I Have Many Big Cats

This one is for the kids.  Please share with them.  (Words & Photos by Robert B.) 


The Big Cats Song

©Robert C Burnham 

 

I have many Big Cats

They like to growl & roar

When they're all in the house together

They simply drive me outdoors

First there's Leo the Lion

He is the Majestic King

He went to the jewelry store

And now he's wearing bling

Have you seen Tony the Tiger

He eats all my cereal away

I think I'll get him a deer to chase

So that my cereal will stay

And say hello to Larry the Leopard

Whose spots can be round or square

He could even be a black panther

And not have spots anywhere

But my favorite is Crazy Cougar

He rocks America just like me

High up in the desert mountains

Singing all his songs for free

Yes I have many big cats

And they're all oh so cool

But all the teachers would run

If you ever brought them to your school

AFRICAN LION 

The African Lion is called the King of Beasts.  They live in Africa and are at the top of the food chain.  They mainly prey on wildebeests, zebras, giraffes and gazelles.  When big game is scarce they will eat rats, termites and even fruit.  They have been known to attack man and have even been known to occasionally kill adult elephants.  Lions live in a family unit called a "Pride".  Although the male lion is portrayed as the "King", it is the female lion, the lioness, that do most of the hunting and train the young lions how to fight.  Just like their distant cousin the tiger, Lions have to stalk close to their prey before beginning the chase.  They can run extremely fast but only for short distances.  Unlike most of the big cats, the lions claws are retractable which means they can pull their claws back into their feet, just like your house cat can.  Lions are not as endangered as the tiger but their numbers are decreasing due to loss of prey and habitat.














   BENGAL TIGERS
 

The Bengal Tiger can live up to twenty years in forests, woodlands, jungles and even swamps.  They can grow to be ten feet in length and weigh up to 600 pounds!  They hunt their food by slowly stalking and then springing into a surprise attack.  They must get very close to their prey before jumping into action because, even though they are very fast, they can only maintain their top speed for a short period of time.  TheyÂ?re prey is whatever crosses their path.  They enjoy hunting monkeys, water buffalos, and all kinds of deer. No two tigers look alike because all have different stripe patterns.  These beautiful animals have been hunted almost to extinction.  Only 100 years ago there were over 50,000 wild Bengal Tigers.  Now there are about 4000 wild Bengal Tigers all living in protected areas of India.  They remain on the Endangered Species list.







 

 LEOPARDS 

Leopards are the most elusive of all the big cats.  They are the strongest climbers and spend much of their time hidden up in the tree-tops of the jungle.  Leopards are found in both jungle and rocky areas and in cold and warm climates.  Their range includes Africa and parts of Asia.  The snow leopard living in the high mountains of Asia are the most endangered of all of the big cats, there are very few left in the world today.  Leopards come in a wide variety of colors from light brown to completely black.  Snow leopards are white.  A leopard may or may not have spots.  The brown leopards of East Africa have circular spots but leopards from South Africa have square spots.  The leopard is a very patient, shrewd and cunning hunter.  Their prey include warthogs, antelopes, monkeys and baboon.  To prevent lions from stealing their dinner, leopards use their mighty muscles to drag their prey up into the trees.  A black leopard will sometimes be called a "Panther"

COUGAR (or Mountain Lion) 

The mountain lion or cougar is the only big cat from the western hemisphere.  That means they can only be found in North America, Central America including Mexico and South America.  They are the least endangered of all big cats and numerous wild sightings are reported every year.  Mountain Lions sit on top of the food chain and are capable of preying on anything within their territories.  They have few natural enemies including wolves and large bears.  Mountain Lions are usually tawny to light cinnamon in color with black-tipped ears and tails.  Males can grow up to eight feet in length and the females who are a little smaller may reach a length of six to seven feet.  Newborn mountain lions are about a foot in length, weigh about a pound and are covered with spots and rings around their tails.  The spots and rings will disappear as they grow older.  Before they became protected by law, many cougars were hunted by ranchers and farmers in an effort to keep these big cats from killing their livestock.  Because they are protected their numbers have once again been on the rise.