Lion Cubs

The lion cubs in the photo are only a couple of months old and had not yet joined the rest of the pride. We first spotted these cubs in the late afternoon when returning from a full day in the mara. Four of them, so tiny as they walked with their mother and another female, probably their aunt. It looked as though their mother was leading them to a new place. Lion cubs are generally born in a thicket or a rocky outcrop where they remain hidden for the first six to eight weeks, the only reason a mother would chance moving them is if she felt that they were in danger. We had noticed a large buffalo herd not too far away, so maybe the buffalo had got too close for comfort. Buffalo and lions are mortal enemies; the buffalo know instinctively that when a lion cub grows up it will hunt their calves, so when they do come across a lion cub they will kill it instantly.

We couldn't follow them to see where their mother was taking them as dusk was approaching and we had to leave the reserve. So we noted the general direction they were headed so that we could try to find them tomorrow.

The following day we spent hours combing the area where we last saw them, trying to guess at where they might be hiding. Our guide was convinced that they hadn't gone too far, she wouldn't have risked wandering around in the dark with them. We devoted a couple of hours each morning to try and find those lion cubs, with no success. We checked with the other guides, no-one had seen them, most didn't even know there were any young lion cubs in the area. I voiced my opinion that I didn't think we would be lucky enough to see them again, the guide just said 'hapana Marie, you will see them again before you go home, never give up.'

It was five days later, the sun just breaking the horizon, changing the colour of the sky from a deep red to a cool blue, bathing the land in a soft light, in the distance there they were. I couldn't believe my eyes, all four of them, still alive. Their mother had done a great job of hiding them, keeping them safe. The guide was right on both counts, they hadn't moved too far and I did see them again. It was a wonderful sight, still with their mother and aunt the group was more relaxed than the last time we saw them. While the two adult females looked on the cubs ran and tumbled around in the short grass, jumping up at the adults and on top of each other. We stayed for a while watching them play, catching three of them together as they rested on a mound of earth in between bouts.

Eventually they went on their way and reluctantly we on ours. The image of that beautiful and peaceful scene will remain with me forever, as will the guides advice, 'never give up.'