Friday Morning 19th September
It was our usual stupid o'clock start to the day. Our plan was to head to where we saw the Rock Pride the previous evening.
6:30 am
We soon saw this young lioness walking along our route. She was crying, letting out a frequent mewling sound. She was searching for her pride.
We followed her. She didn't care about us, she wanted her family.
Soon she arrived at a Kopje where an adult male awaited her. They hugged.
A happy reunion, but this was not the pride that we were looking for.
7:20 am
We found them.
They were not next to the rocks as they had been last night, but further into the Savannah.
The cubs were all here. All twenty.
All seemed calm.
Nothing amiss.
The cubs mixed with the adults, four females.
Three were mothers of the cubs, a fourth was their sister and was also producing milk.
They played.
They fed.
They mingled.
There was the usual sibling rivalry.
A jackal looked on, awaiting opportunity.
Opportunity which was soon to come.
8:00 am
We had looked on for half an hour or so when suddenly the atmosphere changed.
Some of the cubs started walking away from the group, away from their rocky home territory. Away from safety, into the savannah.
The other cubs followed. All twenty were now walking away.
This behaviour is totally bizarre. It is always the females that lead, never the cubs. (The lions tend to come last once they realise their providers are disappearing.)
The females joined in with this march into the distance.
4 minutes later
It was at this moment that the cub-less sister started to race forwards, and grabbed one of the cubs by its neck.
After initial shock, we realised that this was no game. It was intent on killing the cub!
It took a while for her sisters to realise what was happening.
The evil sister dropped the cub. It lay screaming and convulsing on the ground.
With its last breathes it tried to ward off the attack.
10 seconds later
The nearest sister leapt forward to attack her.
They fought.
This was a short but deadly fight.
The cub can be seen between them, screaming.
But it was too late.
The fighting subsided as the mother looked at the cub in disbelief.
The cub stopped convulsing. It had finally died.
This cub had been killed by a lioness, something unheard of in the lion world. Male lions; yes. These reprobates will do anything. But a female killing cubs has only ever been recorded rarely when she is left with just one cub and wants to try again with a new litter.
This was something completely new. Utterly shocking.
And as it died, as we looked on in disbelief, chaos was unleashed.
Next - Chapter 12: Murder More Foul.
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