He saw the future of Harambe and knew to back off.

>>2143654
I'm just talking out of my ass here, but the drunk guy probably displayed total confidence (because he was tanked) and the lions could sense it. There's a whole hunting tactic that african bushmen use that revolves around this same thing- they wait for lions to make a kill, and then they just boldly stride in towards the pride and for whatever reason, it freaks them the fuck out and the lions retreat long enough for the bushmen to take their cuts of the meat and leave.

Basically he drunkenly freaked out a few lions and then swam off before they worked it out in their heads that they could in fact chew on him like an oversized pizza roll

>>2143725
I'd believe it. When tiny little insects fly straight at me I flinch.

Or if my cat pounces I'll always run away like a bitch.

Lions are easily intimidated by confidence. Same reason why Hyenas make them their bitches.

>>2143725
Plus it looks like some bystanders threw some shit at the lions.