One of my greatest experiences from the Mara this year was when I watched a lioness from the Rongai pride dutifully care for her two young cubs, only to be challenged by one of the male lions from the same pride.
As he came within a few yards of her tiny cubs she went into battle mode. She roared like nothing I have ever heard. She did not back down from him, in fact she charged him with all her might and swatted his face causing a gash that immediately started to bleed. She also went back at him again and again giving him everything she had. Finally, she gave him a personal escort far away from her cubs.
If that wasn’t enough to wear her out, she went on to take down a wildebeest by herself after chasing an entire herd.
I had to clone a safari vehicle that drove in front of me…ugh.
As she started to feed, the male that she fought off earlier came back to share in her good fortune. “Ferocia” (the name I gave this fearless, lioness) would not have any of this. She roared at him with a look in her eyes that said she meant business. With her face covered with blood she continued to roar with a stern, low rumble. I could see that she was just waiting to attack him again. Finally the male backed down from her prey and waited patiently for the leftovers.
This is full frame. I was focused on “Ferocia” and did not frame it as I would have liked, it happened so quickly. I should have included more of the wildebeest. The sad thing was that the wildebeest was still alive at this point.
Once she ate as much as she could possibly eat, she did not try to drag the kill to where her makeshift den was. She knew that he would follow her and that her cubs would be vulnerable. Even though they are in the same pride the lion did not father the cubs and the lioness has to be very protective of them.
I named her “Ferocia” because she truly was ferocious. A lioness protecting her cubs is not to be messed with. Even though they are quite fierce, they tenderly care for their cubs with the greatest of patience. Needless to say she won my heart and I will be looking for her when I return to Kenya in November. Two spots have opened up on the November trip if anyone is interested.