In the animal kingdom, it’s often the predator that enjoys a successful hunt. However, every once in a while, nature surprises us with a twist in the tale. Such was the case when a curious lion found itself in a challenging situation while attempting to make a meal out of a pangolin.
Mark Sheridan-Johnson, a British wildlife guide, had the rare opportunity to capture this unique encounter on film at the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania. The lion, intrigued by the strange, armored pangolin, attempted to handle its unusual prey.
Pangolins are known for their remarkable defense mechanism—rolling up into a protective ball when threatened. This particular pangolin employed this tactic to its advantage, staying curled up and immobile despite the lion’s efforts.
The images captured during this encounter depict the bewildered lion as it tried to figure out how to handle the spherical creature. The lion used its paws and even attempted to carry the pangolin in its mouth, but the pangolin’s defense held strong.
Mark Sheridan-Johnson, who was guiding a group of tourists in the reserve, described the encounter as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Pangolins are incredibly elusive animals, and spotting one in the wild is considered a rare and highly prized achievement by wildlife guides in Africa.
Sheridan-Johnson explained, “The pangolin is an extremely difficult animal to spot, and many guides in Africa consider it the holy grail of sightings. You can spend your whole life circling the globe and never see one. So when we came across one being attacked by a lion, we couldn’t believe our eyes.”
Fortunately for the pangolin, when it realized that the lion was not succeeding in making it a meal, the lion eventually gave up and went in search of easier prey. The pangolin remained in its protected state until it was certain that it was safe to unroll and continue its journey.
Pangolins are known for their unique defense mechanisms, which include rolling into a ball to protect themselves from predators. When confronted by large predators like lions, they use their sharp scales and muscular action to deter attacks. These scales can cause injuries to predators that attempt to eat them.
In the end, the lion walked away in search of an easier meal, and the resilient pangolin lived to roll another day. The Selous Game Reserve, where this incredible encounter took place, is the largest protected wildlife reserve in Africa, covering five percent of Tanzania’s total landmass. Located in the remote southeast of the country, it boasts a diverse landscape of rivers, hills, and vast plains and is named in honor of the British explorer Frederick Courtney Selous, who extensively documented his travels in the region and was stationed there during World War I.
