Lions (Simba), cheetahs and leopards are lazy sorts. Hunt (occasionally), Eat (after they hunt), Sleep (after they eat) and Loll (the rest of the time). Pat, our Botswana guide, says that cats can go up to 7 days without eating and that making a kill is sometimes very hard work. Making a kill is easier if there is more than one cat working together.
Male Lion feasting on a Wildebeest
All the cats we see in motion are very elegant and move with a complete conservation of energy.
Leopard
What looks like a cute cuddly pet, turns into a killing machine when it gets hungry. Pascal, our Tanzanian guide, tells us that a leopard may make three kills in a row and only consume one kill. This shows that cats have an instinct to hunt and kill and will do it just to do it. Leopards take their kills up into a tree. These cats are the safest while up a tree as no other cats climb trees.
Cheetahs are the world’s fastest mammals but only over a short distance. They have to be cunning to sneak up on prey to get close enough to be able to take it down within its fast speed range. We see a cheetah blaze past as it overtakes an impala and it is only a white streak between the bushes.
Cheetah lunching on a baby Impala.
Cats, impressive to see no matter what they are doing, but a little dull if they are just sleeping or lolling.
Lion