Hungry lions' Smart new prey escapes after safari park scare

Hair-raising accounts have emerged of the tiny two-seater vehicle, designed for nipping into tight parking spaces on congested city streets, becoming the automotive prey of choice for lions at the Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside.

While larger, more substantial vehicles visiting the park barely raise an eyebrow among the safari's pride of lions, those touring in Smart cars are routinely chased by aggressive lionesses.

Animal experts point out that the vehicle is of a similar size to the lions' principal prey - antelope, gazelle and wildebeest.

Last year, one couple visiting the park in their Smart vehicle attracted unwanted attention; when lions approached their car, the driver sped up, then watched with mounting horror as three or four lions began pelting after him.

"Let's just say they got a little more of the African experience than they bargained for," said David Ross, the manager of the park.

He insisted, however, that the occupants were in no danger and that he had checked the safety of the car before allowing it to pass into the park.

Since then, Mr Ross has himself driven through the park in a Smart car, which is 2ft shorter than a Mini, to assess its suitability.

He believes the lions are simply interested in something new and are attracted by the Smart's compact shape.

It is a decade since the Smart car was developed by the Swiss watchmakers Swatch and Mercedes, who at the time were more concerned with making it appealing to motorists and so did not consider its appeal to big cat predators.

Since then, thousands of Smart cars have been sold, particularly to women, who enjoy its ability to fit into even the smallest of parking spots.

So it is fitting then that the car is also proving a hit among the female cat population at Knowsley Safari Park.

Yesterday, Mr Ross said: "The lions are used to seeing saloons and family cars, but they had never seen a Smart before.

"Because of the car's small size and unusual looks, the lions were immediately interested and went to take a closer look.

"The passengers weren't in any danger, as we always monitor traffic very closely. We won't be excluding Smarts from the park, but we will monitor their progress and ensure that the lions don't take anything more than a passing interest."

The lions' behaviour has interested Dr Hans Kruuk, an honorary chairman in zoology at Aberdeen University.

He said: "The Smart cars come close to the natural size of prey for lions - they chase, leap on and kill animals such as the wildebeest or the antelope.

"They are also likely to want to play with it. The Smart car is obviously much smaller than other cars and so the lions take more of an interest in it."

Dr Kruuk spent the 1960s and 1970s studying spotted hyenas and lions in the Serengeti in Tanzania and explained that it was quite common for men and women passing on bicycles to be attacked by lionesses.

He said: "The female lions do the majority of the hunting and killing. The older male lion will then come along, push them aside and begin to eat."

The lions of Knowsley's new-found appreciation of Smart cars has come as a surprise to its manufacturer. A spokesman for Smart cars said: "Smarts always stand out wherever they go, but this kind of animal attraction is very unusual."