Although lions are hunters based on land, apex predators capable of dominating the savanna, they are also capable swimmers that won’t avoid water if the need to swim arises.
Chad Hobson caught this moment on camera in the MalaMala Game Reserve, as two young lion cubs that found themselves separated from their mother had to brave crocodile infested waters to make it back to her side.
Despite their youth, these two cubs remained undaunted by the task before them, and plunged into the water in an effort to reunite with their mom.
Lovely Weather For A Swim
Lions might be able to swim when the need arises, but they are out of their comfort zone in the water where other predators like crocodiles can make better use of the environment.
Swimming is a necessity to get from one place to another, but its only use for lions during a hunt is as a point where prey animals must eventually come to drink.
Although the cubs were making good progress through the water, any aquatic predators looking for a quick snack would have had an easy time catching them.
The Spirit Of Adventure
The scale of the river was enormous in comparison to the little cubs, and the brave little lions just had to keep going and going without ever seeming to reach the other side.
There were some shallower areas that meant they were able to rest their little legs for a moment by running, instead of having to swim the entire way, but it was still a huge distance for two tiny cats.
The longer they spent in the water meant the chances of a curious crocodile coming to investigate the splashing grew as well. An adult lion would likely be too much for a croc to bring down, but an isolated cub out of its depth could just be the perfect prey.
Just A Little Further
After so long spent swimming, it seemed like the adventurous little cubs were never going to make it, but suddenly there was the glimpse of sandy shores, and the end to their trial was in sight.
They weren’t out of the water yet, but at least now their success seemed assured, as they were both still going strong and they would reach the other side in mere moments.
They would likely be exhausted, and ready for a good long rest, but they were happy, healthy and alive when they finally climbed out of the water, and to their mom that was all that mattered.
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A Quest Completed
The cubs didn’t even take the time to shake themselves dry, and hurried across the sand at the other side of the river where their mom was waiting to greet them.
With their quest completed they could enjoy a nice rest, and dry themselves off. Thankfully, this sighting had a happy ending, although things could have been a lot worse.
It’s unknown how exactly the cubs were separated from their mother, but if a crocodile had decided to attack she would have been too far away to effectively intervene. Sightings like these can be tense, but watching them until the end can help to reassure that things aren’t all bad.