We all love cute cats in the house, but even our tame pets can trace their ancestry back to the big cats that still roam the planet! The most famous big cats are lions and cheetahs. Both have their own evolutionary niches, although they often live in the same place. Incredibly, a video shows what happens when the big cats face down in a show of feline power. As you can imagine, this is incredible!
In a recent clip, we see what happens when a lion and a cheetah face off in a stunning fight. The video starts with action when we see two cats running across the screen. There’s not much context to what’s going on, but it’s clear the lion is angry (or hungry) and is chasing the cheetah.
For the next few seconds, we see the lioness chasing the cheetah around, hoping to catch it or drive it away (unclear which). Cheetahs are usually very wary of lions, and because they are much larger, it is more likely that a lion will want to catch a cheetah. Another possible option is that the lion has some cubs nearby and the lioness doesn’t want the threat to get too close!
Lionesses are the primary hunters of the pride, although males sometimes get involved. The faster the lionesses, the longer they can chase their prey, while the stronger males are better suited to defending the pride from other males looking to take over maliciously.
© Seyms Brugger/Shutterstock.com
Although lionesses are generally faster and better at hunting, they never get a chance to actually catch an adult cheetah. Most people know that the cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, capable of running at speeds of up to 70 mph in short bursts. Lions are not slow animals by any means, but they usually only reach a top speed of 50 mph for short periods of time. To a cheetah, a lion is basically in slow motion!
As the clip shows, the cheetah gave the lioness some nice feet (or paws) for a moment, then trotted away. The lioness finally gave up, apparently freed from a deadly game of hide-and-seek. Throughout the clip, we never actually see Cheetah running it full throttle because it doesn’t have to. Whatever the reason for the lioness chasing the cheetah, it never actually catches it.
However, in a direct fight, the lion absolutely rocks the cheetah world. Lions are significantly larger and are evolutionarily adapted to kill larger creatures. An adult lioness can easily clear 300 pounds, while a cheetah is closer to 180 pounds, or about half that size. Still, a cheetah will never let a lion get close enough to fight because its advantage is speed, not strength!
Be sure to check out the clip below!
Next:
- Cheetah vs Lion: Who will win the battle?
- How many cheetahs are left in the world?
- What do cheetahs eat?
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
