Backpacker Magazine – March 2009

Wilderness Wonders: Scariest Predator

There is nothing like the African lion.

by: Marcus Woolf

Biggest Cave | Scariest Predator | Driest Desert | Hottest Geysers | Largest Glacier | Highest Peak | Tallest Tree | Highest Biodiversity | Largest Primate | Most Active Volcano | Strangest Rock Formation | Biggest Bear | Largest Crater | Farthest Migrator | Tallest Waterfall

What With its 500 pounds of muscle, claw, and three-inch canines; a savannah-rattling roar that can be heard five miles away; and the ability to sprint 35 mph in pursuit of fresh meat, there's no predator on Earth like the African lion. Until about 10,000 years ago, lions roamed the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia. But today, civilization and agriculture have reduced their habitat to scattered parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Where Tsavo National Park, Kenya. Hike and camp across Africa's largest park on Mountain Travel Sobek's 11-day riverside journey through prime habitat for Tsavo's maneless lions. Biologists think their lack of the signature ruff could be due to lower testosterone levels or adaptation to the hot, dry environment. You'll likely see hippos, zebras, and elephants, too. mtsobek.com

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