Latest Sightings recently received the concerning news that one of the white lion cubs of the Birmingham Pride has sustained a severe wound.
Jaun Slabbert, founder of Ngala Way Safaris, forwarded the information and images to us. He said that he had recently seen the lion, a female, in good condition.
Alarmed!
As such, alarm gripped him when he found her on the H7 in the Kruger Park and noticed a severe gash on her left cheek.
In his report to us, he said, “The white lion cub from the Birmingham pride, the young female face is completely ripped open. It wasn’t like that three, four days ago when they were last seen.”
His accompanying video first shows the young lioness panting heavily on the roadside. She then gets up and moves toward the shade where one of her siblings is resting.
Then, as she rubs heads with her litter mate, we get to see the left side of her face, and the sight is quite disturbing.
Deep gash
Even from a distance, one can clearly see her bloodied cheek.
The wound lies about midway between her nose and her left eye. It runs from the top of her muzzle down to her lip.
Some sources have said that the wound was inflicted by another, supposedly older lion. However, another theory that has been accepted by many, is that the injury is the result of a snake bite.
Brutal injury
Whatever the reasoning, the majority of her left cheek is missing and her top left canine is visible. The wound, as seen in the images was still raw, suggesting that it occurred recently after the photos were taken.
Will there be an intervention?
When wildlife in Kruger National Park injures itself, park authorities usually do not intervene. However, they may step in if a man-made factor, like a snare, caused the injury.
While some may argue that since this is a “rare” white lion, beloved by tourists, it should receive special treatment. Sources indicate that authorities will only monitor the lion for the time being.
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Should the wound become infected, authorities may consider an intervention. Complicating the matter, however, is the fact that she is still a cub dependent on her pride. And this could complicate treatment.
However, several months ago, park authorities left Casper, the mature white lion to recover on his own after he injured himself while hunting buffalo.
In other videos found online, the injured cub is still alive. And after two weeks she appears to be in relatively good condition.
Her wound is dry and fairly clean. It seems unlikely it will impact on her ability to eat.
Should any further information become available, Latest Sightings will provide updates.
It’s a hard life
Although lion cubs are born into prides that offer protection, the majority are unlikely to reach maturity. Up to 80% of cubs die before the age of two.
Strangely, many cubs die from injuries inflicted by other members of the pride. Also, when new males take over prides, they invariably kill all the cubs.
Other causes of death include starvation, disease, congenital defects and abandonment.
From a human perspective, this may seem cruel. However, in Nature, the principle of “survival of the fittest” ensures a healthier population overall