Watch This Agile Lion Effortlessly Hurdle His Moat at the Zoo

Lions are powerful creatures in the wild and even when living in captivity, they display their incredible abilities. Although they don’t need to actively hunt in a zoo environment, they are provided with plenty of space to stretch, sleep, and as you’ll see in the video at the bottom of this page, jump higher than you’d think!

Check Out The Entire Video Below!

Why Are Lions Held Captive in Zoos?

In the wild, a lion’s lifespan is drastically decreased. On average, they only make it between 12 and 15 years but in captivity, lions can easily make it to 20 years of age. This is one of the benefits of them living in these enclosed environments, where they don’t have to endure the daily dangers and die off too early. The other benefit of keeping lions in captivity is our ability to study them closely.

Humans use cameras to keep watch 24 hours a day, allowing for proper observation without having to venture into the wild and into dangerous situations. One of these observations humans have made is that despite captivity, lions continue to mate and produce cubs. Zoo settings also provide a real look into the life of these animals, helping to dispel myths about them being cute and cuddly.

Visitors get to appreciate the magnificence and volatility of the wild in a safe setting.

How High Can Lions Jump?

Lions are big cats and like the house cats you may be accustomed to, are incredibly agile. Not only can they jump across incredible distances (approximately 36 feet), but they can also jump quite high, easily making it over 12 feet. Their legs pack tons of power and considering their survival depends on their athletic abilities, they remain strong and muscular throughout their lives. Though they may hunt smaller prey, to tackle large prey, they need to be able to jump repeatedly, even making it onto the backs of animals as big as moose and elk.

Big Cat Jumps With Ease

If you have a cat, you know exactly when they’re measuring distance and height and getting ready to take a leap. Maybe they’re leaping onto a cat tree but if they’re headed toward your kitchen counter, you’re already yelling “no!” before they even rear back to take the leap. When the video below starts, a lion is doing exactly the same thing, looking up at a tall moat and deciding how much effort it’ll take to make it over.

He looks over from the left side of it to the right side, his mouth open as he breathes heavily. He swings his tail, takes a step back, and takes another look. He takes several more steps back looking at the moat’s height before stepping forward, pausing, and going for it. He makes it right up to the base of the moat and jumps vertically, reaching the top with his two front paws and using his back paws to climb the last bit of the moat. He walks over to the grass with ease, as if accomplished, knowing he’s still got it.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Hlnlvns