What happens when a male lion gets too close to the cubs?

Added: 2026-05-29

[00:00:20][music] [music] >> Hi. Good morning. My name [music] is Newton Mulenga.

[00:00:47]Join me on safari this morning from Chisa Busanga. We'll be looking for cheetah, lion, [music] leopard, wild dogs because they're still active.

[00:01:07]Yeah, I've seen a lion.

[00:01:09]Uh lying down over there. Let's go and check.

[00:01:12]So, what's happening here is is that these three females, they are raising uh nine cubs. They They had 10.

[00:01:23]But this this male killed one.

[00:01:26]So, where he's coming from there, I'm suspecting that he he was chasing the cubs.

[00:01:34]Uh he was chasing the the cubs ran away.

[00:01:36]You know, the cubs are a year and above.

[00:01:39]Um and other cubs uh a year old.

[00:01:44]So, he was chasing them. I think they've run away. I hope he didn't kill another one.

[00:01:50]So, this male, we call him Alex, is found more uh south of the plains.

[00:01:57]And looking at where he is here, he's actually going more north.

[00:02:02]So, the male that is found here is uh Mohawk.

[00:02:07]And I'm sure he was attacking them.

[00:02:17]This is the Yaya's pride. Yes, so Yaya used to uh is was found more with Mohawk.

[00:02:25]But, when they started to what to mate, they started coming for this boy.

[00:02:31]So, they followed him south leaving their male.

[00:02:35]And that brought lots of conflict.

[00:02:38]You know, males fighting and then that's how they also lost their cub because they their cubs were also following them there.

[00:02:45]Yaya is the one with the collar back there.

[00:02:47]>> collar? Yes, she's the one who started this and her sister, the one that we saw walking to her.

[00:02:53]That's her sister, Nala.

[00:03:34]Yes, so the the difference between a male and female is not easily, you know, seen.

[00:03:42]They almost look the same.

[00:03:45]But, they they [music] I think they for me the easiest is the size.

[00:03:49]If you see two crowned cranes.

[00:03:53]Uh the male is slightly bigger than the female.

[00:03:58]And [music] the red things hanging under their necks, that's what amplifies the voice.

[00:04:05]You know, these birds are very loud in the morning or every time they fly.

[00:04:10]And they make their sound.

[00:04:13]Why?

[00:04:15]Why? Why?

[00:04:17]Why?

[00:04:19]This is why in our language we call them owani.

[00:04:22]Because because of the sound they make.

[00:04:40]>> [music] [music] [music] >> I'm surprised he's not moving.

[00:05:04]Or he hasn't been bothered.

[00:05:16]These are the yaya uh the the the cubs of us three females we saw.

[00:05:21]So, these are sons and daughters of Yaya and Nala.

[00:05:26]See that cub walking?

[00:05:29]So, that that that cub is uh turning a year this month.

[00:05:35]So, these are hooded vultures.

[00:05:38]Um they're not just waiting for the lions to kill so that they can eat leftovers.

[00:05:43]This type of [snorts] va- uh vulture feeds on lion dung.

[00:05:48]So, they are waiting for the lions to defecate and when they change uh location, they will all be there, go where the lions were lying down, and look for the lion dung and eat it.

[00:06:03]It's a It's actually unbelievable to think that lions of this age can be hunting [music] for themselves.

[00:06:10]1 year 4 months, 1 year 7 months.

[00:06:15]They're surviving on their own.

[00:06:16]>> [music] >> Their mothers are with their boyfriend there and they're now surviving on their own.

[00:06:22]You know, they have the energy, so they will make [music] so many attempts, but finally they will succeed.

[00:06:30]Thank you for joining us on this safari.

[00:06:33]We will see you next time.