Parents can be no fun at times! However, this little lion cub was determined to have fun, even after Mom had fallen asleep.
It’s brothers and sisters were fast asleep but this didn’t stop it from getting up to some mischief.
The mother lion rested alongside the pride in the shade of a fallen tree. She was fast asleep.
However, the cub was wide awake and saw this as the opportunity for an adventure. The tree provided the perfect ‘jungle gym’ for climbing, and Mom seemed to the cub to be the perfect soft place to land when jumping to the ground from the fallen tree trunk.
The cub had in mind to launch a surprise ambush on its mother.
Cub sneaks up on Mom
The small animal seemed to sneak along the trunk, keeping an eye on the sleeping pride as it did so. It moved on ‘tippy paws’, as though mock-stalking.
When it got close enough to its sleeping mother, it bent down, preparing to pounce. Mom wouldn’t suspect a thing!
Cub launches surprise ambush on sleeping lioness
Then, just like that, it leapt. The lioness’s eyes jolted open and she showed visible surprise. The cub’s brothers and sisters, which had been sleeping next to her, were also woken up, and they looked on with wide eyes.
The cub prodded Mom with a paw and she showed remarkable patience, not even flinching. Instead of getting angry and showing some teeth, she entertained the cub’s playful gestures.
Cub appears to ‘hug’ its mother
In a poignant moment, the cub appeared to give its mother a hug. The magnificent lioness was affectionate towards the little one, and allowed the warm gesture of love.
She wasn’t ready to wake up, however, and her eyes closed again. She possibly hoped to catch some shut-eye and much-needed rest. With cubs in her care, life for this mother lioness was bound to be quite busy and she needed her downtime.
This entertaining moment of pride interaction demonstrated the beautiful bonds which exist between pride members, in this instance, between a mother lioness and her cubs.
It also demonstrated the playfulness of cubs.
The importance of play
Lion cubs are among the most playful animals on the savanna, and their energy often bursts forth while the adults are resting.
While lions doze off, playful cubs often tumble over one another in mock battles. They leap, pounce, bite gently, and swat with oversized paws, their small roars no more than squeaks. As entertaining as this playfulness is, it also serves an educational purpose. It is vital practice for the skills the cubs will need as adult pride members.
Wrestling teaches balance and strength, chasing sharpens speed and coordination, and play-fighting develops the instincts for teamwork. All of these skills will one day be needed for hunting and survival.
As in this special sighting, cubs’ games sometimes disturb a slumbering adults. However, the resting adults rarely intervene. These playful moments reveal the lighter, tender side of lions. They also remind us that even the kings of the wild begin life as mischievous, playful youngsters.
