Newborn Lion Cub Gets the Star Treatment In How He’s Carried

The ability of predators like lions to survive in the wild is a harsh life to live. They constantly risk their lives daily when trying to find prey to hunt down, defend their territory, and discover new water sources. However, it is 10 times harder for lion cubs to survive. They don’t have the skills to find food, water, and protection against predators on their own. So, the lioness has to do the brunt of the work to not only care for herself but also that of her cubs. Let’s see the treatment this newborn lion cub gets.

Watch the Video Below!

Lioness and Cub Spotted in Africa

The short TikTok video shown in the section above brings us to Africa, where this lioness and her cub are found. The Top Wildlife TikTok page shared this video, and it went viral with over 51 million views already! They have pinned it to the top of their channel, along with lions hunting and giraffes defending themselves against a lion pride. 

Little King of the Jungle Gets Carried

As the video begins, we see a lioness carrying her lion cub in her mouth. And while the cub looks lifeless in her mouth, we can assure you he is very much alive. Lions can walk a few miles daily in search of food, shelter, and water. And while lions can run up to bursts of 50 miles per hour, they do not run if there is no need. During their miles-long journeys, they have a walking speed of about 1.86-2.49 miles per hour. 

As we can imagine, a lion cub would make the journey even longer and harder. Their short legs and inability to keep up would slow this lioness down significantly. So, this is why the lioness will carry the cub in her mouth. She holds on to the scruff of his neck, and it instantly causes the cub’s muscles to relax. Craig Packer, who has handled hundreds of lions over the years, shares, “The moms carry their cubs just like cats carry their kittens.” It must be in the Felidae family. 

When Does a Lion Cub Reach Maturity?

The age of maturity in animals and humans is vastly different. And so, we cannot compare the two, even though that might be hard to grasp. Lion cubs start to wean off their mother at about 10 months, can successfully hunt at two years of age, and by ages three to four they are considered to be fully mature. 

When lion cubs are first born they don’t have any teeth, just as we as humans don’t when we’re born. So, they rely on their mother’s milk for the first year of their life. Once they are fully grown, they are taught how to hunt as individuals and also in a group setting. As carnivores, the lioness will teach their cubs how to hunt prey such as warthogs, zebras, gazelles, and various cattle. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Maggy Meyer/Shutterstock.com