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This may be a dumb question to some of you but, does a healthy mature lion have fat on it? If they do is it greasy or dry when you skin it? I've never killed anything but bobers down in the south east and none had any fat at all. I'd like to get some lion fat (if they have any) to make lard. I render bear fat into lard and you can tell a difference in it. I only render late season lard from bear after they have ate a ton of acorns. I HATE deer lard. Never tryin that again. Ground hog makes descent lard. Mamaw used to make it. Anyways, that's my question. Thanks. Hunter

Lions are very lean like most cats. They are not greasy to say the least. They are very thin skinned as well so when you are skinning them you need to take care not to cut the skin, especially in the flank and other areas. You will not get any lard off a lion. Animals that are greasy are bears, coons, badgers, ect. I worked at a taxidermy and those were the ones I hated skinning out.

I've seen a ton of belly fat on lions

Just about any mature tom in opur area will be fat a s a tick and have a lot of fat on him. As Larry said a lot of belly fat. It is not greasy at all and won't cook down good for some reason like good bear fat. Lion meat is lean without marbleing and it has a fine texture but handled properly in a lion that is not over the hill it can be substituted for veal or even chicken tenders. I cook lion tenders for the big game dinners and the ladies love them.

You can't beat bear fat if like you said it is the right time of the year and rendered correctly. It will make the lightest fluffiest bisquits ever. It also will make an old dried out pair of gloves soft as butter. GREAT STUFF!

The Native Americans like to have some lion fat to burn as it gives them strength and also releives lombago and rhematism they say.


If you want to know what the fat is like on a lion just shoot you a plump cottaintail and look at him and then multiply it a bunch. Not good for lard in my opinion.

Damn fine eating though!

I know I am setting myself up to get jumped on, but I gotta ask, why do you eat cat? it's a dam cat!!!! I cut a couple nice backstrps off and was gona cook em up but on the way to the house the smell of dead cat went up my nose. I threw it to a dog nearby and he ran in his dog house gagging. sorry for sidetrackin the thread, carry on.

Definitely agree with Houndnem on that, I couldn't choke it down if I had to. My buddies love it, make brats and all sorts of stuff. They fryed up steaks on a trip last year, YUK. I have seen lots of fat on a lion.

Thanks, That's all I was wondering. I didn't know if it was worth fooling with. I like to try different things and was just wondering that. Yes, Mike you are correct about good bear lard making the best biscuits. I would eat a cat if I killed it. It's no worse than eating a squirrel. It's just a tree rat but, I know a ton of people that won't eat a squirrel either.

Good on leather too!!!

haven't tried lion or bobs, but i know from traveling that fluffy is very similar to store bought pork, tender & deliscious.

just remember guys that lions are meat eaters and they are high risk for tape worms and other parasites. If you are chowing down on the meat, you better cook it all the way through. I have made it myself on the BBQ a time or two and like pork you want it done, not rare.