Watch The Sighting:
&Beyond Kirkman’s Kamp field guide, Matthew Smith witnessed the furry foursome and sent his record of events to Latest Sightings. He recorded the sighting on a game drive in the lodge’s traverse area in the Greater Kruger National Park.
Joining The Action
Giving some background, Matthew told Latest Sightings that the lioness was one of only two survivors of the Eyrefield Pride. Five other members of the pride had recently died.
He recalled that the two lionesses had been avoiding the attentions of various males. Until a day prior, this lioness was seen mating with a lone male.
Then, after an evening spent listening to lions calling nearby, Smith located the lioness. Only this time, she was in the company of three males who were known to be brothers.
To breed, lionesses enter a phase known as oestrus several times a year. Defined as “a recurring period of sexual receptivity and fertility in many female mammals,” during which lionesses advertise their condition through vocalisations and scent markings.
When Lions Mate
At start of the video, we see one of the males mounting the prone female. With lions, copulation is a surprisingly short-lived affair. The act itself rarely lasts more than a minute, usually less
In the image above, the male has gently bitten her neck. While some experts say this triggers ovulation, it is more likely to prevent her from fleeing or attacking her mate.
Male lions have barb-like spines on their penis. These help them to remain embedded during copulation. It is speculated that as the male withdraws, these scrape the wall of the uterus, stimulating ovulation.
In the image above, see how the male appears tense as he withdraws. Often, the female will lash out with her claws after mating, and he’s probably experienced this before.
In this incident, however, the lioness does not react.
In “normal” situations, pairs will mate every 20-30 minutes over 24 hours.
A Bit On The Side
It is amusing to see one of the other males affectionately licking the lioness while his brother is doing the deed. Despite what The Lion King would have us think, lions are polygamous.
Both sexes will mate with as many partners as they desire throughout their lives. As the video progresses, this is graphically illustrated.
Next Please
No sooner has the first lion dismounted than she is up and flirting with the other two males.
Having barely introduced herself, she lay down waiting to be mounted.
Apparently, in lions, there is no etiquette in these circumstances. More a case of first come, first served.
Mind If I Watch?
After a little pushing and shoving, the second male successfully mounts her. The female closes her eyes, as if wishing they would just get on with it.
Amusingly, the third male looks on with interest, perhaps hoping to unlock the key to her heart.
For her part, the female looks decidedly bored with the whole affair.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Last But Not The Least
A short while later, the second male fulfills his duty. Once again, he has barely been able to step clear before she is looking around for more.
Moments later, the third male mounts her. And moments after that, he too is done. In roughly a minute, all three males lie down to rest.
As for the female, she rolls onto her back. This behaviour is thought to increase the chances of conception taking place.
In lions, gestation lasts 110 days, with litters ranging up to four cubs. Unless she loses her cubs, she will not come into oestrus again until her last litter is independent.
What Came Of It?
While Matthew doesn’t tell us whether this furry feline foursome led to any cubs, it’s hard to imagine the pitter-patter of little paws didn’t follow.
Afterwards, Smith said, “This was one of the rarest and most unique sightings I have ever experienced. I have seen lions mating on numerous occasions…
“But I have never heard of or seen anything like this”.