Lion Love

The lionesses are the hunters of the pride.  They work together to bring down antelope or wildebeest or other fast-running animals, seeking the weak, sick or very young to take back to the pride.  They leave their young cubs with one of the “aunts” to babysit and protect while the other lionesses are out hunting.  What you are viewing here is one such “aunt” who is taking care of at least seven cubs, all of different ages.  She has two very young babies with her in this image, which are believed to be her own twin cubs.  Usually, there are one or two males hanging around close by as part of the pride, but they don’t take care of the cubs; they just wait for the females to bring them dinner.

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In the wild, males live 12-16 years and females 15-18 years. In captivity, they often live a few years longer. Occasionally, lions hunt the young of elephants, rhinoceros or hippopotamus. They also scavenge food, chasing away hyenas and other carnivores from their kill.

A female lion normally gives birth every 18-26 months to one to six cubs. However, litter size is usually three or four cubs, and each weighs about three pounds. Lion infant mortality is very high, with fewer than 50 percent of newborn cubs surviving their first year of life. In the hierarchy of a lion pride, the males feed first, followed by the females and finally, the cubs. Since the pride may only kill an animal once every three to five days, it is clear why many cubs starve to death.

Lions are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular. They spend much of their time resting—often up to 20 hours per day. They rest for several reasons, including energy conservation, lack of prey, and to avoid the heat of the day. During periods of rest, lions have many opportunities for social behavior: They gather to sleep in a group, rub their heads together, and play; all of these behaviors reinforce their social bonds.