Lions are one of Africa’s most iconic species. As a guest of Wildfoot Travel, I watched a magnificent pride of 11; two males, six females and three adorable cubs at Kanga Camp, Mana Pools, Zimbabwe.
The Kanga pride.
Known as the Kanga pride, this family group had a wide territory surrounding a well known watering hole known as the Kanga Pan.
Watering hole
Located right outside my lodgings at Kanga Camp, the pan is one of the only sources of water for miles around. During the dry season it teems with wildlife.
Lion cubs
First to capture my attention were three six-month-old lion cubs, two males and one female. Lion cubs suckle until around this age, so this was one of the last opportunities to watch this.
Family groups
Females in a pride are typically related; mothers, daughters, grandmothers and sisters. The tighter the unit is the more successful the pride will be in hunting, protecting their territory and raising their young.
Lion pride dynamics
Lionesses leave a pride to give birth secretly and will raise their cubs alone until they are roughly three months old. This ensures that all her kills and milk are given to her own cubs and protects them from rival males – who can kill cubs that don’t belong to them.
Lion greetings
But by this age raising the cubs is a team effort and the cubs happily play with older pride members, jumping and tackling them. Although not all the adults have the same patience their mother does.
Play
This play is key to developing hunting skills and ensuring their survival as adults. Male’s hold territory Lions are highly territorial and will hold the same area for generations and males do regular boundary walks.
Tree climb
In the heat of the day the cubs climb into the branches of a tree to rest, hidden by its leaves whilst their mum stands guard.
African heat
Lions can spend up to 21 hour
Elephants vs lions
Back at the waterhole, a bull elephant catches the lions’ scent and heads close. Lions here are wary of elephants and conflicts can be violent.
Lions vs antelope
The lions give a signature tail flick, demonstrating they are in the mood to hunt. But the antelope pick up the movement and flee.
Male arrives with cubs
The male appears with the cubs, followed by their mother and the family line up for a drink.
