Mangheni Pride

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(08-13-2022, 01:20 PM)Tonpa Wrote: Is this phenomenon a theory or something observed? lions have definitely been studied long enough for such a thing to have been observed and recorded by researchers at this point.

What exactly?

All females in a pride nurse all the cubs, regardless if its their or not, they dont favore their offspring by any means, they will protect all offspring the same way, so in a way, females eventually prob dont know which cubs are even theirs, this is well known and observed. 

Based of this, again, my question is, how does "nature" know that when, lets say 1 - 1.5 cub/sub dies, that specifically mother of a cub/sub should go back to estrus? It cant know.. 

Females are going back to estrus after period of nursing + period of "caring" (hunting for them), which usually to about 2 yrs of age (sometimes more, sometimes less). So if theres still cubs/subs in that period, even if some lioness loses, specifically her offspring, her brain is already "programmed" to raise all those cubs as if they are their own (im talking about the phase when cubs are already established in the pride, "denning" phase is different, if she lose then cubs, ofc she will be back in estrus immiditately). 

Estrus cycless are more complex then we think, its not just "this lioness lost her cub/sub, she is back in estrus", it has to do something with the "brain" of that specific female and how she "perceives" situation, if she is "programmed" to take care of, and raise the cubs, even if its not theirs, she will do that and wont get back to estrus.

Thats my thinking, because there is no other explanation, why some females dont get back to estrus, when they should. Reply