I recently had the privilege of spending a cool summer afternoon with the two Kambula lionesses and their 6 cubs. Resting in an open clearing among a few guarri bushes, there was a lovely cool breeze in the air – it really was a magical scene. As I delivered my narrative to my guests about where these lions fitted into the bigger picture I couldn’t help but reflect on how well these two lionesses have done to still have all 6 cubs alive and well. It was a calm scene but one set against a far more brutal reality and it offered the perfect prompt for an update.
The Kambula cubs rest off Plaque road
A Territory in Flux
To truly appreciate this feat of maternal instinct, I need to give some context. The lionesses are raising cubs sired by the Ndzhenga males, who over the past few months have been displaced and pushed north by the more youthful Gijima males. That fact alone places the cubs at serious risk. Male lions are intensely focused on lineage; in fact, I think instinctually obsessed is a better way of describing it. It is quite literally their sole goal in life! Whether alone or in coalition,s their instinct is clear: reproduce and have as many cubs as possible and also kill any cubs that are not their own.
One of the Kambula lionesses receives some attention from her cub
Dangerous Coalition
The arrival of the Gijima males has meant that these two lionesses have had their work cut out for them. These powerful males now occupy much of the surrounding area, and any encounter with them would almost certainly result in the two lionesses losing all 6 of their cubs. Moving away is not a simple solution either. Pushing further north would bring the lionesses into contact with other established prides like that of the Nkuhuma pride, where aggression toward unfamiliar females and cubs would be just as likely. You can see now how this is a bit of a rock and a hard place type of situation for these two resilient lionesses.
Maternal Instincts
As a result of these unfolding dynamics, the two Kambula lionesses have been forced into a careful balancing act. They shift their movements constantly, adjusting their timing as an effort to keep their cubs away from the Gijima males and any other males, for that matter. The six cubs come from two different litters, with the older four already a few months ahead of the younger two. You see, lionesses ordinarily with cubs are afforded protection by the resident males who have sired the cubs and therefore have a very vested interest in their well-being. These two lionesses, unfortunately, don’t have that luxury.
Kambula lioness and the cubs
Unyielding Lionesses
The odds are really stacked against them. Lion cub mortality is high even in stable times, and this is anything but stable. Yet 2025 has already delivered plenty of reminders of how resilient predators can be. These two lionesses are a prime example. They continue to adapt, defend, and make decisions that keep their cubs alive, day by day.
The Road Ahead
For now, all six cubs are still here. They are alert, growing, and very much part of the landscape. That alone is an achievement. The months ahead will be critical, but the story is far from over and if there is anything I have learnt from my time at Londolozi, growing up going to the bush, and just general observations of lionesses is that they defend their cubs with an unyielding ferocity.
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on Holding the Line: The Kambula Lionesses and Their Cubs