{"id":2574,"date":"2025-08-12T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/?p=2574"},"modified":"2025-09-23T15:03:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T19:03:47","slug":"a-lions-breakfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/a-lions-breakfast\/","title":{"rendered":"A Lion&#8217;s Breakfast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>I was very fortunate to recently visit South Africa and Zimbabwe after a veterinary conference. Since 100% of the pet owners we meet are animal lovers, I thought I would share some information and pictures about his incredible trip.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lion-banner.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lion-banner.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lion-banner-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Malema\u2019s skills as a tracker were hard to comprehend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He seemed to read Nature, animal tracks and broken branches like an open book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(please be aware that some pictures and the description are not for the faint of heart&#8230;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the density of the bush, somehow, Malema spotted the carcass of a wildebeest, and next to him, a resting lion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/wildebeest.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It seemed like the lion just had breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And like a house cat, he was now taking a nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The wildebeest &#8211; a large African antelope &#8211; served as a vivid reminder of the circle of life, hidden in a bush near the lion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/wildebeest-and-lion.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2559\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The lion, seemingly oblivious to our presence, let out a low, rumbling purr, a contented sigh after a successful hunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We were mesmerized, a few feet away from this apex predator, witnessing a raw, intimate moment in the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Malema whispered that this was a rare opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lions often rest after a large meal, becoming lethargic and less wary of their surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We sat in awestruck silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only sound was the lion&#8217;s gentle breathing and purring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/lion-nap.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2560\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As we slowly backed away, leaving the lion to his nap, a profound sense of humility washed over us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was a reminder of the delicate balance of nature, the intricate web of life and death that unfolds in the African savanna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had witnessed a fleeting glimpse into the lion&#8217;s world, an experience that would forever be etched in our memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can&#8217;t help your lion, but if you would like to learn how we can help your cat or your dog with anesthesia and surgery, please contact us through&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.DrPhilZeltzman.com<\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Never miss a blog by subscribing here:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.DrPhilZeltzman.com\/blog<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ, Fear Free Certified<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was very fortunate to recently visit South Africa and Zimbabwe after a veterinary conference. Since 100% of the pet owners we meet are animal lovers, I thought I would share some information and pictures about his incredible trip. Malema\u2019s skills as a tracker were hard to comprehend. He seemed to read Nature, animal tracks [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-the-veterinary-life"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Lion&#039;s Breakfast | Dr Phil Zeltzman\u2019s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/a-lions-breakfast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Lion&#039;s Breakfast | Dr Phil Zeltzman\u2019s Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I was very fortunate to recently visit South Africa and Zimbabwe after a veterinary conference. 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