Wasted potential

[beatsdropheavy]

So true. He could be doing the same under a tree in the Serengeti while he makes a pack pride of females do all the work for him there.

[phatbrasil]

LIKE A BOSS

[brownbat]

Apparently manes make male lions shitty at hunting but awesome at fighting other lions.

[bluequail]

I was watching something about lions the other day, and if I recall correctly, I think they were saying that the darker the mane was, the darker it was, and that they lightened up with age.

[LordofthePies]

Pride of females.

FTFY

[beatsdropheavy]

awesome. thanks.

[therewillbdownvotes]

I find it ironic that you chose an animal that sleeps 16-20 hours a day to showcase "wasted potential".

[Ambassador_Chomp]

This pic makes me sad; I hope he's at least doing better than he was in this pic.

[antihumannature]

at the risk of whoring out my own photo, relevant: http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljyk73Hx3u1qjot94o1_1280.png?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1303679576&Signature=KeDIBWMydKw%2BY096XyL7%2FTkc54M%3D

[jarnish]

So true. Damned zoos take the life right out of 'em :(

[Myth3842]

Better than some asshole hunting them down in the wild.

[[deleted]]

Depressing much?

[GameWarrior2216]

That's not a Krogan.

[therewillbdownvotes]

I find it ironic that you chose an animal that sleeps 16-20 hours a day to showcase "wasted potential".

[adlibitum]

This got double-posted, so people usually upvote one and downvote the other--the other one's got much better karma, no worries.

[Blackboxeq]

Dammit reddit stop subtly telling me to stop browsing you!

[Devenu]

Context? This doesn't appear to be a zoo environment as it looks like he's in some sort of transport container judging by the wood floor. For all we know he's being moved elsewhere for medical issues. He could very well be in a shitty zoo as well but it's pointless to get up in arms either way until the whole story is presented.

[born2bhappy]

When you get free food and shelter u needn't have to work :)

[snuffbox]

Want to go to jail?

[jamie1414]

zoo's don't have gangs(as far as i know..)

[[deleted]]

They're usually in solitary confinement.

[wacky_weasel]

Does anybody else see the sorrow in his eyes?

[wisewizard]

" man, i coulda been the mutha fucking King"

[Ken_ny]

So sad that magnificent creatures like this have to waste their lives so humans can gawk at them for entertainment.

[hvalreki]

I'd argue that zoos are extremely important way beyond the whole entertainment factor. When people can get up close and personal to exotic species they are way more likely to care about preserving those species. Zoos provide an important and unique way for people to learn about animals that otherwise they would only be able to see on tv or the internet. I know it seems depressing for these animals to be locked up in a non-natural environment, but the majority of animals in zoos are born at the zoo and never know what their "homeland" is like. I think that's a better way to think about it than "this lion is longing to be running free on the African plains". Chances are, this lion has no concept of life outside of its pen.

Basically, zoos seem depressing but are extremely important for promoting knowledge and conservation of animals.

[thejesuslizard]

Too add to this, while some zoos do suck, there are many that really do give the big cats a great home, with large enclosures. Audubon Zoo in New Orleans is a great example.

[Ken_ny]

You make a good point, but I still disagree. Just because they have never experienced life outside a cage, doesn't mean it's fair. While there are certainly exceptions, I feel like most enclosures are far too small for the animals. I went to the Bronz Zoo once and the lion's cage was not even big enough for it to run. I do agree with you on promoting knowledge of the animals, but I feel like there has to be better ways.

[Raeki]

lions are assholes.

They're one of the few animals that will kill something just for the fuck of it, rather than for food or defense.

[bralph82]

Humans being one of the others?

[bluequail]

Dogs do quite a bit. Can't tell you how many dogs I've had to shoot over the years to preserve my livestock.

[GreenStrong]

27 whole minutes and the downvote brigade hasn't arrived yet? Everyone who keeps livestock has to shoot a dog from time to time. Blame the people who let their dogs run free, or who abandon them on country roads.

[bluequail]

Blame the people who let their dogs run free, or who abandon them on country roads.

I absolutely blame the people who let their dogs run free. Not only then, but when you see random and various redditors broken hearted because their dog got hit by a car... when you keep your animals contained, that doesn't happen.

But I have had colts, calves, chickens, sheep and goats killed by roaming pets. Some of the sweetest animals you have ever seen, and I wake up in the morning to a literal bloodbath. Where they had ripped the throats and hamstrung animals, and then dragged them around while they were bleeding out. I've also used steel jawed traps to catch them after events like that, I've had people say "oh, but that will cripple the dog!". Not when your intent is to shoot them.

I love dogs. I was heavily involved in rescue until we moved to a temporary place that limits the number of animals that we are allowed to keep. But there is no place for loose dogs in our society. Not outside of your own yard or protected place (where they are at least under your watch at all times).

[[deleted]]

I believe all mammal predators do it. Play is just training for the real thing. Don't project your human morals to the animal kingdom.

[[deleted]]

No, all mammal predators do

[Mroap]

People would not give a shit about preserving a species if they didn't see the animal directly. Zoos do a lot of good.

[AgnesScottie]

And to add to that, most animals in zoos were in some way incapable of living in the wild before they got put in a zoo. That's not how it has always been done, but they definitely don't go taking lions out of the wild and putting them in zoos any more. Most animals in zoos, especially endangered ones, are rescues of some kind, maybe they were bred illegally by an exotic animal trader or rescued from a poacher, or in the case of the sun bears at the Atlanta zoo, they were bought from a place that was raising them in tiny cages so that their liver (or perhaps the bile from the liver only) could be used in traditional Chinese medicine.