Research overview: anthrax exposure in lions and other large felids

Anthrax, caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, periodically kills wildlife in African ecosystems, and lions and other scavenging felids become exposed by feeding on infected herbivore carcasses. This overview surveys documented anthrax in large felids, the comparative resistance of carnivores relative to highly susceptible herbivores, and the circumstances under which cats develop clinical disease. It examines the role of scavenging in exposure, outbreak dynamics tied to environmental spore persistence, and the place of felids within ecosystem-wide anthrax epizootics. The synthesis connects a classic environmental pathogen to predator and scavenger ecology. It aims to help readers understand how lions intersect with anthrax through their diet, and why carnivores, though more resistant than their prey, are not immune to one of the oldest known animal diseases.