The Evolutionary Path of the Lion

Chapter 8 Unknown Fears

There's a reason why lions are afraid of water.

Water is the natural nemesis of land predators.

Even a 200-kilogram adult male lion will have its mobility greatly reduced once it enters the water; its speed, explosiveness, and evasiveness will all be diminished.

On the contrary, crocodiles in the water thrive, their attack power increasing exponentially.

Crocodiles on the grasslands love to do one thing: when herbivores are migrating across the river in groups, they lie in wait, quietly submerged at the bottom of the water, and launch a lightning-fast attack the moment their prey enters their attack range.

It bites down, then rolls in death.

The prey had almost no chance to resist.

Chen Fei stared at the calm water, silently making plans in his mind.

The current is not rapid, indicating that this section of the river is relatively gentle and its depth should be limited.

The water was murky, visibility was low, and the underwater conditions were unclear.

The soil on the riverbank was damp and soft, with several signs of being disturbed, as if left by large animals when they came ashore.

"hippo?"

Chen Fei felt a chill run down his spine and quickly scanned the surface of the river.

Hippos are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, bar none.

More dangerous than lions, more formidable than crocodiles, it consistently ranks first among all wild animals in causing human casualties in Africa every year.

They can weigh up to three or four tons, have thick skin and tough flesh, sharp fangs, a bad temper, and a very strong sense of territory.

The most deadly thing is that although hippos are herbivores, their speed and explosive power in the water are enough to make any fool of them regret their actions.

Just as Chen Fei was staring at the water and weighing his options, a tiny ripple suddenly appeared on the surface of the river.

His body tensed immediately, his gaze fixed on the water.

The ripples slowly spread and then subsided.

Then, a round, grayish-brown head silently emerged from the water.

hippo.

It is one.

Immediately afterwards, a smaller head popped up beside the hippopotamus.

A mother and son.

The two hippos floated quietly on the water, their small eyes darting around as they sized up the unfamiliar visitors on the shore.

Big Head shuddered in fright, took two steps back, almost stepped on his own tail, and then buried his head under Sel's belly with incredible speed.

Sel instinctively took a half step back, letting out a low warning.

Only Chen Fei remained motionless.

He stared at the mother and baby hippopotamus for a long time, and slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

The mother and calf hippos did not attack; they simply stopped and observed them, indicating that the distance was still within a safe range.

Hippos are aggressive, but this aggression is mainly confined to their territory, especially in the water.

As long as you don't provoke them and maintain a safe distance, hippos generally won't come ashore to chase you.

Moreover, there was a calf with her, and the mother hippo's primary task was to protect her child, not to provoke them.

Chen Fei's gaze quickly traced a route in his mind.

Bypassing the area where the mother and baby hippo are located, enter the water about 20 meters upstream, cutting in at an angle to reduce the swimming distance by taking advantage of the direction of the water flow.

He had learned to swim before, although his stroke was a doggy paddle, which wasn't very graceful, but at least it was usable.

Moreover, the current in this section of the river is gentle and the depth is limited, so theoretically a sub-adult male lion that has already mastered swimming skills could swim across it.

Of course, theory is theory, and practice is practice.

Chen Fei took a deep breath.

He searched around the area and finally stopped in front of a gentle slope.

A sense of choice and weighing the pros and cons arose in my mind.

What should I do?

Going into the water rashly might startle predatory animals.

If they don't go into the water, things will only get worse when the invading male lions follow the scent or when the hyena pack comes out to roam.

Going into the water doesn't necessarily mean you'll die.

If they don't go into the water, they might not survive until sunset today.

Although Chen Fei had already made up his mind, when the moment came, he still couldn't suppress his fear of the unknown.

He observed the area for a while, hoping to find some clues from the calm water.

The mighty river flows from west to east as always.

It was still morning, and it wasn't time for herbivores to come to the river to drink.

When crossing the river, it's best to do it as early as possible.

"Meow..."

Chen Fei stamped his foot and finally returned to Sair's side.

He stuck out his tongue and licked his mother's body, his eyes filled with determination.

Sel glanced at his eldest son, as if he could read the other's mind.

She quickly dispelled the lingering fear in her heart, and finally kicked Big Head, who was lying on the ground, to get him up.

Big Head slowly stood up, glanced back at the mother and baby hippopotamus still floating on the water, and his hind legs trembled like leaves.

Sel slapped him on the head.

Big Head immediately became obedient.

And so, step by step, they arrived at the shallow slope by the river.

If they were to cross the river, it would be she, as the mother, who would lead the way.

The mother and baby hippopotamus remained floating quietly downstream, their little eyes still observing them.

...

The moment Sel's front paws stepped into the river, her whole body stiffened.

The water was very cold.

It wasn't the kind of chill that sobers you up, but rather a chill that spreads upwards from the tips of your claws, carrying a hint of unfamiliar hostility.

She stood still for two seconds, her tail unconsciously wagging, then took a deep breath and continued to walk forward.

Chen Fei stood on the bank, his gaze shifting from Sair to the river.

The morning light had just crept onto the water's surface, dyeing it a pale golden-bronze hue. It looked calm, it looked harmless.

But Chen Fei knew that this calm was often the most dangerous.

He sniffed, carefully discerning the scents in the air.

The fishy smell of the river is on the surface, beneath which lies a heavy, earthy scent. If you sniff deeper, there is a very faint, ancient aroma, a mixture of rotting flesh and musk.

Chen Fei's heart tightened.

The smell of crocodiles.

The lack of density indicates that the distance is not close, but it is definitely within this body of water.

He strolled slowly along the riverbank, his gaze sweeping around the entire river.

Upstream, the current is slightly faster and the riverbed is shallow. The current is turbulent between several reefs protruding from the water, making it unsuitable for crocodiles to ambush, but also unsuitable for crossing the river.

Downstream, the water was unusually calm, and the mother and baby hippos were still floating there, their round heads staring at them without moving.

With hippos around, crocodiles won't get close to that area of ​​water.

Hippos and crocodiles have the strangest relationship on the savanna—they are neither natural enemies nor friends.

However, crocodiles have one ironclad rule: never provoke an adult hippopotamus, especially a mother hippopotamus with her calves.

That's something that can truly bite you in two.

Therefore, crocodiles will keep their distance from hippos.

Chen Fei quickly drew a line in his mind.