I have had the same experience with a slightly bigger animal. I grew up on a farm, and once bulls get past three years old, they start to behave much less domesticated. This one had escaped into the neighbors farm, as there were cows in heat over there, and I was separating him from the neighbors cows.
I had him far enough away that it was time to decide if he was going to be herded back into a pasture he couldn't escape from, or if he would try to get past me-- pretty much armed with a loud voice and a stick. We had a good thirty second look where we were measuring each other up for dominance.
I won.
In this case-- it's obvious that he knows the signals-- and hopefully he's smarter than the average lion-- so he probably feels much more in control than he looks.
no subject
I have had the same experience with a slightly bigger animal. I grew up on a farm, and once bulls get past three years old, they start to behave much less domesticated. This one had escaped into the neighbors farm, as there were cows in heat over there, and I was separating him from the neighbors cows.
I had him far enough away that it was time to decide if he was going to be herded back into a pasture he couldn't escape from, or if he would try to get past me-- pretty much armed with a loud voice and a stick. We had a good thirty second look where we were measuring each other up for dominance.
I won.
In this case-- it's obvious that he knows the signals-- and hopefully he's smarter than the average lion-- so he probably feels much more in control than he looks.