THE AMAZING WORLD OF ANIMALS: LION Part 4 – Life of a lion cub!!

The cubs might be the small guys in the pride but they are the most important lions in the pride! This is because the cubs determine the future of the pride. The cubs are the pride's investment in the future survival of the pride. Without cubs the pride is doomed to fail. When the lioness wants to have her cubs she searches for and moves into a den away from the rest of the family. A lioness can have up to six cubs in a litter though two or three cubs is most common. Cubs are born blind but begin to see within 2 weeks. At this time the den is the only world they know.

As they grow older the cubs begin to explore the den and even stumble out sometimes. Any adventurous cub is promptly carried back. The lioness grabs the cub by the scruff of the neck and dumps it back in the den. Lionesses occasionally leave the cubs alone to go and hunt. Such moments are risky for the cubs' survival as other predators could kill them to reduce future competition for prey animals.

When the lioness is out hunting, the cubs spend the time gamboling. These rambunctious activities help serve as training for the development of certain skills that they will need as adults. Unfortunately, their boisterousness can also lead to their death as it can attract other predators to the their presence. Predators like hyenas and leopards will not hesitate to kill lion cubs whose mothers are not around. It is believed that they do this to reduce future competition for prey animals. Usually to keep the cubs safe especially when the den is discovered by other predators, the lioness moves her cubs from den to den.

Lion cubs playing ©Stuart Price, Make It Kenya

At about two or three months, the cubs are introduced to the rest of the family. This is important for the cubs to know and recognize the scent of family members. They also get to make friends with other cubs their size or slightly older. Back with the pride, the cubs can suckle from all the lactating females in the pride. The lactating females show no favoritism for their own offspring and it is believed that the reason for this behavior is that each lioness is enhancing her own genes' success by helping to raise her sisters' offspring.

The cubs start to eat meat at about three months and are weaned at about six months. However, they do not take part in hunts. They are called in to feed after the hunt but they must wait their turn at the bottom of the pecking order. The corporation among the lions during a hunt which led to a successful hunt breaks down totally at feeding times. The males eat first, then the females and finally the cubs.

The cubs remain with the pride until they are two or three years old, by which stage they have joined the pride's hunting trips. Lionesses stay within the pride all their lives but male lions either leave of their own accord or are driven off by the pride males at two to three years of age. African male lions generally play no paternal role when it comes to raising of the the cubs.

Adolescent male lions that have been driven from the pride form nomadic coalitions living on the fringes of lion society until they stand a better chance of being able to take over a pride.

Lion cubs life cycle

Birth weight----------1, 5 kilograms
Eyes open---------- at 3 to 11 days
Weaning---------- Starts at 10 weeks; completed at 10 months
Hunting skills achieved---------- At 2 years old
Fully grown---------- 3-4 years

Content Sources

National Geographic
African Wildlife Detective
Africa Geographic