There is something particularly special about watching a litter of lion cubs grow up in the wild. Each time we see them, even if it has been weeks since the last time we saw them, there seems to be a noticeable change. The Kambula cubs are no exception.
Our last update on the two Kambula lionesses and their eight cubs came in May, when the little ones were only around a month or two old. At that stage, they were still spending much of their time tucked away in the safety of their den sites, venturing out only occasionally under the watchful eyes of their mothers.
Under the protection of two great mothers, the Kambula cubs are thriving. Two of the youngsters take a moment between meals on the warthog kill to pose through the thicket at the camera.
Now, a few months later, things are beginning to change. We have had a handful of wonderful sightings of the family recently in the south-eastern regions of Londolozi, relatively close to our boundary. Although we don’t see them on every drive, the sightings we have had have given us a glimpse into just how quickly these young lions are developing.
A feast follows. As the cubs approached the warthog kill, they knew there was food around the corner; the excitement was clearly shown when they pounced on the warthog at the first opportunity they got.
The two lionesses have been doing exactly what lionesses do best, keeping their growing family fed. On one occasion, the mothers managed to bring down a warthog and, shortly afterwards, the cubs were brought in to feed. More recently, they were successful in taking down a wildebeest, providing another valuable meal for the ever-growing litter.
These Kambula mothers have their hands full with the 8 little mouths to feed and keep an eye on.
The most encouraging part of our recent sightings of the cubs has been that all eight cubs are looking healthy and are thriving. All eight are still alive and doing well, which is always good news considering the many challenges we all know lionesses face when rearing cubs.
A glimpse at how healthy and well the cubs are doing. A full-bellied mom rests as two cubs look back at the camera as if to say, “don’t forget about me”
As the cubs grow, their world will slowly begin to expand. Their legs are getting longer, their curiosity is growing, and before long they will be spending more and more time following their mothers away from the den sites. And for us, this is perhaps the most exciting part. We may only see the Kambula family every now and again at the moment, but with each passing week the cubs become a little more independent and capable of travelling greater distances. We are hopeful that this will mean more regular visits to Londolozi and, with a little luck, more opportunities to spend time watching this remarkable family as they continue to grow.
For now, we will simply enjoy every sighting we are fortunate enough to have, eight healthy cubs, two devoted mothers, and the promise of many more chapters still to come.
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on The Kambula Cubs- They Grow Up So Fast