“If an African lion is roaming the mountains of southeastern West Virginia…”
“Bow hunter Jim Shortridge swears he saw a male African lion weighing between 250 and 300 pounds at the foot of Cold Knob Mountain earlier this month.”
I’m thinking if it could prey on livestock it would have a chance, but if it had to survive on wild deer it would not make it. An African Lion would not be able to solitarily take game in a temperate forest vs its natural enviroment hunting in groups in a savanna. Or would it be able to adapt?
Food-wise, wouldn’t there be plenty of deer and smaller mammals available? This assumes it would be capable of learning to hunt on its own, and learn to recognize the inherent tastiness of venison.
Climate might be the biggest problem. What’s a West Virginia winter compared to Kenya?
Could it sucessfully hunt deer in the woods? I picture african lions stalking, then running down zebra in a wide open plane. I know there are fields and farmlands but I think of West Virginia like rual Pa, lots of wood lands and a few farms. Do deer have an advantage in a forest vs zebra on an open plane, especially vs a single lion. Now there were lions in north east america at one point so they can survive, but would an african lion, not nurtured here be able to adapt and survive?
How long would it last? A few months if it managed to take a few loose dog or livestock.
[QUOTE=Rhythmdvl…Food-wise, wouldn’t there be plenty of deer and smaller mammals available? This assumes it would be capable of learning to hunt on its own, and learn to recognize the inherent tastiness of venison.
Climate might be the biggest problem. What’s a West Virginia winter compared to Kenya?[/QUOTE]
In the winter, air comes rushing across the flatness of Ohio, hits the mountains, and dumps all of its snow in West Virginia. Compared to Kenya, the winters are pretty harsh.
Lions are capable of hunting individually and living on smaller game. In India, and I think parts of Africa, they live in forest, although they do not live in dense tropical rainforest.
Probably not as much an issue as you might think. In historic times lions ranged into temperate areas such as the Balkans and the Caucasus; at earlier times they have ranged into Siberia and Alaska.
It’s one thing to ask if a lion would recognize a deer as edible. Would a deer recognize the scent of a lion as threatening? There are wild cats in WV, no? Would the scent be similar enough so a deer would avoid the lion? Are lions savvy enough to hunt upwind? I would imagine that an unsuspecting deer walking into an ambush/sneaking lion would be fairly easy prey.
I’ve always wondered. In zoos and the like, what happens to the lions and other animals like that? I know some of them go inside when it’s cold…but is that enough?
But as you point out, Colibri, for the lions is that not an issue?
I’d be more worried about the cheetahs, though. They’re nothing but skin and bones. I doubt they’d fare well in a colder environment.
I started a joke thread once about introducing tigers into the Canadian wilderness. I think a tiger - being exclusively a solitary hunter, and in the case of Siberian tigers, a cold weather animal - would do well. But a lion might do okay, and a pack of lions would do well.
Forested North American regions are dense with game - there are deer in quantities to the point that deer starve to death competing for food. Lions and tigers will identify pretty much any mammal smaller than them as edible, and would feast on deer.
I know you said that you started the thread about introducing Siberian tigers into the Canadian wilderness as a joke but if it saved the ST from extinction it wouldn’t be a very bad idea at all.
there are lots of yummy things for the big kitty to eat.
in philly when the big cats were placed in the new habitat, the lions killed a few rabbits and pigeons. the female lions did most of the kills… so if it is a male lion he may have to figure out that he doesn’t have a woman to do his killing. he will do fine after that.
the tigers were the really serious killers. girl or boy, no living thing was safe from them in the enclosure, and if someone was within 3 feet of the glass wall there would be quite the attack. a rope was put up so the kitties wouldn’t get to stressed. sometimes a toddler would toddle up under the rope. boy howdy!!! a lightning fast attack on the glass would have everyone scattering.
