It would appear that the stereotype of cats trapping themselves in trees so effectively that they need the fire brigade to come and help them out applies to big cats as well as house cats.
Hanzalah Saib spotted this big cat which flew too close to the sun, and climbed so high that it had stranded itself in the smaller branches and was struggling to get down again. This sighting took place on the S28 road in the Kruger National Park.
The footage, which Hanzalah sent to Latest Sightings, proves that even big and fierce apex predators like lions can look nervous when they’re very far out of their depth.
A Very Strange Looking Bird
The biggest problem this unfortunate lion was facing, was that many of the branches around it looked too flimsy to hold its weight reliably. At any moment the lion gave the impression that it would shift its balance too far in one direction and tumble to the ground as a result.
The lion had climbed up amongst the highest branches of the tree, until it literally couldn’t climb any higher, which meant that the only way was to go back down, but this was difficult to achieve while moving so carefully.
Why the lion had climbed so high was a mystery. They are known to steal leopard kills from the lower branches of trees, but this big cat had gone far beyond the lower branches.
There are few other predators that could scare a lion enough to force it to shelter in tree branches, as lions are not as adept at climbing as other animals and definitely prefer to keep all four paws on the ground.
Perhaps if it had been facing impossible odds, such as a large pack of wild dogs or a clan of hyenas, the lone lion had decided to trust its fate to the thin and flexible tree branches.
The King Of The Castle
Maybe, this lion hadn’t been satisfied with being an apex predator of the ground, and was making a bid to be considered a deadly hunter at higher elevations as well.
It was high enough to have a largely unobstructed view of the surrounding area, but there was nothing it could do with this achievement, as it couldn’t even get down.
While its reasons for climbing so high remained a mystery, it must surely be worthy of some kind of special status, simply by right of being the highest lion in the immediate area.
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Questionable Decisions
Unfortunately, it was also the least mobile lion in the immediate area, as the slightest shift in its weight cause the thin branches to shake almost uncontrollably. Despite the big cats unmistakable strength and poise, it was struggling just to move.
As amusing as it might have been to see such a dangerous animal in a comically difficult position, this was actually a very dangerous spot from the lion. It couldn’t stay there, as sleeping would inevitably cause it to fall, so it needed to get down somehow.
The final fate of this climbing lion was unknown, but the end of the footage it had managed to turn itself around on the spot, and begin trying to climb down the way it had come. Hopefully it wouldn’t be climbing anymore trees anytime soon.
