Understanding the Behavior of Lions

This lion is not like Simba from the song; it won't be sleeping tonight. Your instinct tells you to run, but even Usain Bolt, the fastest human on earth with a speed of nearly 45 kilometers per hour, cannot outrun this fearsome predator. The average lion can run up to 80 kilometers per hour, almost twice as fast as a human. If a lion targets you, it can reach speeds of up to 128 kilometers per hour.

To survive a lion attack, you need to understand that it's not a fair fight. Male lions, with their iconic manes, weigh between 120 to 190 kilograms, much more than the average human. Although females are smaller, males can grow up to three meters long, including their tails, and are about 1.2 meters tall, equivalent to the height of your chest. Lions are the only wild cats that are social and live in groups called prides, which can consist of up to 15 lions, ranging from three to forty. Don't be fooled by their social nature; they will still see you as a potential meal.

Lions are known for hunting in packs, with the females serving as the primary hunters and leaders. Each year, lions kill approximately 250 people. But if you find yourself on a safari gone wrong and are being chased by a lion, what should you do? Can you survive?

The first step is to watch the lion's body language. If a lion spots you while you're out for a stroll, stop and determine whether it is curious or sees you as potential prey. A lion pawing the ground is not interested in attacking, while a lion with a rigid tail is on the hunt. Stay calm as lions can sense fear.

When a lion starts moving towards you, pay attention to its growling and snorting as it sizes you up. It's crucial to send the right message and avoid a breakdown in communication.

The most crucial aspect of surviving a lion attack is letting the lion know that you are not a threat. Rather than facing it head-on, stand sideways, avoid eye contact, and monitor its feet to understand its next move. Unfortunately, this technique won't help if you're asleep, as survivor Patrick Fogad discovered on a luxury safari trip in Tanzania. A lion entered his tent, sniffed his wife, and attacked him, resulting in the loss of a portion of his arm and numerous surgeries to reconstruct it. This attack left Patrick and his wife with psychological scars for years.

Intimidation can work against lions, as they evaluate the situation and potential prey before deciding whether to attack. Puffing oneself up, waving something around to appear larger, and making noise to intimidate the lion can be helpful. Maintaining eye contact and backing away slowly without turning around can also help. However, if the lion is not convinced of your threat, it may escalate the situation.

If a lion charges towards you on a zigzag path to scare you, resist the instinct to run and stay put. The most crucial thing to do during a lion attack is to show the lion that you're not a threat. Facing it head-on and making eye contact is not advisable; instead, stand sideways and keep an eye on its feet since they will indicate what the lion is about to do. Unfortunately, this won't work if you're sleeping, as Patrick Fogad, a lion attack survivor, discovered. While on a luxury safari trip in Tanzania with his wife, they woke up to find a lion in their tent. The lion sniffed his wife and then attacked him, tearing off a portion of his arm. It took over ten surgeries to reconstruct his arm, and the attack left them both psychologically scarred for years. So what else can you do to survive a lion attack?

Intimidating the lion can work, as lions don't always attack. They evaluate the situation and potential prey before deciding whether to attack or not. If you want to intimidate the lion, make yourself look bigger by puffing yourself up, waving something around like a coat or backpack, and making noise. If the lion is calm, maintain eye contact and back away slowly without turning around while still making noise to appear as a threat. But if your performance isn't convincing enough, the lion may up the ante.

A lion will try to scare you with a mock charge by running towards you on a zigzag path. Even though it goes against every instinct, don't run since the lion can attack you from behind, which is what it hopes for. Lions can climb trees, so staying put is the best option. If the lion attacks you suddenly, protect your neck since lions like to go for the throat, which they do by suffocating their victims to death.

Lastly, stay out of the moonlight during a lion attack. It's safer during the day since lions are four times more likely to attack humans during the ten nights after a full moon, and they are most dangerous to humans when the moon is below the horizon. Lions used to inhabit Asia and Europe, but 94% of their population has been wiped out, and now they primarily live in Africa. Therefore, the best way to survive a lion attack is to stay out of areas they inhabit.