Ah, I see Acci already posted about this.
Megantereon was a big animal. And there were other lion species present too.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man - George Bernard Shaw The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it - George Bernard Shaw
Maybe being “stoned” gave them rock solid strength.
OK that was a bad joke, but I had to try.
“Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.”