The three little lions held the attention of game viewers as they explored the tree, showing surprising agility and bravado.
Neels van Jaarsveld filmed the spectacular moment.
Watch the video now:
Lion cub trio spotted in the road
An animal doesn’t need to be a leopard to climb a tree. Especially not from the point of view of these three lion cubs, which saw a small tree as the opportunity for an adventure.
They were first sighted in the road, and then moved off the road to explore the bushveld terrain.
Cubs set their focus on small tree
Lion cubs are by nature extremely playful. This play performs a very important role in their development. It’s through play that they will learn how to interact with one another and the world around them. Through play they learn essential skills, such as hunting. They also develop muscle coordination and the agility and control they will need to successfully navigate their environment through to adulthood.
These small cubs chose the tree as the object of their focus; and used their energy to successfully climb into its branches.
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Tree provides exciting playground
Unlike leopards, lions are not specialised tree climbers. Leopards have powerful forelimbs, strong claws and body proportions particularly suited to climbing, and they are comfortable spending considerable time in trees.
Lions generally prefer to remain on the ground, although some individuals and populations are known to climb trees.
However, for these three lions, the tree became an exciting playground. The cubs chased one another around the trunk, scrambled over branches and tested their balance as they explored.
A tree with a view
The tree also gave them a good view of the bushveld around them, and they spent some moments relaxing on the branches and surveying the territory, beefore resuming climbing.
Seeing the lion cubs climbing together was particularly entertaining because their movements briefly resembled those of leopard cubs.
As these cubs grow heavier, climbing will become increasingly difficult to them. Most lions eventually lose much of their enthusiasm for getting into trees.
A learning experience, accompanied by good, old-fashioned fun
The scene was a reminder that young lions are still learning how to use their bodies and interact with their environment. Before they become the powerful predators associated with the bushveld, these lion cubs will spend much of their early lives playing, exploring and testing their limits.
They will eventually grow in responsible adult lions, however, for these little lions having fun and exploring was still the order of the day. They clearly enjoyed themselves and hopefully learned a thing or two. They might not have been leopard cubs but whoever said lions couldn’t climb?
No doubt Mom was nearby keeping a watchful eye over her family, along with the game viewers, who managed to get front row seats to witness the extraordinary, heart-warming scene.
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