have to get close and establish some kind of relationship.'

Chris spends a long time building a relationship with his subjects and has returned to shoot this pride in the Ngamo Game Reserve on several occasions over the past five years.

'Lions are generally wary of humans but people would be surprised at how non-aggressive they are,' he said.



Attack: A camera hidden in a carcass captures the moment just before two of the animals swoop


'What's surprising is that when you spend a lot of time with the lions you begin to get a sense of their individual characteristics.

'It's very much like making friends with an animal - and you can only do that when you are relatively close to them.'

After coming up with the idea to put the camera in the tree it took Chris about three days to get the picture he wanted.

Chris also took to the water to document the lions swimming. He said: 'Most cats don't like water so seeing them swimming was very interesting.'


source:dailymail

Read more »

The lion mane tamer: Meet the gamekeeper who gives maneating Jamu a daily hairspray as part of his beauty treatment

British animal wrangler Alex Larenty sprays Jamu the Lion with special Lion hairspray at the Lion Park in Johannesburg, South Africa

British animal wrangler Alex Larenty risks his life daily so he can prune, primps and polishes a massive lion.

Theses amazing pictures show the fearless 50-year-old, from Chipping North, happily fluffing the mane of massive maneater Jamu at the Lion Park near Johannesburg.

He also sprays the 9-year-old beast with special lion hairspray, gives him a manicure and even massages his feet.

And it's all in the name of making him attractive to the opposite sex.

Former truck driver Alex said: 'I use a hairspray that gives Jamu's mane a glossy sheen and hides his gingerness.

'That makes him more appealing to a mate.'


Alex also gives Jamu a manicure and massages his feet to help him become more attractive to the opposite sex


Alex moved to South Africa in 1999 and has been an animal trainer for 35 years
Having reared many lions from birth, Alex is able safely to walk into the middle of Jamu's pride and play games while surrounded by huge numbers of the massive predators.

He has said previously: 'I built up a relationship with Jamu through putting insect repellent onto him, which is necessary here to keep our animals protected from things like parasites.

'He eventually realised he liked being scratched and tickled.'

The 208-acre Lion Park houses over 300 animals including lions, cheetahs and hyenas.


Having reared many lions from birth, Alex is able safely to walk into the middle of Jamu's pride and play games while surrounded by huge numbers of the massive predators

source: dailymail

Read more »

No fighting like cats and dogs for these two: Amazing pictures show special bond between lion cub and Bloodhound

By ALANAH ERIKSEN

Special bond: These amazing pictures show the special bond between 18-month-old Bloodhound Norman and Bhubesi, six months, at the Tshukudu Game Reserve in South Africa

You might expect them to fight like cats and dogs - but this lion cub and Bloodhound are the best of friends.

These amazing pictures show the special bond between 18-month-old Norman the dog and Bhubesi, six months, at the Tshukudu Game Reserve in South Africa.

The massive puppy was brought to the spot, in the north of the country, to viciously chase off poachers, and immediately took the cub under his wing.

The feline joins the dog on walks, even taking his lead in his mouth and trying to boss the strong pooch around.


Come with me: The feline joins the dog on walks, even taking his lead in his mouth and trying to boss the strong pooch around


And when head ranger Jaco Venter, who has raised the cub from three weeks old, comes between the unlikely pair, Bhubesi even fights for Norman's attention.

The scenes were captured by wildlife photographer Stu Porter who was in the region last week on one of the photographic safari trips he runs.

He said: 'Little Bhubesi was rejected by his mother and is being hand raised at the reserve by Jaco and his girlfriend Wendy.


He's mine: When head ranger Jaco Venter, who has raised the cub from three weeks old, comes between the unlikely pair, Bhubesi fights for Norman's attention


'Norman is a new arrival at the reserve and has been trained to track poachers, which has been on the increase in recent times in South Africa.

'Jaco and Wendy are raising both of them and the pals share their big back garden at the moment.

'Right now Norman is the boss despite Bhubesi believing he probably is. But give it a year or so and Bhubesi really will be as he starts to develop.'

Stu, 36, took the snaps at the private game reserve, near the town of Hoedspruit, while the unlikely pair were on a morning walk.


The massive puppy was brought to the spot, in the north of the country, to viciously chase off poachers, and immediately took the cub under his wing


Stu added: 'The walk helps train the dog to be out in the bush and the lion comes along as he likes to follow his buddy.

'They are always very friendly, except at meal times where instinct takes over - but then they are fed separately.

'It's amazing to watch how close their bond has become and I'm looking forward to going back and seeing how it develops.'



Wildlife photographer Stu Porter said Norman is 'the boss' despite Bhubesi believing he is but as the cub grows bigger, things will change

source: dailymail

Read more »

Playfighting pals Cameron and Zabu enjoy friendship that wouldn't be possible in the wild - as they hail from different continents

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Play-fighting predators: They might be ferocious enemies if they ever met in the wild, but these big cats seem to be the best of friends as they wrestle at an animal rescue centre

Here's something you don't see every day. These majestic and powerful big cats enjoying each others' company and indulging in a spot of play-fighting.

