Smart Cars Mistaken For Food

An amusing story from the U.K.: visitors to a safari park driving Smart cars have been stalked by the lions. From The Scotsman:

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.
...

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

"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."

I wonder if they try to mate with Jaguars?

Maybe Americans are onto something, driving larger vehicles.