In Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Park, a young lion cub’s heartbreaking journey unfolded after losing three siblings to a buffalo herd stampede.
The cub, showing resilience, refused to be carried by her mother, a poignant moment captured by wildlife photographer Margot Raggett from London.
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Raggett was visiting the park when she witnessed and photographed the emotional scene. Her images depict the bond between mother and cub, revealing both the tenderness and harshness of life in the wild.
The young cub, only a few weeks old, was seen lying on a log, gazing into the distance, visibly affected by the tragic loss of her siblings.
The mother lioness approached her daughter, and after a brief moment of affection, the cub jumped onto her mother’s back.
Raggett reflected, “When I took these photographs, they played together in the morning after buffalo had trampled the others. The mother had lost her other three cubs, so this one was now her only cub. It was quite sad.”
While the loss is devastating, these images also emphasize the strength and survival instincts of the animals in the Mara.
Lion cubs face numerous threats, including predators like crocodiles, hyenas, and leopards, but the biggest danger often comes from within their own species.
Male lions, when taking over a pride, sometimes kill the cubs of their predecessors to establish their own lineage.
Lionesses, on the other hand, tend to be more communal, working together to raise their young, which provides greater protection for cubs while their mothers are hunting or facing danger.
However, when buffalo herds become spooked, they can quickly turn dangerous, often leading to stampedes that claim lives.
These images captured by Raggett serve as a reminder of the unpredictability and fragility of life in the wild, where moments of joy and play can quickly be overshadowed by the brutal realities of nature.
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