However, a meeting between two such ferocious predators would have been impossible in the wild as these two lethal animals hail from different continents.


Ferocious fighters... but it's only a game: Lion Cameron and white tiger Zabu are aptly-nicknamed The Odd Couple by their carers at Big Cat Rescue in Florida


Cameron the lion and Zabu the white tiger, now spend most of the day play-fighting, eating and relaxing.

The feline duo - aptly nicknamed The Odd Couple by their caretakers at Big Cat Rescue in Florida - were rescued from a roadside zoo around eight years ago.

It is thought that the big cats, both 11, were to be bred to produce Ligers, a hybrid big cat which would never have come into being in the wild.


Companions: The feline duo were rescued from a roadside zoo eight years ago


'We built an extra large cat-a-tat for them to share since they are truly bonded as a couple.

'Cameron received a vasectomy and Zabu later was spayed in order to assure that no breeding of any kind could occur.

'Reuniting them after their time apart during surgery was a special moment and they are now very happy and very popular residents of our sanctuary.'

Contrary to their easy life at the rescue centre, both Cameron and Zabu had a less auspicious start to life, touring the United States as part of a roadside zoo.


It's a hard life: The big cats laze in the shade, taking a break from their busy schedule of play-fighting, eating and sleeping


Jeff said that prior to Cameron's rescue, the magnificent lion had lost over 200 pounds due to starvation, and the first thing Zabu did when she arrived at the centre was scrub her dirty fur on the walls of her pool.

However, thanks to the skill and expertise of the rescue team both creatures were able fight back to fitness.

Jeff said: 'While Cameron tries to sleep most of the day away - as lions do in the wild - Zabu is extremely energetic and is always pestering him to play.

'She'll often give up on him and just run and jump and play with her big red Planet Ball.

'Of course, that's after she's tired of playfully stalking her keepers or trying to spray the groups of visitors that stop by everyday. She's a mischievous girl!'


source: dailymail

Read more »

Mother's pride: The maternal mutt who has raised 12 LION cubs

By ANNA EDWARDS

Give me a kiss, mum! The cubs are incredibly fond of their surrogate mother Beth

They may be the kings of the jungle, but these lion cubs are pussy cats when it comes to their surrogate mother.

Thanks to Beth the crossed mastiff's mutt-erly instincts she has raised a pride of 12 mighty lions.

Not afraid of a bit of rough and tumble with these mini-kings of the jungle, Beth the lion-nanny happily frolics, nurses and acts as a surrogate mother to newly born cubs for the last two years at a South African lion breeding sanctuary.
And her love and care has been a roaring success.


Nap time: The adorable cubs cuddle up to the motherly mastiff, whose love and attention has led to them being successfully freed into the wild


Thanks to Beth's hard work five lions have been successfully introduced back into the wild.

Animal farm owner, Theony MacRae, 52 is rightly proud of Beth who helps to raise lions from the family-run centre, called Horseback Africa, near Cullinan in South Africa.

'We got Beth as a puppy from a neighbour,' said Theony.

'To be honest I didn't really want her at first because we had enough animals here already.


Mutt-erly love: Beth will lick the cubs clean just like any good lion mother would do


'But my husband, Colin insisted and he was right - she soon proved her worth.

'By the age of two her maternal instincts must have kicked in and she started to act like a mother to the lion cubs we keep - without any input from us.

'She is always babysitting and keeps them busy by playing with them, chastises them when their naughty.

'She will lick them and clean them just like any good lion mother would do.'


Play nicely: The lions are trained to develop the survival skills and can then be introduced fully into the wild


Wake up, mum! Two lions raised by Beth have been given new lives in their native South Africa and three have been set free in Zambia


Not afraid to playfight: With the help of Beth the cubs have a great quality of life, before they get older and stronger and are then released

source: dailymail

Read more »

Don't mess with this dad! Cub steps out of line in an intimate series of photos of lion family life

By Daily Mail Reporter

Cheeky chap: Big trouble for this naughty little lion when it dares to get a little too close to dad and is rewarded with a menacing snarl


Little ones are always winding up their fathers - but when you're a lion that is NOT a great idea.

This young fellow seen here invoked the ire of daddy lion with some irritatingly bouncy behaviour in the stunning surroundings of the Masai Mara national reserve in Kenya.

The king of the jungle didn't roar his displeasure but wrinkled his nose in a fearsome snarl, the sort of look that would strike fear into any other creature on the plain.


New born: This little cub just wants some attention


The almost human-like shot was captured by wildlife photographer Anup Shah on one of his recent trips to Africa.

Other intimate photos show a cub aged less than two days crying for its mother's attention while others suckle.

In another, boisterous brothers enjoying some rough and tumble and one cheeky cub using an adult's leg as a chew stick.

