15 December 2022
Lions are natural predators. In the wild, they must hunt for their food, and this is why they are usually at the top of the food chain.
While it can be difficult to think of these beautiful creatures as hunters, this is part of nature, and ultimately part of the great circle of life.
If you are visiting any African countries where lions reside, it is likely that you will want to do a game tour to see these creatures in their natural habitat.
But you might be anxious about the chance of a lion attacking you during this tour.
Read on to find out why lions do not attack tourists while they are on jeeps.
Why Don’t Lions Attack Tourists On Jeeps?
It is incredibly unlikely for a lion to attack a tourist jeep during a game tour.
While attacks have occurred in the past, they are incredibly rare, and this is why this style of tour is so popular.
The main reason why lions do not attack tourists on jeeps is because of the predator-prey instincts that keep lions alive in the wild.
While a single human being isn’t seen as a predator to a lion, and instead is seen as something they could easily attack, the same cannot be said for a jeep.
Any motor vehicle that has 4-wheels is usually perceived as a threat by lions, simply due to the size of these vehicles.
But a jeep is seen as even more of a threat due to the large size of these vehicles.
Jeeps are much larger than a single lion, and when you combine this with the number of human beings that a jeep can hold at once, it is easy to see why lions see jeeps as a threat.
On top of this, lions do not tend to attack tourists on jeeps, simply because they do not tend to approach these vehicles.
On the odd occasion where lions do approach jeeps, tour guides tend to take precautions for the safety of their passengers.
This will typically include asking passengers to stay still and quiet while the lions are close by.
A combination of these factors is the reason why lions generally do not attack tourists on jeeps.
Summary
In short, lions do not attack tourists on jeeps because they see the jeep as a threat due to the size of the vehicle.
This is why game drives during your safari in Tanzania are generally very safe in areas where lions reside.
Thanks for reading!