After Losing Her Cubs A Lioness Adopted An Orphaned Baby Leopard


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In Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, researchers discovered a lioness who appeared to have adopted a young leopard. This is comparable to an instance in India’s Gir National Park in December 2018, when a young male cub, about 2 months old, was nursed by a lioness, fed off her prey that had been killed by the lioness, and played with her two own cubs, around the same age as the leopard. The researchers were baffled by this unusual case of inter-species fostering, which was termed as “bizarre” in the journal Ecosphere. From an evolutionary standpoint, caring for another animal’s young makes little sense.

Taking care of the young, gathering food for them, and keeping them safe takes a lot of time and effort, and it is frequently done to promote one’s own genes. These scenarios, in which an animal cares for non-biological offspring of the same species, are not uncommon, according to the study’s authors, but “these activities assist directly boost the reproductive success of the person who does this.” Female cheetahs, for example, adopt orphaned male cubs, who eventually establish broad coalitions with the mother’s own youngsters.

Credit: Joop Van Der Linde/ Ndutu Lodge / Panthera/ Kope Lion

Adoption between species is unusual, but adopting the young of a rival animal is almost unheard of.

Credit: Joop Van Der Linde/ Ndutu Lodge / Panthera/ Kope Lion

By keeping the youngster near to her, the lioness defends it as if it were her own. The lioness’ pups are thought to be dead because they haven’t been seen in a long time. Although lions are known to feed one other’s cubs, other large cat species’ adults and cubs are also known to kill. This is most likely a one-time occurrence.

Credit: Joop Van Der Linde/ Ndutu Lodge / Panthera/ Kope Lion

Experts believe that the best outcome would be if the leopard could return to his own mother, since he is unsure how the Nosikitok pride will respond to the newcomer.

Credit: Joop Van Der Linde/ Ndutu Lodge / Panthera/ Kope Lion

“It’s likely she came into touch with this leopard pup, which she adopted before her parental hormones switched off,” Sarah Durant of the London Zoological Society says.

Credit: Joop Van Der Linde/ Ndutu Lodge / Panthera/ Kope Lion

Nobody knows if the lioness will permanently accept the young leopard. Let’s hoping this Lioness will look after the newborn leopard till it matures.


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