However, these adventurous youngsters need not fear because mum is always there to swoop to the rescue and drag their offspring away from danger or mischief - quite literally by the scruff of the neck.


Where is everybody? A tiny cub cries out when it realises it has wandered off from its family



Mum to the rescue: Luckily mother lion is on hand to take the straying cub back to the pack

source: dailymail

Read more »

Save my lion! Desperate plea from woman who is looking after paralysed Ariel in her living room

By LEE MORAN

Caring: Ariel's owner Raquel Borges launched the Facebook campaign to raise money to care for her paralysed lion


Stretched across a mattress, Ariel the lion dozes as four people gently clean and massage his body.

Under usual circumstances his carers would be at risk of a serious mauling from the 140kg beast.

But three-year-old Ariel is no ordinary animal - because just over a year ago he was struck down by a debilitating virus which paralysed all four of his legs.


Routine: Vet Livia Pereira has taken Ariel into her home so she can care for him full-time


An internet campaign has now been launched by his owner Raquel Borges and vet Livia Pereira to raise the $11,500 needed each month to pay for his treatment.

A staggering 35,000 people have already clicked the 'like' button on Ariel's Facebook page and sent in donations to help fund his daily caring routine.

Pereira said: 'When the Facebook campaign began in May, we had less than five followers, because it was designed to inform people of Ariel's case not to ask for help.


Kindness: Vet Livia Pereira snuggles in to paralysed lion Ariel


'But then we started asking for donations and the number of people following Ariel's case soared.'

Pereira, who cares for Ariel at her home, said that for unknown reasons his white blood cells were attacking his healthy cells due to a degenerative disease affecting his medulla.

This is a portion of the brainstem involved in motor functions.


Passed out: Ariel lies on a mattress, propped up by packets of toilet rolls


She believed Ariel's symptoms were similar to those of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Guillain-Barre syndrome - an autoimmune disorder that can cause paralysis.

A team of Israeli veterinary neurologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who tested Ariel to see what degenerative disease was involved, will publish their results later this month.

Their trip to Brazil was paid for by Graziela Barrette, a Brazilian model living in New York, who had been moved after hearing of Ariel's plight.

Ariel was born in the shelter that Borges and her husband run in the southern city of Maringa, where they care for sick or abandoned animals.

She said: 'He was a perfectly normal and docile lion that slept with me until he was 10-months-old.'



Loving: Vet Livia Pereira kisses paralysed lion Ariel who has lost the use of his legs


But last year, after spending hours leaping and chasing balloons, Ariel started limping. 'I could tell he was in pain,' she added.

Days later he was unable to move his two hind legs and after surgery to remove a herniated disc he lost control of his front legs.




source :dailymail

Read more »

Stop licking me, mum! The adorable lion cub who has become zoo's mane attraction

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Motherly love: Kiamba (left) gives her new born lion cub a big lick at Monarto Zoo


This cute four-week-old African lion cub has already become a firm favourite amongst a select few zoo visitors.

Seen here cuddling up to its mum Kiamba, the adorable latest addition to an Adelaide tourist attraction is spending its first few weeks feeding, sleeping and playing around.

Born naturally, it will still be another month before Australian zoo keepers can determine its gender, which could prove problematic for those bidding on e-Bay to give the bub a name.

Monarto Zoo's carnivore keeper Claire Geister said single cub litters were quite rare and staff were 'thrilled' with Kiamba's natural and trouble-free delivery.

She said: 'It's amazing. I wasn't here for the birth but I got a phone call to say I was a grandma.

'The cub was the only one in the litter and has been developing well over the past few weeks, venturing outside the den and building in confidence daily.

'We are counting down to the cub’s health check as this will also be the day that we can confirm if it is a male or female.'


Unnamed: The sex of this lion cub at Monarto Zoo will not be known until next month


In four weeks time Kiamba will have to be sedated so staff can get close enough to give the cub a check-up and determine its sex.

Some Monarto Zoo visitors have been lucky enough to glimpse the cub, but he or she won't go on display until ready to join the pride - hopefully in time for the July school holidays.

Zoos South Australia CEO Professor Chris West said African lions were in decline in the wild as a result of habitat loss, human conflict and diseases from domestic animals.

There are fewer than 20,000 of them left, whereas in the 1960s there were 250,000.


Protective: Kiamba (right) looks after her new born cub, who will be named by people bidding on eBay


Professor West said: 'This cub will be an ambassador of its species to people in Australia.'

Kiamba, seven, came from Adelaide Zoo while Leroy, the cub’s father, is ten-years-old, has four lionesses in his pride, and arrived at Monarto Zoo via Mogo Zoo.

To celebrate the arrival of the lion cub, Zoos SA is giving the public the chance to name it.

The highest bidder in an eBay auction, which starts today and closes on Monday, June 14, will get to choose three names, with Zoos SA deciding the winner.

All money raised will go to Zoos SA conservation programs.


source: dailymail

Read more »