A rare moment of a lion giving birth

Lionesses leave their herds when they are ready to give birth, often choosing groves or dens to do so, out of sight and away from the danger of lurking predators. Maybe that’s why even for guides who spend most of their lives in the company of these majestic creatures, it’s so rare to see such a moment. Next: The birth of a lion was filmed by a group of South African wildlife enthusiasts. 30-year-old Marisho Luganj saw this special moment in the Malamala wildlife in South Africa and was lucky enough to be able to film it. Malamala is the land east of Kruger National Park and is home to many of Africa’s big cats. Wildlife lovers from all over the world come here in search of leopards and lions. Marisho says: My guests and I went out in the morning by car and we were going to look for some lions. As we left camp, one of my colleagues found lion tracks in the central part of the Malamala Reserve. We immediately moved to that direction to help in the search. However, shortly before reaching the area where the tracks were visible, we found a lone lion. Little did we know that this was no ordinary lion sighting. This lion was pregnant! Within 5 minutes of our arrival, he got up and started moving, perhaps looking for a cozier spot. Then we noticed something strange. It was as if his stomach was moving. She had contractions. Then she sat up straight and started licking, which we mistook for grooming. When he came back, we found out what happened. She had just given birth! There he was, the little puppy in his mouth! Lionesses leave their herds when they are ready to give birth, often choosing groves or dens to do so, out of sight and away from the danger of lurking predators. Maybe that’s why even for guides who spend most of their lives in the company of these majestic creatures, it’s so rare to see such a moment. Soon after, the mother’s milk got up and started walking. We decided not to follow him because we thought it might put more pressure on him. Hopefully this will allow her to rest and take care of her little one without undue stress. The pregnancy period of female lions is 110 days and they give birth to small and vulnerable babies. After birth, the cubs will not be able to see for a while and therefore need attention and care from their mother. Only when the cubs can walk and see do they become familiar with the herd. Until then, their mother takes care of them completely.