Watch the Sighting:
Klaus and his daughter Kira were on a morning game drive in Kruger National Park, driving down the H6 when this captivating encounter occurred. Klaus explained that on cold winter mornings, the heated tar of the roads tends to attract animals, so they always start their morning drives on the paved roads.
The father-daughter duo had spent the last four days in the park, but unfortunately, they hadn’t seen much excitement during their drives. They had no idea that the wild had a thrilling surprise waiting just around the corner…
Lions on the Road
As Klaus and his daughter rounded a corner on the H6, three male lions appeared! They were casually wandering down the road, enjoying the morning sun.
Klaus stopped his vehicle and let the lions pass, watching in awe as they were mere feet away! Once the lions were several meters ahead of the car, he and Kira decided to follow the males and see what they were up to.
When the lions paused to lie down on the side of the road, Klaus stopped too. What made this sighting even more special was that only one other vehicle was present!
An Unexpected Twist
Suddenly, one of the lions got up and mounted one of the other males! This unprecedented behaviour went on for several minutes, and nobody could understand it!
The male who was being mounted didn’t seem to react at all as if this behaviour was completely normal. Eventually, the male on top stopped and walked away as if nothing had happened.
The lions continued to lay about for a while longer, but eventually, more vehicles showed up, disturbing the lions’ peace. The sighting ended as they trotted away into the bushes to seek more privacy.
So What Were They Doing?
Even though witnessing a male mounting another male is a rare sight in the wild, there is a biological explanation. Even though it may seem so, this act is not sexual in nature.
It is actually a way for a male to display dominance within a pride and reinforce the pride’s social hierarchy. In certain instances, it may even be a way to strengthen social bonds within a pride, especially during challenging times related to social stress or territory.
Even more interesting is that this behaviour is not unique to lions. Other male animals such as elephants, gorillas, baboons, and wolves also engage in this dominance-oriented behaviour.
Klaus explained that although they had witnessed several instances of lion mating in the wild, a male mounting another male was a first for them.
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“For regular safari travellers like us, who have been visiting Africa for close to 20 years now, with more than 300 nights in the bushes of 7 different countries, mating lions is not a rare sighting. In fact, we had observed a male/female couple just 24 hours earlier near Crocodile Bridge, however, a male/male combo was a first for us!”
The wild is full of surprises, even for seasoned safari-goers! This rare sighting serves as a reminder that animal behaviour is complex, often misunderstood, and always fascinating, proving that every moment in the bush holds the potential for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.