ROMEO'S NIGHTS
By CLELAND SCOTT
IN many ways there is a similarity between lions and man ; in adolescence there is a good deal of the hoyden about the male, and as he grows up he generally calms down. I have noticed during the last month or two, that Romeo, now a little over two, has more often a benevolent expression and mien about him. This gradual change took place when he first found himself able to grunt like a real grown- up lion. One morning he was giving tongue right royally, when he was answered by a wild one who gradually came nearer until he was less than a mile away.
In the settled areas of Kenya today lions very seldom advertise their presence, especially during the hours of day- light ; for they know perfectly well that such gratuitous news of their whereabouts is liable to result in an organised battue ; in a stock district they are not regarded with favour. A few mornings later I was returning about 8 a.m. from shooting a buck for Romeo and Juliet when I met one of the farm boys, who asked casually, " Did you see that lion just now? " I had not done so, but moved over to where he pointed, and there were fresh tracks within ninety yards of the house. The same night I was late putting Romeo and Juliet to bed, and noticed they were staring in- tently in one direction. After they had gone in I went to the house and got a torch ; in the drive woofed a full-grown lion.
A month later my sleep was disturbed by much grunting; half awake, I realised that the noise was not caused solely by Romeo and Juliet, but I merely slumbered once more. At 3 a.m. I leapt out of bed on account of the most colossal roaring, not grunting, that I have ever heard. I grabbed a torch and was joined by my friend, who was also agitated for the safety of Romeo and Juliet. In my hurry I got hold of a poor torch, and by its feeble light saw a full-grown lion standing on his hind legs trying hard to break down the netting of the run. Inside, Romeo also stood up and appeared to be engaged in combat with the visitor. Know- ing the weight of these two beasts, I was afraid that either a post or the netting would give, so I fired a shot into the air from my .404. The noise and the flash caused the intruder to disappear temporarily. I returned to the house and got a better torch, but by the time I got back both Romeo and the visitor were slogging at each other and uttering the most fearsome and blood-curdling snarls. Juliet was leaping about in the background and adding to the din. This time I walked up to within forty yards and put a bullet fairly close to the attacker. Evidently he then decided that Romeo and Juliet kept most peculiar company, and went off beyond a hen-run a hundred yards distant and there made some of the oddest sounds I have ever heard uttered by fells leo.
In ten minutes he began to saunter off, grunting magni- ficently and being answered by Romeo in his finest voice ; had I not known where each was it would have been im- possible to tell wild from tame, the volume of sound being equal. We then went in to comfort Romeo and Juliet, who seemed very relieved to see us and rubbed themselves against our legs like giant cats. Fine specimen though Romeo is, he would stand no chance against a grown-up lion in hard training ; we found he had a deep scratch on his nose. At the time I put the raid down to sheer curiosity, but next day a different explanation was patently obvious. Juliet was in a state when any male lion would be attracted to her. In the past, with other lions, I have found that this state occurs with uncanny suddenness, and then the male is prone to attack unprovoked, for he mistakenly imagines that one is trying to separate him from his mate. Had I known this the previous night I would certainly not have entered their run, though possibly the darkness prevented a " demonstration " by Romeo. Earlier on during that memorable night Romeo and Juliet had eaten off the door of their house and got into their day run, so next evening I made a new and stronger door. I finished it and without thinking walked up to shoo them into the house, for I was afraid that another raid by the rejected suitor might cause a break in the netting. Romeo raised a lip and looked unfriendly, so I clapped my hands to induce him to hurry. Without further ado he took the initiative and half reared up, slashing my elbow and tearing the skin. His whole attitude and demeanour showed very plainly that I would have a rough-house if I persisted.
My friend and I have always known that, although one may keep lions with impunity, we must grasp that we have certain limitations and at times must be prepared to give Romeo best. This was one of them. I could, of course, have succeeded, perhaps at the price of some scratches and certainly of some harm to Romeo. This would not have been fair on him, for he had told me plainly that he wished to be left alone just then. For two more nights they slept out, unmolested by strange visitors ; thereafter Romeo was as friendly as ever.
While I was away early in the war my friend used to let Romeo and Juliet out, one at a time ; it is impossible to loose both at once because our neighbours do not place the same trust in these animals as we do ; Romeo or Juliet are inclined to chase stock from sheer fun. On one occasion Romeo tried to catch a secretary-bird. His surprise when his very clumsy attempt at a stalk made him obvious to the bird, and it took to the air, was very comic. Another time he managed to get his front paws on to a hen ostrich ; the bird just shook itself and Romeo fell off.
When I got home again we took Romeo out for a walk one Sunday evening. He enjoyed himself immensely, but we noticed that he had a playful expression in his eye and was positively skittish. We remarked how nice it was taking a lion for a walk and how sweet he was. He came back with us like a well-trained dog, but baulked at rejoining his sister. As it was Sunday the farm labour was away, and we left him outside to his own devices ; a week previously, Juliet, who has always proved far more unreliable where the poultry is concerned, stayed out till to p.m. without doing any damage. An hour later a native who had been visiting came along and called through the sitting-room window, " The lion is in the run where the young pullets live." " Lived " would have been more accurate, for Romeo had broken down a door and killed thirty-two birds. One he was pretending to eat, and again " demonstrated " when I chased him away.
As usual it was impossible to punish him, for by the time we got him out of the hen-run and into his own considerable time had elapsed. Yet he knew perfectly well that he had done wrong. For three days we refused to take any notice of him and petted Juliet only ; his unhappiness and distress was genuine and hard to resist. It was to a certain extent our own fault, for we had noticed that he was distinctly above himself that evening, and we were foolish not to have left a guard around or to have waited until we did get him back to Juliet. He is always more friendly and more irresistible outside his run, caressing us and " talking " to us in his funny way. One must never forget that the lion is a true cat ; he only tolerates and gives affection when he feels like it, not when you want him to.
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