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Six hunting techniąues

Speed: Unlike most cats, cheetahs are active during the day. They rely on raw speed to catch prey.

Stealth: Most big cats are stalk-and-pounce hunters. Tigers creep up on prey, such as sambar deer.

Swimming: Jaguars are strong swimmers. They scoop fish from the water in their heavy paws.

Climbing: Leopards are especially at home in the trees. They hoard prey in a “pantry” in the branches.

Leaping: Snów leopards ambush prey in their mountain habitat. They can leap as far as 45 ft (14 m.)

Working together: Lions hunt in groups to take down buffalo, hippos, and other targe prey.

Tigers have a special liking for porcupines, despite the danger from the poisonous guills. To get morę fiber, they will eat fruit.

Day 1:

Lion cubs are born blind and helpless 3 weeks:

First, wobbly steps

7- 8 months:

Cubs are weaned off their mother’s milk 11 months:

Cubs take part in kills

2    years:

80 per cent of cubs don’t reach this age, due to lack of food or being eaten by predators

3    years:

Małe cubs leave the pride -they will live alone until they’re strong enough to take over a pride of their own

8- 10 years:

The average age that a lion dies

What’s on the menu?

Big cats will eat most animals when they’re hungry, including monkeys, birds, and mice.

Lions living near the Namib coast have been observed eating seals, cormorants, and even a beached whale.

Clouded leopard

Smallest of the seven big cats, the clouded leopard lives in Asia. It is an great tree climber, preying on gibbons and macagues.

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When a young małe takes over a pride, it kills and may even eat any cubs. It does this so that it can matę with the females and produce offspring of its own.

Leopards will eat wild dogs and baboons.

Jaguars will attack young black caimans (crocodilians) in the water.

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