Lion cubs often spend their time in the presence of their moms. Lionesses avoid leaving newborn cubs around males as they might hurt them. So that’s why we rarely see a lion cub enjoying the presence of its father.
However, this brave boy not only showed no fear but also challenged his giant father to a wrestling competition. The moment was captured on camera, and the results will melt your heart!
Wildlife photographer Jason Kandume was on an expedition in Namibia’s Etosha National Park, hoping for once-in-a-lifetime photos when he witnessed a truly unexpected sight. He was near a waterhole taking pictures of rhinos when he heard lions roar, so he decided to wait for them.
“I went to the waterhole to take pictures of some rhinos the night before I heard some lions roaring, so I knew they wouldn’t be too far from the area,” Kandume said. “So I prefer to get up early to take some pictures of their behaviour. Timing is everything with lions as they can sleep up to 20 hours a day.”
Just as Kandume guessed, the lion family went to the waterhole to quench their thirst. So he had a good chance to get some lovely photos of them. But the patient photographer got even more than that when he caught a match between a baby and his big dad on camera.
The mischievous cub was playing next to his mother when suddenly he rushed towards his relaxing dad a few feet away. The funny cub’s intentions didn’t seem peaceful as he jumped over his dad’s back and began to fight him.
“The male lion went to drink first, and when he finished, the cub started running towards his dad,” the photographer said. “It was climbing over him and jumping on his back. One of the females was constantly following the cub.”
Luckily for the little cub, he got out unharmed, although his father wasn’t going to go easy on him. His dad seemed very happy that morning. Watch the stunning footage, here:
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