Do big cats pace in the wild?

Question

You see lions and tigers pacing back and forth in their enclosures in zoos all the time but Ive heard that cheetahs pace their territory in the wild. Is this tru of all big cats or just cheetahs?

Answer 1

In the wild they can walk as far as they like and their territories are far, far larger than an enclosure in a zoo. They will certainly walk around the boundaries of that territory and leave markings to tell other big cats to clear off! The lions at Longleat Safari Park don't pace because they have enough space. It's true big cats may pace back and forth at times but they only do this when they are agitated. What you are seeing is the behaviour of an animal that is under stress because it's environment is inadequate.

Answer 2

They pace around there territory in the wild. But in the enclosures they get agitated and they pace around the enclosure. The guy above me explained it perfectly.