Nkuhuma Pride

[Cath2020]

I'm not sure about that.  It would be unprecedented, but then again, stranger things have happened.  Look at how close the Xim. Pride is with their step-mother/step-daughter relationship.  Now, even the older Xim. Lioness is actually nursing her partner's cubs, sacrificing her ability to go into heat anytime soon, raising her own bloodline.  Therefore, as a lioness well over 10, I don't see her successfully raising another litter of her own to 2-3 years of age.  It's now a more distant possibility.  Maybe that's why unrelated lionesses don't often team up. 

Since they nurse from each other in a pride, the best outcome would be to raise litters together to be more successful; therefore being related would make more sense, evolutionarily speaking.  Maybe the Xim. Lioness senses her time is now limited, what with how many litters she has already lost, and she is fine with helping raise her adopted family.  This also boosts her chances to live longer into old age, surrounding by them protecting/feeding her.  She's also genuinely fond of the Othawa Breakaway, as we can see. Reply