Herbivores have powerfully muscled hind legs
that give them superlative acceleration,
Invaluable if you are caught unawares.
Once again, numbers bring safety.
The North American pronghorn is the second fastest sprinter on the planet,
but over long distances it's the world champion.
But all large herbivores have to be able to run fast.
They run on tip-toe, so that they cover more ground with each stride.
Muscles are bunched at the top of the legs,
so that the limbs are streamlined.
Some grazers flaunt their athleticism, as if to say:
"I'm fit, so save your energy and pick on someone weaker."
Cheetahs may be the fastest sprinters,
but gazelles are better at dodging and jinking.
Slimline legs, however, trip only too easily.
And having eyes on the side of your head,
so that you can't see directly forward, can be catastrophic.
Even so, herbivores manage to outmanoeuvre their enemies
more often than you might suppose.
Kicking hooves and thrusting horns are formidable weapons.
This mother is going to defend her fawn, come what may.
A buffalo has incautiously strayed away from its herd.
It surely can have no defence against a group of lions.
But the rest of the herd have noticed.
Faced with the threat of hundreds of tons of massed anger, the lioness turns tail.
The male lion, however, seems unwilling to give up.
The buffalo, with their heavy armament, have won this particular battle.
But the war on the plains is a never-ending one.