BBC‘s new series Dynasties – hosted by David Attenborough, Lord of Nature Documentaries – last night focused on lions, arguably the most noble (The Lion King) of mammals while also being the most likely to rip you limb from limb for dinner.
[jwplayer WCgqZlic]
The series – which looks into the lives of “the world’s most celebrated, yet endangered animals“, including penguins, chimps, painted wolves and tigers – is meant to show the animals at their most desperate, struggling “against rivals and […] the forces of nature“. They’re “fight[ing] for survival and for the future of their dynasties“.
I hope you too read that in an Attenborough voice. Don’t disappoint me.
While people are fascinated by these fierce giant cats – who actually kill less people that great lummox, the hippo – you know who’s even more fascinated by these glorious maned beasts?
Household cats apparently. While lions/tigers/jaguars/leopards, split off from the rest of the cats at least six million years ago, there’s apparently plenty of similarities between the behaviours of cats and lions, so says National Geographic anyway.
They point to the way cats rub against things, sleep heaps, scratch things, smell with their mouth open, and love catnip. Yeah apparently even the Jungle Royal Family loves catnip.
Anyway, here’s just a bunch of cats staring in eerie fascination at their distant relatives on Dynasties, imagining how their lives would be if they lived on the African savannah.
#Dynasties Darwin learning how to lion from lions. pic.twitter.com/JON7Pg0rDf
— Phøbos (@Maxwell_Potter) November 25, 2018
My cat, Indy, is engrossed in this episode of #Dynasties @BBCOne @BBCEarth pic.twitter.com/K8mxSEGiWQ
— Daniela Coelho (@dsmcoelho) November 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/lockwoodnick1/status/1066798768434089987
https://twitter.com/Hevalaaar/status/1066794132130152455
https://twitter.com/kithock/status/1066791859169738758
Jojo the cat has been looking forward to tonight’s #Dynasties pic.twitter.com/I5Qwc9Kc1I
— Sue Cook (@SueC00K) November 25, 2018
Cat never normally watches telly. But he seems to be taken by this episode of #Dynasties.#mogglebox pic.twitter.com/Lfs05k4E49
— Dan Fear (@roktraktor) November 25, 2018
I think Jasper cat wants to join the pride 🦁🐱 #Dynasties #bigcatlittlecat pic.twitter.com/2X8Ishx3Sn
— Emily (@emdaly29) November 25, 2018
What a programme this is.
Even my cat is addicted to watching bigger cats#Dynasties pic.twitter.com/TsFMEo21oj— Mr Keer (@sidecarteam33) November 25, 2018
My tiny cat thinks it’s a lion #Dynasties #DavidAttenborough pic.twitter.com/B6XRHGVuDq
— Matt Barker (@MattBarker91) November 25, 2018
Think she recognises her distant relatives?#Dynasties pic.twitter.com/wEUdWYyhvn
— Mike BartleTT (@13Mikeyb) November 25, 2018
#Dynasties #DavidAttenborough One cat’s affinity with another! pic.twitter.com/rnq56PLnA4
— GreenBuying.co.uk (@green_buying) November 25, 2018
Even Nev is crying at #Dynasties pic.twitter.com/c4IopvsIy0
— Jessica (@JessicaBee95) November 25, 2018
Watching @BBCEarth #Dynasties She’s following every big cat move. Complete concentration. pic.twitter.com/zelE8fP3Ma
— Lis Lewis-Jones (@LLuncoolJ) November 25, 2018
The cats have taken custody of the remote control. Apparently their cousins are on telly tonight. #Dynasties pic.twitter.com/hFeOYG0wmC
— Roger Farrant (@roger_farrant) November 25, 2018
“Oh yeah, call yourself a lion, huh? King of tha jungle? You wanna come over here and see what a real cat is made of, you pussy!”
[30 seconds later, Pippin gave his brother a kiss on the nose then ran away from a shadow] #CatAdventures #Dynasties #WannabeLion pic.twitter.com/iiyCxecFFJ— Lee Cambule (@LCambule) November 25, 2018
Lion watching lions #Dynasties pic.twitter.com/bISCYZnReX
— Jack Abbott (@jackabbott90) November 25, 2018
@BBCOne our cat enjoying #Dynasties pic.twitter.com/pnmoatwfqV
— Helen Denmead (@DenmeadHelen) November 25, 2018
In the interest of balance, here’s some dogs, watching their noted rivals, cats.
When there are cats on TV he’s got to be front row centre #Dynasties pic.twitter.com/19Fnu2TSwy
— Liam Yule (@liamyule83) November 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/Nyvaari/status/1066792685405696001
My dog watching #Dynasties from the comfort of the sofa after his chicken dinner, thanking his lucky stars he isn’t a monkey, penguin or lion…#wildlife#dogslife pic.twitter.com/ctk0eIXZRA
— Kat Eliza 🦉 (@KatEli999) November 25, 2018
@BBCEarth #Dynasties – even Oscar loves it pic.twitter.com/Ce7qDHpl8e
— Diane Porter (@DianePorter5) November 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/MattU_Plym/status/1066787259654045697
Fascinated with #Dynasties pic.twitter.com/IFuOMg2zaF
— ian pontin (@pontin) November 25, 2018
