Friday, 19 August 2011

Lions are 'lazy' and 'boring' says researcher

Think that you'd like to study big cats? Well think again. A leading researcher has dubbed researching lions as 'boring'.

A leading wildlife researcher Professor Craig Packer has dubbed researching lions 'boring'.

Professor Craig Packer and a team from the Serengeti Lion Project in Tanzania spent decades studying lions to find out whether or not lions who lived near a water source had better breeding success.

When the Professor first started to collect the data bacin in 1978 he had thought that the study would take around three years from start to finish. However, he hadn't taken in to account how little lions actually do.

"I had found lion research to be much less exciting than I'd expected," said Professor Packer. "Hours and hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer boredom, waiting for the lazy beasts to do something."

Luckily the team carried on their research, tracking 28 prides and more than 5000 lions throughout the years, to discover that yes, lions who live near water sources do lead longer and more successful lives.


Still like one as a pet though. I would call him Smedrick and we would ride down Oxford Circus and slay slow-walking tourists with our giant paws.

*Edit* Lions are no longer boring - I met one.

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