>>You and ten of your paleo buddies encounter a lion. You immediately form a
>>circle with your backs inward and 15 foot long spears facing outward
>>(symbolic porcupine).
>>
>
Last year when I was in Botswana we encountered a lion during a
naturewalk. We were in his territory and there were fresh droppings all
over the place.  Suddenly lion decided we had no bussiness there. He was
walking behind us at about 150 m. and we had to continue walking slowly
as running will trigger an attack. I nearly shat myself to be honest and
cold sweat broke out.
Lion would not give up until we reached the end of it's grounds.
Anyone to go hunting for an animal like that is very brave AND in a
group. The local guides told us afterwards they were very afraid as well
at the time.
Still in that same area (Okavanga Delta) people lived happily in small
families and did work on small fields alone. Yet they would not go into
areas where predators live on their own. It is not so that people just
wonder into an lionterritory and go foraging there. They know where to
dig for food and where not because they usually know where the animals live.
Still we spend a night on an island where both elephants and hippos came
so close that our guides were definitely not at ease. The poked up the
fires and decided to put extra watchmen out.
Attacks by lions happen mostly when the animals are provoked. Hippos on
the other hand need no excuse.  They kill more people every year then
all other animals together.
Unpredictable moody murdermachines.

So looking for foods in a wild environment is pretty risky but as we are
smart (lol) as a species we steer away from predators when we can.

Christy

ps, 3 of my students  come from Africa. They ate monkey, snakes, larvae,
you name it. The particularly liked crocodilemeat.