The Lioness

Image Credit; Johan Siggesson @ Unsplash

This image shows a lioness with two cubs standing in long grasses. The lioness is looking to her left with narrowed eyes.

THE LIONESS

I was surprised to learn that there are only about 24,000 lions left in the wild, down from 90,000 lions in 1970. African lions cling to survival in several protected areas in Africa, but Asiatic lions exist now only in Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat, India. Lions used to inhabit Europe, especially Bulgaria and Greece.

Lions group together in a “pride.” Each pride consists of up to 40 lions, males and females, and the pride inhabits a specific territory. There can be as many as 3-4 dominant males and the bulk of the pride is related lionesses. These lionesses are mothers, daughters and sister of each other. The lionesses engage in pack hunting and child rearing. They are skilled hunters, with highly coordinated maneuvers that can take down zebras, wildebeests and buffalo.

The pride isn’t without conflicts. Older males are evicted from the pride by younger, stronger males that become dominant males. This can be devastating for a lion, since he could be left on his own and vulnerable. Females also resist the addition of new lionesses to the pride, and can display aggression to the new females, possibly because of a fear of more lions limiting resources for their offspring, or because they view the new additions themselves as a threat to their children.

The lioness is an excellent mother, protecting her cubs and training them in every aspect of their lives including essential survival skills. When the cubs are a few years old, the males will be kicked out of the pride to go form their own pride or take over an existing pride. When a young male takes over an existing pride, it is not unusual for him to kill all the cubs in that pride so that all offspring will thereafter be his own. This is another reason why the lioness is so protective of her cubs.

The lioness is a beautiful and intelligent creature, fierce and competent, loving and caring. But I would not want to run into one, especially if she was with her cubs!

#Whatdoyousee

What do you see # 301- 11 August, 2025