Lions aren’t supposed to be good at this.
The hip-scarred Majingilane heads up the tree first, his ponderous bulk inhibiting him slightly, but his enormous power still enabling him to accomplish the feat.
That’s the old story anyway. Leopards live in the trees, lions stay on the ground, and the two don’t swap roles. So when Brandon watched the Blonde Gijima Male haul himself high up into a tree to take a kill off the Tinxiya Female, it was the kind of sighting that makes you rethink the rule.
And he made quick work of it. This is a big, heavy, beastly lion, and he went up after that carcass with far more ease than you would ever give him credit for. Not pretty, not graceful, but effective. He wanted the meal; the meal was up a tree, so up the tree he went. Shaun D’Araujo even captured him sharing a bit of the meal with his brother waiting below.
The common misconception is that lions can’t climb. The proof is in the pudding; they clearly can. They just aren’t built for it the way a leopard is. A leopard is lighter, more flexible, made for moving through the branches. A lion is pure muscle and bulk, built for wrestling big things to the ground. Climbing is a skill they have but rarely use, so they are a little rusty at it.
Going up, all that power and those big claws work in his favour; that is never really the problem. The problem is coming down! Everything that helped him now works against him. The bulk he muscled up with suddenly wants to pull him off the tree, the claws point the wrong way, and there is no neat way to lower that much weight back to the ground. So they tend to reverse down in a clumsy scramble, or simply commit to the drop and take the whole landing on their joints. For an animal that heavy, coming off that kind of height, that is a serious amount to absorb.
Have a watch of Ranger Brandon and Londolozi Guest Harold Patout’s video of him coming down
It isn’t the first time we have seen a lion do this. Every so often one of them decides a leopard’s hoisted kill is worth the effort and goes up after it, and it almost always plays out the same way. The climb up is surprisingly capable. The climb down is where the entertainment starts.
The Tsalala female climbs a tree for a vantage point on an open crest.
That is what makes a sighting like Brandon and Harold’s so special. We are so used to seeing leopards draped in the branches that a lion up a tree stops you dead. There is something about watching all that size and weight go somewhere it was never really meant to go. The Blonde Gijima Male is built to rule the ground, and for a few minutes he decided the rules didn’t apply to him. You don’t forget a sighting like that in a hurry.
Sean. I absolutely LOVED this blog!!! We saw lions in the trees in Tarangire, but definitely in more sloped trees and not as nearly massive as the Gijima male! These videos are priceless for some amusement and chuckles. Thanks!!
Thank you so much, Camille. It was incredible seeing a huge lion like the Gijima Male in a tree, but watching him come down was rather hilarious.
Watching a big lion climb a tree and comme down again, is really entertaining! They are tough these lions that they dare doing it.
I love the videos, thanks for sharing!
Thank you Christa. It really is a sight, all that weight and effort going up and then the far trickier business of coming down. They don’t make it look graceful, but you have to admire the nerve. Glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Sean, there are areas in which lions are climbers specialists… anyway, looking at the huge and stockily built Majingilane, it is obvious he can’t climb. The Gjima male is slender and hasn’t the power of the previous male. Leopards do well in looking for inaccessible tree branches, but I can’t stop.thinking , counting all robbers, poor Leopards…
Thank you Francesca. You’re right that some lions are far more capable climbers than others, and a lighter, leaner build helps enormously when it comes to getting up a tree. The heavier males tend to struggle with it. And I’m with you on the leopards, between lions, hyenas and everything else eyeing their kills, it’s a wonder they hold onto anything. Hoisting it up a tree used to be the safe option. Clearly not anymore.
Hi Sean, not even the leopards kill stached up a tree is safe anymore, because these huge lions are now deciding to go after that free meal. So unfair really. Just look at the huge body trying to climb up and not to talk about the climbing down with the stolen meal in his mouth. I do feel very sad that the lions steal the leopards hard earned kill.
Thank you Valmai. It does feel unfair, doesn’t it? The whole point of hoisting a kill was to keep it out of reach, and now even that isn’t a guarantee. Watching a lion haul that bulk up a tree, and then back down with the prize in its mouth, is something else. Hard-earned meals, lost in a few minutes. The leopards can’t catch a break.
So the lions have mastered tree climbing to steal carcasses from Leopards – who next…..?
It appears they have. Hopefully, they are just after the carcass and the leopards manage to evade them.
so the big cats are learning to climb trees and taking the leopards food amazing the survival instincts of these carnivores all I can say is leopards watch out lions are now climbing trees thanks again for the live stream of the lions amazing stuff
Thank you Lyn. That’s exactly it, these cats are always learning, and a free meal up a tree is apparently worth the climb. The leopards are going to have to think of something new. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Fantastic sighting, thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much, Moira.
Wow! Crazy amazing video! I’ve seen a few lionesses in trees but to see a huge male up high and then descend – whoa!
Seeing a male as big as the Gijimas in a tree is impressive.