A lioness used her female wiles to seduce a male lion into letting down his guard so she could steal his food, in a spectacular encounter recently witnessed by Gareth van Rooyen, a highly experienced safari guide and wildlife fanatic.
The male, who fell for a moment for her feminine charm, was left high and dry as she ran away with his kill – however, only momentarily! He came back to his senses and angrily chased after her, adding to the adrenalin and excitement of the notable game encounter.

Watch the sighting:
Male lion settles to enjoy his fear
The male lion had charged a leopard forcing it to abandon its meal and this was how he came to be with the kill which was a near-finished carcass.
The female also wanted her share of the meal, and knew exactly how to get what she wanted! Something of a Delilah figure, she approached the male lion, using all the right moves and feminine charm.

Lioness puts on a show for lion
Knowing there was no way she could overpower him to get to the food, her seductive moves were an ingenious plan.

Says Gareth: “She approached the male, which immediately caught his attention. There wasn’t much left on the carcass, and he had no intention of sharing any of it.”

Then, just before he was able to react, she acted on her master plan. Gareth explains how she flicked her tail across his face; an unexpected move which stopped him in his tracks!
She walked even closer, rubbing her head on his neck. He was clearly enamoured by her actions.

Being in heat, she knew just what to do next. She presented herself in front of the male, who had now completely forgotten about the food just in front of him and was paralyzed in a moment of awe.
When a lioness is on heat, lasting 3–7 days, males will compete for her attention.

The male couldn’t believe his luck. Not only did he have a free meal, but here was a lioness, willing to partner with him.
Male and female lions form complex relationships primarily focused on reproduction. Male lions often mate with multiple lionesses, competing fiercely for mating opportunities.
The mating process involves repeated short encounters, lasting 15–20 seconds, repeated every 15–20 minutes over several days. This frequent mating behavior increases the chances of conception. This also ensures that the strongest male will parent the cubs.
The lioness’ main duty will be to take care of the cubs and to hunt.

Lioness goes straight for the kill
This was the moment the lioness had been waiting for, and she quickly grabbed the food and darted off as fast as she could. She didn’t even look back as she ran hell for leather, with the fruit of her stellar performance.

“The male lion was taken by complete surprise and needed a moment to process what just happened,” says Gareth.

Realising that he had been fooled, he chased after her. This was more than a lovers’ spat. The lioness had completely sold him – and for a carcass!

The lioness wasn’t quick enough and ended up dropping the carcass before the male could catch her. He was hot on her heels and perhaps the pressure became too much for her.

Her disappointment was visible, as she walked off into the bush. She hadn’t succeeded in stealing the carcass but with her well-oiled moves, there was bound to be another opportunity in the future.