Lions in Central and East Africa

[peter]

The main reason I distrust the 313 kg. lion and the 389 kg. tiger is in the comparison Guate made. If you see a 400-pound big cat close to a 6-foot human, the size of the cat already is quite staggering. Now imagine one in good shape of 500. And 600.

Guate based his comparison (referring to the 705-pound male Nepal tiger) on what could have been an actual record, but I've some doubts. I agree a very large male tiger might get to 220 cm. in head and body and even a bit over in a straight line. I also agree a very large big cat could possibly get to 600 pounds empty, but anything over, say, 650 pounds is just out of this world.       

I bought Smythies' book and agree with Waves, who said he was so grateful for the job the Nepal ruler offered him that he decided to forget about all basic questions. I think a Nepal tiger could have reached 10.9 'over curves', but 705 pounds would only have been possible when the giant would have been fully loaded. Remember they didn't have collars in those day, so he probably had to be baited. Maybe they offered him a young buffalo and maybe they shot him only after he had finished everything.

Here's two photographs of large lions in good shape. The first one is very long-legged and has a large skull. They didn't give details, but I think he wasn't much over 500 pounds, if he reached that weight at all. I've seem them bigger, but that was a result of an extended stomach in most cases. This lion is as fit as they come:  

*This image is copyright of its original author

Here's another one I like (and Pantherinae). About as large as they come, but in good shape :

*This image is copyright of its original author

In spite of the large size, I like most average-sized lions better. Same for tigers. The reason is they usually are more athletic. This is a photograph taken by the Jouberts. Okavango delta: 

*This image is copyright of its original author

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