Gnus Need New Strategy To Deal With Lions (wild, look)
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Grazing on the savannah are hundreds, or even thousands, of wildebeests. When a pride of a dozen or so lions is spotted, the wildebeests go into full panic mode and stampede.
Seems to me that life would be simpler if they simply charged the lions en masse. Wildebeests can weigh as much as 1,500 lbs., much more than any lion, and are equipped with horns. Then when you factor in their superior numbers .... it appears that it'd be no contest.
They should take a page from the defensive strategy of the musk ox, who use teamwork by standing shoulder-to-shoulder to embrace their enemies. When surrounded by wolves, they form a circle with the young children safely stashed in the middle of the circle. When dealing with a single bear, it's more of a straight line, although there's a you tube showing one herd panicking, running away from a grizzly rather than facing it. Sure enough, the musk ox paid the price, losing two of their young.
The lions do a service by killing off the weakest of the herd. A wildebeest that is harboring a disease that could threaten the health of the herd is the first to go.
The lions do a service by killing off the weakest of the herd. A wildebeest that is harboring a disease that could threaten the health of the herd is the first to go.
Yes, that's true. But those intelligent sentiments are beyond the grasp of the wildebeest. Purely from their perspective of fight vs. flight response, they must realize the advantage of their superior numbers plus the fact that they possess weapons of their own, unlike e.g., a 100-lb. antelope.
Number one, wildebeests only weight about 600 pounds tops. Number 2, there are hundreds of thousands of them, and the females produce a calf every year. Add it up.
Seems to me that life would be simpler if they simply charged the lions en masse. Wildebeests can weigh as much as 1,500 lbs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by carnivalday
Number one, wildebeests only weight about 600 pounds tops.
A big bull may hit 600 pounds, most bulls and all cows are much lighter. This is too small to stand and defend against a coordinated lion pride attack.
For an animal that will, plus go on the offensive against lions, take a look at the Cape buffalo, considered to be the most dangerous, aggressive bovine on the planet. A bull does go 1500 pounds or even a bit more, and buffalo are extremely dangerous for lions to hunt, with many killed or badly injured doing so. In spite of this, lions prize them highly, and will take the risk. An excellent documentary on this topic is "Relentless Enemies" by the Jouberts.
Number one, wildebeests only weight about 600 pounds tops. Number 2, there are hundreds of thousands of them, and the females produce a calf every year. Add it up.
Today I'm reading 600 lbs, with the record being 640 for a blue wildebeest; yesterday I apparently (mis)read 1,500 somewhere. As for #2, yup, their numbers are plentiful which supports the original point. It should bolster their confidence even at 600 lbs.
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