Selous lions climbing trees
“Friendship is a sheltering tree” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Lazy Lions relaxing in the trees - photos by Catherine Cotton
The phenomenon of lions climbing trees is famous in Lake Manyara National Park, but it is also observable in the Selous. Lions don’t usually climb trees like leopards do because they are not built well for the activity.
A young lion cub learning to climb trees, wary of falling down, receives encouragement from the other family members
Lions in the Selous climb trees to catch a breeze and cool down, also there may be an advantage for viewing prey from a height. It is relatively well known that lions climb trees to avoid pests like tsetse flies.