Lions of Sabi Sands

[NLAL11]

(12-09-2023, 02:13 PM)Duco Ndona Wrote: Its just coincidence probably. If there was a selective instinct like that she would have killed or abandoned the cub herself.

The only real factor that could explain such a difference is that a male cub is slightly stronger and bigger and thus more difficult to pick up and carry to safety.

Offcource despite all the big talk about them being the kings of the jungle. Lions are just small and fragile creatures compared to some of the bigger animals. Once those elephants decided to kill the cub, there would have been no other option for Ximhungwe than to run away and watch from a big distance. Regardless off gender.

I wasn't really talking about the Ximungwe female and her cub, just that another male cub dying made me think of the Southern pride cub that died, also male.

Like, come on. Males of all species are more evolutionarily dispensible. It's not that outrageous to think that maybe a lioness would have some instinct to protect the female cubs first, and then the males if she can. And how would a selective instinct to protect female cubs first, then males, mean that the lioness would kill or abandon her own cubs if male? That's quite a leap in logic. Reply