Last week I ventured back down to Offbeat to catch up with the local lions. I knew that the Offbeat Pride of four females were still around, both with Baakir the old male and a pair of younger males. One of the females was also showing signs of pregnancy, so when she left the rest of the pride and tucked herself away into a lugga around the back of the camp, it was time to look for new arrivals.
The first day brought not much luck with the lions, but sure enough next evening we spied two little ones playing in the bush. They were tucked away pretty well, which is usual for young cubs – they won’t be introduced to the pride until they are around six to eight weeks old. We only had fleeting glimpses of them, but I’m guessing that they are around 3-4 weeks old. There could be more – a lioness can have a litter of up to six cubs, though three is the norm.
Lucinda (on the right) is thought to be the mum of the little ones
The new male
The first day brought not much luck with the lions, but sure enough next evening we spied two little ones playing in the bush. They were tucked away pretty well, which is usual for young cubs – they won’t be introduced to the pride until they are around six to eight weeks old. We only had fleeting glimpses of them, but I’m guessing that they are around 3-4 weeks old. There could be more – a lioness can have a litter of up to six cubs, though three is the norm.
Lucinda (on the right) is thought to be the mum of the little ones
The guides at Offbeat also told me of some new males that I hadn’t yet seen, and so we continued to explore the area. Early on the last day we found Jade and Imogen –the two other Offbeat lionesses – with a handsome male. He was courting Imogen, and so perhaps we can expect the pride to grow even bigger in three months time!
The new male
I hope to spend some more time with this pride, as I know there are more males to find.
Sara
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