Travel and vacations - Tree climbing Lions?

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Tree climbing Lions?

Has anyone seen lions climbing trees in the Masai Mara?

I ask because in Big Cat Diary (BBC - UK) last night/tonight, some lions had
treed a leopard and her well-grown cub overnight. I thought, "I wonder
what'll happen when the lions climb up after them?", but Saba D-H didn't
mention the possibility, and it apparently didn't happen: at least one lion
was still underneath in the morning and the leopards were safe.

I've certainly seen lions up trees in Nairobi NP, and they're famous in
Manyara.

Where else have people seen lions climbing trees?

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

In message , Liz
writes
Has anyone seen lions climbing trees in the Masai Mara?

I ask because in Big Cat Diary (BBC - UK) last night/tonight, some lions had
treed a leopard and her well-grown cub overnight. I thought, "I wonder
what'll happen when the lions climb up after them?", but Saba D-H didn't
mention the possibility, and it apparently didn't happen: at least one lion
was still underneath in the morning and the leopards were safe.

I've certainly seen lions up trees in Nairobi NP, and they're famous in
Manyara.

Where else have people seen lions climbing trees?

Slainte

Liz

An interesting question Liz! Big Cat Diary is great, as usual, with the
enthusiasm of the three presenters adding to the thrill of seeing these
cats.
Leopards are natural tree climbers and it seems that lions don`t have
that same ability, although you say you have seen them in Nairobi NP.
I`ve been in email contact with Saba for some time but my last email
came back so she must have changed it, probably get`s too much mail. I
will see if I can contact her via another route, to ask about the tree
climbing abilities of lions.
Pat
--
Pat Anderson

Hi Liz

I have seen lions in trees several times in Sth Africa. The lion was about
10' above the ground.

This was taken in a private reserve called Ndzalama but I have seen it
happen in Sabi Sand on the edge of Kruger also.

http://www.pbase.com/mrk03/image/26907637

Cheers

Michael

Oops. Meant to say the lion in the shot I linked to was 10' above the
ground.

"Pat Anderson" wrote in message

Big Cat Diary is great, as usual, with the
enthusiasm of the three presenters adding to the thrill of seeing these
cats.

Mmmm - I dont think this series is anything like as good as the previous
ones; get the impression its been much more heavily edited to tell a 'story'
and to have lots of exciting cliff-hangers, rather than just being a more
accurate representation of Big Cats' lives.
I know they HAVE to edit or it would be very boring but the previous series
(as far as I recall) were shown in the autumn and very close to the actual
filming; this one seems to have been filmed some time ago and edited at
leisure?

--
Rita Daggett

"Liz" wrote in message
...
Has anyone seen lions climbing trees in the Masai Mara?

I ask because in Big Cat Diary (BBC - UK) last night/tonight, some lions
had
treed a leopard and her well-grown cub overnight. I thought, "I wonder
what'll happen when the lions climb up after them?", but Saba D-H didn't
mention the possibility, and it apparently didn't happen: at least one
lion
was still underneath in the morning and the leopards were safe.

I've certainly seen lions up trees in Nairobi NP, and they're famous in
Manyara.

Where else have people seen lions climbing trees?

I didn't see them myself, but have read reports about tree climbing lions in
the southern part of Queen Elisabeth N.P. in Uganda.
It is a less visited area of the park is the South Sector around Ishasha.
This part is famous for the tree climbing lions.

Jan

In June, 2002, I was escorting clients into Nakuru when
I spied an adult male lion in a tree just down from the
Main Gate. It seemed to be in some sort of distress,
hanging limply, not asleep.

Then, shortly afterwards, this horrific incident occurred,
as reported by the Daily Nation in this account:
----------
"A game ranger was killed by a lion as she walked home in Lake Nakuru
National Park.

The lion ambushed the Kenya Wildlife Service officer near staff houses
next to the park's main gate.

Fellow rangers rushed to her rescue when she screamed but found her
mortally wounded and bleeding profusely. The lion had escaped into the
wild.*

Game workers said they heard desperate screams at about 7pm on Saturday
as the lion dragged the woman away and dropped her about 10 metres from
where it had pounced.

Senior Warden Ann Kahihia said a massive hunt was immediately launched
for the man-eater and it was shot dead four hours later."
------------
Then, shortly afterwards, this again from the Daily Nation:

"The rogue lion that killed a ranger at Lake Nakuru National Park
had killed and eaten another ranger only the week
before, it was revealed yesterday.

The first ranger's skull and a broken forearm were found on Tuesday
evening, alongside his shredded trousers, grey coat and brown uniform
shirt.

A packet of milk, Sh9,550, a payslip, the ranger's national identity
card,
a wris****ch and his Kenya Wildlife Service appointment card and other
personal documents were also found lying at the scene.

The ranger was last seen on June 28 this year when he collected his
salary
and was due to travel home, said Nakuru divisional police chief Joel
Lagat
who visited the park on Tuesday after the ranger's remains were found.

All his remains were found only a few hundred metres from the spot
where
ranger Ms Priscilla Aiyabei was killed on Saturday evening, close to the
park's main gates.

It is understood the lion that killed the two - and was shot dead by
rangers only hours after it struck down Ms Aiyabei - was suffering from
a
leg injury and was known to park staff as Simba Kiguru; the Limping
Lion.
------------
I have always believed that the lion we saw was this same lion,
perhaps using the tree to protect itself from other male lions.
Because of its injury, it could have never survived a serious attack.

Now, totally unrelated, we also saw an adult female lion in a tree just
west
of the lake, calling out to her offspring or other members of the pride.

This all happening in a 2-day period! I have video of both lions, but
no still photographs.