| Kindergarten of African lions
When the lioness-sisters become mother, they often unite the kids in the "kindergartens". They care about the kindergarten as a whole, not sharing lions on their own and others. While hunting, the pride leaves one of the lionesses as the "teacher" of the kindergarten. And what should I do if the lionesses are only two and both go on a hunt? After all, the chance of successful hunting with large prey is usually higher the more lions participate in it. Often I had to see lions and lionesses of singles who were in a deplorable state, doomed to starvation.
In the event that the lionesses are only two, then for the elders there remain the most adult lions! Being 2-3 years old, the older sisters and brothers play with the kids, they occupy them for the time of the absence of adults. Of course this is a great risk on the part of the lionesses to leave lions alone. Savannah is full of enemies capable of causing the death of the lions: hyenas, leopards, single lion males, who are searching for females to create their own prides. But hunger is not an aunt, and the lionesses sometimes leave their children and go hunting at night or in the early morning hours. Somewhere I read that lions have excellent night vision with sensitivity exceeding the human eye by 6 times.
Here is one such kindergarten with two teenage nannies in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
In the kindergarten there are several very tiny toddlers 3-4 months old. Passing through the morning grass in the savannah, they have a very small growth but they collect dew on their own.
Both nannies showed caress and care for the lions, apparently copying their mothers. Some time will pass and they too will become mums, but by that time they will already have some experience of educational work with kids.
The smallest cubs mewed, but could not find their mother and therefore pressed themselves to their elder sisters.
Kids 5-6 months old are very active and long can not sit still! It is worth one of them to push another or bite slightly - as soon as the game begins, growing into an easy brawl.
The rest of the kindergarten began to watch with interest the game of the first active couple, and only one kid did not notice the "action" and continued to look at me.
Meanwhile, another couple started the game and it caught the attention of one of the two nannies.
Nanny tried to match the occupied "position" and looked around for the lions. Suddenly, she was subjected to an unexpected act of aggression by one of the people brought up! Well, babes!
As an educational measure, as well as to maintain the status, the nurse rushed for the baby, but without much anger, and so ... for order!
And why stand there, why did you do that ?! "I will not do it again!" :-)
Suddenly, all the lions turned their heads to the side and started sniffing ... after a while I saw the mammoth lionesses returning from hunting.
Lions from afar noticed their children, periodically stopped and looked around. Perhaps this meant that they still read smells in the hope of a successful hunt and that until luck succeeded in smiling them.
The first lionesses were greeted by nannies, greeted, and probably complained to them about tomboy!
Well, the baby, of course, too, was happy about the return of the mummies!
The lionesses had a hard night, the hunt was really not successful...
Nannies, having handed over the change, settled down next to the lionesses. They worked well, the pride survived the night without losses and now nothing threatens them.
After resting, the mothers began to collect the kindergarten staff to go to a safer place, in the thorn bush. There they will spend the day, they can sleep well in the shade and feed the whole crowd of kids with milk.
The happy kid waved small fluffy tails, and the lionesses led them confidently forward. Soon they disappeared in a dense and prickly bush.
How many survived in the wild savanna of Africa? Scientists say that on average, up to the adult age about 50% of newborn lions survive. Survival lions in pride depends on many factors.
