This memorable moment was filmed by Trevor Lagerwall in the Kruger National Park
For these lion cubs, the world was a very new place. There were many adventures to be held and discoveries to be made.
One of the cubs had been walking along with his pride, when the snake caught his attention. He wasn’t about to let the moment slip away.
Snake grabs the attention of cub
He approached the snake, quite carefully, nose down and interest high. Of course, his brothers and sisters didn’t want to miss out on any possible action.
They soon joined him and standing a little behind him, watched as he tentatively approached the snake.
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But of course, the puff adder appeared unperturbed and lay quite motionless. The snake was so still that the small cub’s brothers and sisters eventually decided to move on.
The cub was now alone with the snake for a moment. However, his mother soon became aware that one of her cubs was lagging behind. Being the good mother that she was, she wasn’t about to let her little one confront a puff adder.
Mother and cub inspect puff adder
She stood close by the cub, and the pair now inspected the motionless puff adder.
The lioness’s instincts told her of danger. She positioned herself as guardian over her cub. She knew that curiosity is a cub’s teacher, but in the wild, lessons can be deadly.
Lions are generally immune to mild venom doses, but a puff adder bite could still cause a serious wound to a cub’s small body.
The mother observed the snake, even leaning in slightly to better gauge the situation. The cub watched to see how its mom would handle the situation.
Puff adders (Bitis arietans) are among the continent’s most widespread and feared snakes. Though sluggish and often relying on camouflage rather than flight, they strike with astonishing speed (in less than a tenth of a second).
Their venom is cytotoxic, designed to destroy tissue and cause immense swelling, and while they rarely seek conflict, they will defend themselves if provoked.
Lions lose interest and move on, leaving snake lying in the road
Eventually, fully satisfied that the snake wasn’t about too do anything interesting in a hurry, the cub lost interest and went to join the rest of his siblings.
The mother kept a close watch on the snake as her cub moved away to safety.
As the lioness led her little ones onward, the brief encounter with the puff adder was quickly forgotten. The puff remained coiled on the sandy road. It lay silent, patient, and perfectly still; a reminder of how every encounter in the wild carries both beauty and danger.
Puff adders are responsible for more snakebite incidents in Africa than any other species. This isn’t because they’re the most aggressive, but because they rely so heavily on camouflage. They often stay perfectly still even when danger approaches, making them easy to step on or drive past unnoticed.