We knew one of our lionesses had had 3 cubs quite recently (well, it was a few months ago), and we saw them a couple of times, but it is chronically hard to find them, and see them clearly. Survival chances of lion cubs are low …. there are animals that will actively target lion cubs when they smell them (with the aim of killing them), as they know that they are future enemies. As a result, lioness mothers are very protective and careful … they change hiding spots frequently, and they try to keep them hidden from anyone and anything as much as possible. And that includes game drivers. Yesterday, however, we got lucky! We had a beautiful sighting of the entire pride, and at least 2 of the cubs. Since our last sighting they have visibly grown up and I now think they are quite likely to make it to full adulthood. They look very healthy. This is great news, everyone’s excited. Our guests got more than they hoped for, and they were, understandably so, over the moon. What an amazing moment we could all capture here. 🙂
I am looking forward to seeing more photos of them in coming months. The dad was very engaged and playful with the previous litter, and it will be interesting to see if he has maintained that attitude. It is unusual behavior … male lions are usually not very interested in rearing the offspring …
Enough said, here the photos!
