Even more so if the male was scent-marking/spraying!
I'm surprised the lions can actually get to the harp wire. I would have thought a hotwire running out-of-sight just below the wall would be the go to keep them just out of reach of the wire.
In a situation like this in the photo, you may get some moronic member of the public that thinks it's a just a big cat wanting a scratch (as it seems to be rubbing itself on the wire) and so they jump the fence/barrier so they can stick their fingers thru the wire to scratch its itch.
I mean, Lions appreciate that kind of gallantry, don't they? If you show them no fear, they will respect you, right?
This was the photo that I mentioned on another thread, and glancing through the Memphis Zoo gallery it is apparent that there are numerous cat exhibits (lion, clouded leopard, caracal, jaguar, etc) that utilize harp wire to separate the felines from the humans. It wouldn't take long for a hungry cat to snap off a finger if a member of the public were to step over a small barrier and walk directly up to the wire.
