Watch the sighting here:
A trio of Egyptian goslings found themselves surrounded by lions in a shallow pond, where comedy soon turned to tragedy. The cubs were intent on putting their hunting skills to the test, despite the incessant honks of protest from the parent geese.
Jem Harris submitted his account of the incident to Latest Sightings. He filmed it while on a game drive at Dulini Private Game Reserve.
Curious cats
As the encounter unfolds, several lion cubs intently watch the goslings in the wallow.
Having never been in such a predicament, neither the cubs nor the goslings are sure what to do next. The geese honk plaintively while swimming back and forth.
Meanwhile, the cubs are laser-focussed on every movement, their ears cocked and bodies tense.
Stuck in the mud
Looking carefully at the goslings, we see that their bodies sit just below the waterline, whereas they would typically float just above.
Also, the water is quite muddy, leading to the conclusion that their feathers are water-logged. This means that even if they can fly, they can’t take off due to their saturated wings.
We hear in the commentary that the parent geese are honking, presumably to encourage their offspring to flee.
Duck-diving
Sadly, they are stuck. So much so that when one of the lion cubs moves suddenly towards them, all they can do is duck under the surface.
Of course, they have to resurface, which excites their tormentors even more.
Predatory instincts
Prevailing wisdom suggests the best thing to do when encountering a predator is to remain still. Their minds associate movement, especially attempts to flee, with prey.
And prey means food. So, the more the goslings swim back and forth, the more instinct drives the lion’s attention toward them.
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Black sheep, but a lion
One of the cubs stands out among its siblings. While the others watch at a distance, this individual appears quite willing to get it’s paws dirty.
Compared to its peers who are content to watch, this youngster can’t contain its excitement. While they look on, it is visibly intent on catching one of the geese.
First kill
Driven by the frantic paddling of the geese, the bold cub inches ever closer. Then, when one goose gets within striking distance, it pounces.
By now, the entire pride are watching with interest. As the cub’s jaws disappear into the mud, what will be the outcome?
Triumphant
To the pride’s — and possibly the cub’s own — astonishment, it lifts its head to reveal one of the goslings in its jaws
With great delight, the cub springs from the water, immediately showing its prize to Mum and Dad.
Learning to hunt
While instinct plays a part, actually learning to hunt takes some time. From about six weeks old, cubs begin to observe and imitate hunting behaviours such as stalking.
At 11 months, they join hunts but generally interfere by alerting prey. By 16 months, they are more competent participants.
At 2-2.5 years, most lions are skilled members of hunting parties, with some developing specialist skills.
It’s almost certain the goose-catching cub featured in this video has a bright future.