Lions are one of the most powerful predators in the animal kingdom, but the young members of this pride were about to come up against one of the best defenses.
Pangolin’s are small and innocuous looking, but their scales are more than capable of keeping them safe against a variety of threats. Luke Street from Wild Eye caught this footage and sent it in to Latest Sightings.
A Sticky Situation
When Luke’s footage began, the hungry lions had already caught the unfortunate pangolin. Given the vast size difference between these animals the pangolin wouldn’t have made much more than a quick snack.
The lions probably thought this would be quick and easy, and that they would be on their way in no time after they caught their prey, but it quickly became clear that the pangolin wasn’t going to make this simple for them.
Before the lions were able to find a quick way past its scales, the pangolin had rolled itself up tightly into an impenetrable ball, showing off its impressive defenses.
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Nothing Beats The Ball
Pangolin scales are extraordinarily resilient against sharp weapons like teeth and claws, as evidenced by this lion’s difficulty in getting past them. The big cat was trying to use its bite to break through, but to no avail.
The overlapping plates were doing their job as the lion tried to use its teeth and claws to force its way through. It even tried to work its teeth beneath the scales where they might be able to get enough purchase to tear them away.
Regardless of what angle it approached the pangolin from the lion just couldn’t break through its scales. As long as the little pangolin kept itself rolled tightly into a ball, the lion was unable to get through.
Coming Under Fire
The frustrated lion found itself the target of the ire of some of the other members of its pride at its continued failure. They looked on judgmentally as it kept trying to break through the pangolin’s defenses.
Probably starting to get a little peckish themselves, and no doubt believing that they could do a better job, the rest of the pride observed their fellow’s failures closely.
Some cleverer animals have turned to more creative methods, such as using water to drown pangolin’s so they don’t have to try and get through its defensive scales, but this lion clearly didn’t think much past brute force.
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A Double Edged Sword
These scales that were saving this pangolin’s life come with a cost, mainly due to human interactions and greed. All kinds of pangolin are considered threatened, or at risk of extinction.
Pangolin meat is eaten by humans, not just lions, and their scales are prized for medicinal properties, both of which result in these animals being the focal point of illegal trafficking and hunting.
This pangolin wasn’t going to die yet though, and although its scales put it at risk from humans, they were a huge boon to have when surviving a lion attack.