Maternal instinct:

I spoke recently about how the Phinda north pride had reunited and split up again. At the core of this behavour is a lion cub that seems to have ricketts. In the young lioness first littershe has 3 cubs that are now about 6 months old. acting a bit like a leopard she was very secrative with the youngsters for the first 4 months only seen occasionally on her own when out hunting. Over the past months and a half we have started viewing all the animal to discover the sick animal. Typically she should have returned to the pride and the injured would have been life for dead. With here exellent ability to hunt on her own and the high aboundance of nyala and wilderbeest on the fringes of the marsh she has stayed with the sick cub. Not only have her movements been limited but she returns from feeding to regurgitate meat for the cub and allow it to suckle it. Its pain staking listening to it cry as it watches its siblings playing with eachother yet fascinating to watch this mothers complete dedictaion to its survival. Time will tell but if this female contunues this behavoir the cub might be around for longer than expected.

Posted: Phinda by Philip Mortlock, Date: 17 February 2008

 
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