After This Video You Don't Want to Be a Lion
Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 We all know that people admire even the appearance
00:13 of the lion.
00:14 It has a smart, confident look, a luxurious mane,
00:17 and a strong and agile body.
00:20 This animal really deserves a royal title
00:22 in the animal world.
00:23 In this video, I'll tell you all the most interesting things
00:27 that are known about lions today and also show the most amazing
00:31 shots captured on camera.
00:32 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:36 The image of the lion as the king of animals
00:38 has been known to all of us since childhood.
00:41 It has a powerful, but at the same time slender and even lean
00:45 body, while its head is extremely massive.
00:48 The paws of lions are low but very strong.
00:51 Of all cats, only lions have a brush at the end of their tail,
00:55 and only these representatives of the feline family
00:58 are characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism, i.e.
01:02 the difference between males and females.
01:05 The male is distinguished by his magnificent mane covering
01:08 the neck, shoulders, and chest.
01:11 In addition, lionesses are smaller.
01:14 Lions are divided into several types.
01:16 These are Asian, Senegalese, Barbary, North Congolese,
01:21 East African, Southwestern African,
01:23 and Southeastern African lions.
01:27 White lions can also be found once in a while.
01:30 All these varieties differ slightly
01:32 in size and appearance, but the lifestyle and habits
01:34 are about the same for all lions, regardless of habitat.
01:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:43 Lions often hunt antelopes, but the black antelope
01:46 is one of the most dangerous because it
01:48 has incredibly long horns used for self-defense.
01:52 This buffalo was unlucky since two lionesses
01:55 attacked it at the same time, but its relatives
01:58 came to the rescue.
01:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:02 Lionesses often chase a buffalo with a whole pride,
02:05 and when the animal is exhausted, they attack it.
02:08 But this time, they were taught a lesson.
02:12 Despite the family ties, the lion
02:14 is not adverse to hunting a cheetah or its cubs.
02:18 There is no place for pity in the animal world.
02:21 Only the strongest survive.
02:23 Despite the fact that the cheetah runs faster,
02:25 sometimes it still becomes a victim of its larger relative.
02:30 Kudu is another type of dangerous antelope
02:32 with long horns.
02:33 The hunt for kudu was filmed right on the road.
02:37 Two strong lions finished off their victim
02:39 right on the roadway.
02:42 But most often, lions hunt wildebeest.
02:44 Even though the horns of these animals are not too big,
02:47 it is not so easy to overcome them.
02:50 The lions choose the weakest antelope from the herd
02:53 and attack it.
02:54 In this video, the lion and its victim
02:57 look like wrestlers fighting in the mud.
02:59 Of course, there are not many chances for wildebeest
03:03 to survive.
03:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:09 Lions also hunt zebras.
03:11 And although these cute animals seem defenseless,
03:13 they often manage to fend off the lion with the help
03:16 of their strong hind legs.
03:18 Not this time.
03:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:26 But the most difficult thing is to hunt a giraffe.
03:29 This African giant is hunted by a whole pride.
03:32 And even the lion participates in the chase,
03:34 although hunting is usually the business of lionesses.
03:38 Such a hunt can be successful only thanks to good teamwork.
03:43 A few strong lions can even take down a buffalo
03:45 if they act together.
03:48 This lioness thought that the buffalo calf
03:49 would become easy prey, but it didn't take into account
03:53 that its mother was nearby.
03:55 Perhaps the most defenseless animal in Africa
03:57 is the warthog.
03:59 It manages to get rid of the lion
04:01 only by burrowing into the ground.
04:03 But the predator often gets its prey even from under the ground.
04:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:13 Sometimes lionesses try to hunt a hippo.
04:16 But if the hippopotamus is young and healthy,
04:18 then lions have to run as fast as they can to survive.
04:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:35 The hippopotamus is by no means the only animal that
04:38 can fight back against lions.
04:39 Just look at this guy.
04:41 It went on the attack and bit the lioness by the nose.
04:44 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:53 And it's better not to mess with a honey badger.
04:56 It doesn't care if it's the king of the jungle.
04:58 It won't let anyone hurt it.
05:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:03 It's hard to say where this little beast got
05:04 so much courage, but it has repeatedly
05:06 proven that a brave heart is much more important than size.
05:11 But the most important and longstanding enemies of lions
05:14 are hyenas and hyena-like dogs.
05:17 Lions have to fight with hyenas for territory and prey.
05:20 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:25 A pack of wolves could easily tear apart one lion,
05:28 despite the fact that the lion is much larger and stronger
05:31 than the wolf.
05:34 A buffalo can even deal with a lion alone.
05:37 And if you have to deal with an entire herd,
05:39 then the lion has no chance to escape.
05:41 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:47 Lions are not very good at climbing trees.
05:50 They are much worse at it than their relatives, leopards.
05:53 But they are still better than buffaloes.
05:55 And sometimes, this skill saves a lion's life.
05:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:02 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:09 No matter how dexterous and strong a lion is,
06:12 it is better not to engage in a fight with an angry bull.
06:16 Just look at the length of these horns.
06:18 Imagine what will happen to a predator
06:20 who dares to attack this giant.
06:22 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:24 The lion looks more like a sultan than a king.
06:27 After all, the king has only one queen,
06:30 and the lion has a whole harem, which is called a pride.
06:34 The lion's task is to protect the territory,
06:36 and the lionesses have to hunt.
06:39 But there are exceptions to the rules.
06:41 The head of the family helps to overcome a large animal.
06:44 Sometimes, there are several males in the pride
06:47 who are relatives, but this is rather an exception
06:50 to the rule.
06:51 Upon reaching puberty, male lions either leave the pride
06:55 and become lone lions, or try to overcome their father
06:58 and take his place.
06:59 Sooner or later, one of the lions
07:01 succeeds because the lion is getting old,
07:04 and a younger male takes its place.
07:06 In addition, solitary lions are trying
07:09 to find a pride whose head has already
07:11 weakened to take its place.
07:14 Lionesses are very good and caring mothers,
07:16 but if a lion can be compared with a sultan,
07:19 then it's difficult to call a lioness its slave.
07:22 If they are unhappy with the behavior of the lion,
07:25 they have enough strength to show it who is the boss here.
07:29 In addition, do not forget those lionesses bring food
07:32 to the lion pride.
07:33 Lions are smart enough, and despite their harsh disposition,
07:44 they are well-trained.
07:45 A well-fed lion will not attack a person
07:48 if they do not provoke it.
07:50 On the other hand, a predator is always a predator.
07:53 It is difficult to guess how an animal will
07:55 react to a given action, so cases
07:58 when a lion attacked even close people are not that rare.
08:02 Nevertheless, the friendship between a lion and a man
08:05 can be found in the world.
08:07 These dangerous cats are able to experience tenderness,
08:10 show affection, and care for a person.
08:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:24 (upbeat music)