Chapter 999: King of Beasts
Xiao Peng drove to a location further upstream on the Senegal River. According to the map coordinates, he had already entered Senegal. These African countries did have border crossings, but many of them were just a short stroll away.
Xiao Peng had actually intended to go to Mali, then south down the Niger River to Nigeria, but he'd ended up going in the wrong direction. He felt like he'd just escaped from the clutches of a wolf and walked right back into the tiger's mouth.
He sat in the car, looked ahead, held the steering wheel and sighed: "Damn it!"
"Master, why don't you drive?" Ilka asked.
Xiao Peng covered his face. "Stop calling me master! You make me sound like a slave owner. You're free now. No one's forcing you to do anything you don't want to do! Don't worry about your future. I'll help you with your studies when you return to France. You can stay away from Zhu Zhengshuo. If you're worried, how about I take you back to France and make arrangements for you?"
"Master, I'm here with you!" said Ilka.
Xiao Peng facepalmed. Changing her was a long and arduous task...
But to be honest, this feeling really makes people feel good!
"Ahem!" Xiao Peng coughed twice and explained, "Let's observe here first. Don't you see the herd of cattle in front of us? We dare not provoke them."
Ilka smiled and said, "Master, I've been raising cattle since I was a child, so I'm very familiar with them. Look, there's a cow giving birth over there! I'll go help her deliver the calf and get closer to them. Would you like to go over and get in touch with them up close?"
Xiao Peng was stunned after hearing this: "Ilka, you really are not afraid of death!"
"Hmm? Master, is there any problem?" Ilka was confused.
Xiao Peng said, "Do you really think all cows are the same? This is an African buffalo! One of the Big Five of Africa!"
"The Big Five?" Ilka was confused.
Xiao Peng explained, "These are the five most terrifying animals in Africa. The lion is probably the weakest among them."
"The weakest?" Ilka was stunned.
Xiao Peng nodded. "African buffalo, African rhinoceros, African elephant, hippopotamus, and lion—four are herbivores, and one is carnivorous. Which of the four do you think is weaker than the lion? Some people jokingly say that the reason Africa has difficulty establishing a strong civilization and empire is largely because the herbivores here are so formidable!"
After hearing this, Ilka suddenly became a little excited and asked, "Are there lions here?"
Xiao Peng shook his head. "It's unlikely. Although Senegal is the home of West African lions, they've been basically wiped out. Now there are only lion groups in East Africa and South Africa. Unless this is a national park, we won't see lions."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw several dark yellow figures appear in the bushes in the direction they came from. "Holy crap, there really are lions? Which national park in Senegal are we in?"
He checked the navigation and said, "Oh my god, are we in Niokolo-Koba National Park? This is so far into Senegal. Oh, Ilka, why do you seem so interested in lions?"
Ilka replied, "Master, it is like this. I was taught since I was a child in my hometown that I must live like a lion."
"Like a lion? I thought it meant like a mountain eagle. Aren't you called the 'Country of Mountain Eagles'?" Xiao Peng asked after hearing this. "Why do you live like a lion? Are you as brave as a lion?"
Ilka shook her head: "No, it means that the lioness needs to raise the male lion well!"
"Uh..." Xiao Peng was speechless. This description was so damn accurate!
The lion is the only feline species in the world that is sexually dimorphic. Male lions and female lions look different. Male lions have large manes and are majestic, while female lions are more like big cats. Male lions are more popular, and the first image people think of is a male lion.
Xiao Peng once read an online essay written by a primary school student in Chengdu. It read: "Lions never compete for food with other carnivores. They don't bully the weak. They don't keep leftovers for themselves, but generously leave the prey for smaller carnivores. Lions possess the dignity and demeanor of a king, a quality bestowed upon them by nature. They inspire both awe and respect."
In fact, many people’s impression of lions is similar to that of this elementary school student’s composition, but in fact, lions are completely different from what is described in this article. They are not as glamorous and noble as they appear on the surface.
It is true that lions are natural born killers, and they are indeed the top predators in Africa. However, their hunting basically relies on teamwork, and their teamwork is extremely poor. They are definitely not experienced hunters. Basically, a successful hunt is more like an accident for them, and eighty percent of hunts end in failure. It is actually very difficult for lions to catch prey!
Lions are actually very clumsy hunters, and many of their hunting attempts fail before they even begin: they often attack from upwind of their target, only to have the prey flee before they even begin hunting! Furthermore, their poor daytime vision makes hunting even more difficult.
By human standards, lions are strong and fast, but in Africa? They can't run fast or far. Most prey is faster than them. If a lion can't catch its prey within a hundred yards at full speed, it can't even catch a small warthog. And many prey here are stronger than them: for example, the other four of the "Big Five"...
Why did Ilka say that just now?
In reality, the male lions in a pride don't participate in hunting. They're too big and short to run fast! They sacrifice speed for strength, and their manes, which function much like a peacock's tail to appear imposing in front of the females, are counterproductive when hunting—prey can see them from a distance.
Therefore, male lions in a pride sleep almost seven days a week. They have only two functions within the pride: fighting other males to protect the pride, and having sex. An interesting fact about lionesses is that female lions can become pregnant at any time, without any ovulation cycle. Scientists have yet to fully understand the underlying mechanism.
The lionesses are responsible for hunting in a lion pride.
In fact, the life of a lioness is basically sleeping: she sleeps for 19 hours a day, and what does she do for the other five hours? She gathers food!
Yes, they do pick up prey. Over 60% of a lion's diet consists of carrion, with less than 40% of prey being captured. And even though the females catch all the prey, they have to wait until the males have eaten their fill before they can eat!
Doesn't Ilka's words mean that she should serve men unconditionally?
Albania really brainwashes women from a young age!
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