Skip to Content

Lion’s Heart Rate Measured Using Apple Watch By Brave Vet

lion
Image by @jungle_doctor via Instagram

In an inspiring blend of technology and wildlife conservation, a vet used an Apple Watch to monitor a lion’s heart rate. I was absolutely shocked! This unexpected use of the popular gadget has entertained everyone from lion fans to the scientific community. Dr. Chloe Buiting, known as @jungle_doctor on Instagram, shared this innovative approach.

A New Use for the Apple Watch

lion
Lion (Panthera leo) female, Phinda Private game Reserve, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dr. Chloe Buiting, a wildlife veterinarian, posted a video on Instagram showing a sedated lion with an Apple Watch on its tongue. This unconventional method allowed her to monitor the lion’s heart rate effectively. She learned this technique from Dr. Fabiola Quesada, another conservation vet. The video quickly went viral.

Practical Conservation

Lion. Image via Depositphotos.

Monitoring a lion’s heart rate during sedation is crucial but challenging – especially in the wild. Traditional heart monitors are often designed for smaller animals and aren’t practical in remote locations. 

But there was a dependable and portable substitute in the form of the Apple Watch. Utilizing the watch, Dr. Buiting was able to guarantee the lion’s vital signs remained steady throughout the process, exemplifying a useful implementation of commonplace technology in an outdoor environment.

Beyond Lions: Elephants Too

The lioness is preparing to jump, a strong figure. The lioness is a strong and beautiful animal, demonstrates emotions. Lion India Image via Depositphotos.

Dr. Buiting didn’t stop at lions. She also applied this heart-monitoring hack to elephants, taping the Apple Watch to their ears. This adaptability shows the potential for broader applications in monitoring various large animals. It highlights the importance of innovative thinking in overcoming the limitations of conventional veterinary tools in wildlife conservation.

Social Media Reactions

Lion via Depositphotos.

The video not only showcased a groundbreaking veterinary technique but also entertained and inspired many. Social media users praised Dr. Buiting’s ingenuity. Comments ranged from admiration to amusement. The post sparked a conversation about the unexpected ways technology can serve conservation efforts, proving that necessity truly is the mother of invention.

Wrapping Up with the Lion’s Heart Rate Measured Using an Apple Watch

Lion India Image via Depositphotos.

The amazing example of technology collaborating with conservation is Dr. Chloe Buiting’s use of an Apple Watch to monitor a lion’s heart rate. This creative method emphasizes how commonplace devices could be useful for the conservation of wildlife. Technology will probably find more uses in industries like veterinary medicine as it develops, providing fresh approaches to time-honored problems.

What do lions eat?

Lion eating
Lions prefer eating large animals. Image via Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lions primarily eat large mammals like zebras, antelopes, and wildebeests. They are carnivores and rely on their hunting skills to catch their prey. Sometimes they scavenge if necessary.

How do lions hunt?

Male lion swimming
Male lion swimming. Image by GUDKOVANDREY via Depositphotos

Lions usually hunt in groups called prides. They use teamwork to stalk and ambush their prey. Their hunting strategy often involves surrounding the target and attacking it with surprise.

Where do lions live?

Lion via Depositphotos.

Lions are found in parts of Africa and a small population in India. They prefer savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands where they can find enough prey to sustain their pride.

How long do lions live?

Lion. Image via Depositphotos.

In the wild, lions live for about 10-14 years. In captivity, they can live up to 20 years or more due to better care and regular food supply.

What is a lion pride?

Male lion
Lion male in Masai Mara National Park. Image via Byrdyak, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A lion pride is a social group consisting of multiple related females, their cubs, and a few adult males. The pride works together to hunt, raise cubs, and defend their territory.

Why do lions roar?

lions roar
Lion roaring under the blue sky. Image by fleckus via Depositphotos

Lions roar to communicate with their pride and to mark their territory. A lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles away and serves as a warning to other lions.

How fast can lions run?

male lion
Lion laying on a rock.
Image via Depositphotos

Lions can run at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, but only for short distances. They rely on short bursts of speed to catch their prey rather than long chases.

Do male lions hunt?

Lion India Image via Depositphotos.

Male lions do hunt, but they do so less frequently than females. They typically defend the pride’s territory and protect the cubs while females do most of the hunting.

What is a lion’s mane for?

Lion. Image via Depositphotos.

A lion’s mane serves multiple purposes. It protects the neck during fights, signals maturity and health to females, and intimidates rival males. The size and color can indicate strength.

How many cubs do lions have?

Lion India. Image via Depositphotos.

Lions typically have two to four cubs in a litter. The mother hides her cubs in dense cover for the first few weeks to protect them from predators until they are strong enough to join the pride.

How do lions communicate?

Elephants crossing
Lion stretching. Image provided by Elephants Crossing Lodge. https://elephants.crossinglodges.com/

Lions communicate through a variety of sounds including roars, growls, and grunts. They also use body language like rubbing heads and grooming each other to strengthen social bonds within the pride.

Are lions endangered?

Asiatic Lion, Panthera leo persica, walking in the forest at Gir National Park Gujarat, India. Lion India Image via Depositphotos.

Lions are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Their population is declining due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching. Conservation efforts are underway to protect them.

What is the difference between African and Asiatic lions?

Lions love thick grasslands
Lions love thick grassland, and brush habitat, where there is enough cover for hunting. Image via Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

African lions are found in sub-Saharan Africa, while Asiatic lions are found in the Gir Forest of India. Asiatic lions are slightly smaller, have a less pronounced mane, and are more endangered.

How do lions care for their young?

lion
Lonely lion resting upon the rock. Masai Mara national park, Kenya, Africa. Image by znm666
via depositphotos.com

Lionesses take care of their young by nursing them and keeping them hidden from predators. The pride helps protect the cubs, and lionesses will sometimes nurse each other’s cubs as well.

What is the role of a lion in the ecosystem?

A magnificent powerful lion in the middle of the desert. Lion India Image via Depositphotos.

Lions play a crucial role as apex predators. They help control the population of large herbivores, which maintains the balance in the ecosystem and ensures that vegetation is not overgrazed.

Let me know what you think of the three-legged lion in the comments below.

Next up ~

Latest posts by Jen Fitschen, BSc Computer Science and Oceanography (see all)
Unusual Fall Season For Almost All US States Predicted Spotting A Blue Jay May Be The Universe’s Way Of Telling You What You Need New York Rescue Duck Found Himself An Emotional Support Duck Spotting A Cougar May Be The Universe’s Way Of Telling You What You Need Do Bald Eagles Mate For Life?