This lion demanded respect with its assured presence and peculiar blue eye.
Blue-eyed lion commands respect in the bushveld
A lion having one blue eye is unusual and can be the result of several possible factors. Most of these are related to health, injury, or genetics.
One common reason could be an eye injury or trauma. If a lion has been in a fight or suffered damage to the eye, it may develop a cloudy or bluish appearance. This is often caused by inflammation, internal bleeding, or scarring of the cornea, which can give the eye a bluish tint and may also affect vision.
Another possible cause is cataracts, which can appear as a bluish or milky film over the eye. Cataracts often develop with age but can also result from disease or injury. In such cases, the blue colouration is a sign of opacity in the lens of the eye, not actual blue pigmentation.
This last explanation could be quite feasible, considering the lion appeared to be well on in years.
Leopard carries fresh kill up tree
It was possibly his age and his years of experience which were the reason why he had such assurance as he approached a tree to which a leopard in the area had retreated, clinging onto a freshly carcass.
The leopard had recently made a kill, and the lion was hungry.
Lion waits at foot of tree scheming to steal kill
The lion stood at the base of the tree and started for a brief moment at the spectators and flashing his remarkable blue eye.
He then looked up into the tree, from where the leopard looked down on him. With such a large, muscular form, it appeared unlikely he could follow the leopard up the tree to take the kill.
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However, this is exactly what he did! He scaled the tree with remarkable ease, moving high up along its trunk and reaching the top branches, where the leopard had found refuge.
Lion successfully grabs hold of carcass
Here, the leopard had hoped to eat its fresh meal in peace.
However, the lion would have none of this and reached for the meat, with surprising success. He pulled at the buck carcass with his teeth and managed to grab ahold of it.
Lion settles down for feast
Then it was down to the floor of the bushveld again, where he settled in the grass nearby the tree and began to tear at the carcass unashamedly.
While lions are apex predators, and usually do their hunting together with their pride, they won’t turn down the opportunity for a free meal. Lions, being larger and more powerful than leopards, will not hesitate to use their strength and dominance to take over a leopard’s kill whenever they get the opportunity.
Leopards are aware of this risk and are extremely cautious when feeding.
To avoid losing their hard-earned meal, leopards often drag their kills high up into trees, a skill they are highly adapted for and one that lions typically lack due to their heavier bodies. By storing food in trees, leopards reduce the risk of lions (or other scavengers like hyenas) stealing it.
However, this leopard didn’t count on the blue-eyed, ageing lion being able to climb a tree!