Category: TV Drama

Date: 01.12.2004
Printable version

Growing up

A lioness keeps her newborn cubs hidden for the first six weeks of their lives.

In a pride, mothers will synchronise the births of their cubs so they can form a crèche and share the workload.

Nursing mothers also share breastfeeding duties and, if a mother dies, her sisters will often raise her orphans.

Cubs are suckled as much as 15 times a day.

As the cub's sharp teeth come through, a twig makes an improvised teething ring, and the cub is literally a thorn in its mother's side.

Cubs sleep for about 20 hours a day. For the other four hours, like typical kids, they drive their mothers mad.

Cubs face many dangers as they grow up and more than half of all cubs die in their first year.

A male from another pride will readily kill cubs.

A cobra is one of the deadliest threats a cub could ever face. Its venom jets from hypodermic fangs and one drop would blind them for life.

Elephants actively seek out the only predator that kills their calves. Revenge is sweet and cubs are easy targets.

Buffalo are formidable prey - they kill more lionesses than any other animal does.

Cubs spend their first two years learning how to hunt and kill prey.

By one year old, they will have learnt many of the rules that govern the pride and soon stalking and tackling prey will be added to their skills.

At this age, they will have a go at anything. Something that moves has just got to be food and at this age real hunting is still spectator sport.

The pride is at the very heart of lion life and it's seen at its most co-operative when lions hunt together.

Every move as a hunter stems from behaviour learnt or perfected as a cub.

Although they need more hunting practice, at one year old they are strong enough to defend themselves and adults can leave them unattended for up to a day at a time.

By two years old, the cubs have learnt most of the rules that govern the pride.

It will be two more years before they have cubs of their own.

Adult at last

By the time they are three years old, the young males will have been driven out of the pride by the older lions.

Their greatest challenge is to find a pride of their own.

Male lions can weigh up to 200 kilos.

The lionesses kill the prey but the male eats the lion's share.

Everyone has to wait until he is satiated.

Pride females are almost always related and their ancestors have lived on the same land for generations.

Males are always outsiders who take over the pride and have evicted the previous males.

Unlike the females they are not necessarily related and they form a brotherhood before they take over the pride.

The male marks his territory with a musky blend of urine and scent - a pungent calling card to both rivals and other pride members.

His huge mane may be a handicap that prevents him from helping the hunt, but in courtship size matters.

Females prefer big manes and they often make the first move.

Lions mate once every 25 minutes so the male soon needs encouragement, especially as he has to keep up his performance for three days, during which time they may mate 150 times.

The male needs to combine stamina with caution as the female may seem a willing partner in this sexual marathon, but she's also fickle and very aggressive.

During the hottest part of the day, they compete for shade under trees or boulders.

The pads on the lions' paws make very comfortable velvet cushions for them to rest their heads on.

Lions have few enemies but a swarm of African bees can see off Africa's greatest carnivore.

Eating grass helps lions regurgitate fur-balls that form when grooming - as it does for domestic cats.

Lions find it hard to outrun their prey, so every inch nearer before they strike tilts the odds in their favour.

Even the padded soles are a liability and they turn their feet over - fur is quieter.

In the charge lionesses reach 35 miles an hour but after just 100 metres their energy flags - which is when teamwork shows its value as they surround the prey and close in for the kill.

Nomadic males look to join a pride, which they will take by force.

These invaders will kill the youngest males and drive out the others.

The fate of all prides is to be taken over by new males.

A lion's roar carries five miles and is as identifiable as a call sign.