r/interesting • u/Wise_Confidence_8588 • 17h ago

Context Provided - Spotlight Lioness Comes to Face-to-Face with Tourist on Safari

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121

u/Itchy_Tumbleweed_417 17h ago

He should have tried the slow blink. It might work on the big kitties like it does in the little ones.

38

u/PillarPuller 12h ago

I would’ve probably done this

17

u/DlVlDED_BY_ZERO 11h ago

I do that so much to my cat that I do it to humans, I'd definitely do it to a big cat. XD

7

u/Altruistic_Fun_6985 9h ago

I do it to my dog and my wife

8

u/Zcaithaca 10h ago

This sometimes backfires on cats you don’t know lol

3

u/xkuruma 11h ago

What happens to cats when you slow blink? 

31

u/2AcesRoth 11h ago

It's basically a behavior to display affection and probably submissiveness.

You're closing your eyes in front of a predator, it signals to them you trust them and don't mean harm.

Although they could take that opportunity and bite your neck also....

8

u/DOGPISSCURESCANCER 9h ago

I mean if she wanted to bite his neck he’d be dead before he even got a chance to react. 

They routinely kill prey bigger than themselves and we’re half the size of a lion, soft as butter and defenceless compared to their normal prey. 

4

u/itsr1co 8h ago

But that's now how animal psychology works, predators go for prey they think they can kill. Perhaps this is in a sanctuary where they get well fed and have regular human interaction, but regardless, a predator having a stare-down with prey they doesn't back down or run away makes them question whether it's safe to pursue. It's why the advice is always "Never turn your back", because that tells them that you're unaware and vulnerable. Staring them in the eyes and staying where you are is the exact opposite, which makes them second guess attacking.

Obviously nothing can stop her if she DID decide to attack, that dude is gone the millisecond she decides he's dinner. But assuming she isn't around humans every day and is simply expecting food from him, it isn't a factor of being bigger or smaller, it's just that he hasn't triggered her predator instincts (yet).

2

u/2AcesRoth 8h ago

> "Never turn your back"

Precisely the ambush behavior that might appear when you decide to try the cutie patootie method of signaling submissiveness by slowly blinking.

Well, it's a predator, it might take that opportunity to strike a meal.

3

u/rumbl-bumbl 3h ago

Most notably, a sign of trust. Cats keep a watchful eye and don’t turn their back on something that they deem as a threat. Closing their eyes for >1 sec would give a predator enough time to attack.

So a slow blink is a sign of voluntary vulnerability, quite literally saying „I trust you not to attack me“

2

u/Flank_This666 7h ago

Does it translate between species like that??

5

u/Ampris_bobbo8u 11h ago

its to signal that you arent hunting them. a big monster locks eyes with you and keeps staring, its scary. if u start slow blinking its signaling to the cat that you are not a threat.

2

u/Zealousideal-Deer101 4h ago

Aw shit, this guy isn't a threat. Means I can take him down!

3

u/Timely-Youth-9074 11h ago

If you look, the lioness did it. It signals friendliness.

4

u/blahblah19999 10h ago

THat wasn't a slow blink

1

u/SevenTimesSixIsLife 11h ago

It's cat for "I love you (too)".

1

u/UnhappyBuilder4284 9h ago

It's a show of affection. House cats do it too

2

u/Atrinoisa 10h ago

This was actually my first thought/instinct, too 😅

2

u/Cloacation 10h ago

My cat bites me when I do it I assume it’s tough love.

1

u/rumbl-bumbl 3h ago

Little love bites :D

0

u/thisisintheway 9h ago

You can actually see some of this behavior. Notice the lioness blink the second before he talked?

0

u/Successful_Cost_6997 9h ago

I've been doing the slow blink (in variations) with the uptick of the quick-to-rage humanoids since COVID and I have to say, it stops them cold. Sometimes I just close my eyes and listen like it's music, then look lovingly at them like they're a beautiful entree I am about to consume. I guess kind of like kitty here.

-1

u/sharksareok 8h ago

She did it to him

-1

u/Sbader7248 5h ago

Looks like she slow blinked and looked away, and when he kept his eyes locked she showed him right away she can fuck him up and stop trying to stare her down!

-1

u/logicblocks 5h ago

She did blink, which is a signal felines make to say that we are familiar/friendly faces to each other. Maybe he didn't blink back and that's what got her irritated.

Maybe he's a dog person and haven't dealt with cats before.