Dave Taylor's African Safari: Ngorongoro July 8: A Day in the Life of an African Eden - 15:30-16:00 Sleeping Lions

Ngorongoro July 8: A Day in the Life of an African Eden
15:30-16:00 Sleeping Lions
Page 29

We'd seen a large male lion with a full mane wandering by a herd of zebras not long ago. We now come across a sleeping male. He is with a female and she is napping too. They are not far from the road and they are totally oblivious to us.

These cats have AIDS or, rather, Feline Immune Virus (FIV), the cat equivalent to HIV. This was discovered back in the 1980s in studies done here and elsewhere. It turns out that most cats, domestic and wild, have FIV; however, they don't die from it or appear to suffer many of the side effects. Certainly, having a pet cat is not a health risk as far as it giving you HIV (Human Immune Virus). It won't happen.

Some scientists are trying to unlock the cat's secret in the hope of better understanding HIV. Why don't cats (and lions) die of it? Have they built up an immunity or do they just not live long enough to develop full blown AIDS?

There are some exciting prospects for further research here.

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