These pictures show the remarkable moment a huge male lion appeared to be told off after playing when two cubs got carried away.
Photographs taken by lodge manager Tom Coetzee captured the Black Dam pride playing in the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Coetzee had been following the pride of three lionesses, four cubs and a male to their favourite spot near a river bed where the females had set up a den. Pictured here is the playfight which became too rough for the mother lionesses’ liking.
Not so tough: Male lion gets a telling off from his cubs’ mother for playing too aggressively. Photos were takenn by a ranger near his pride by the river in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa
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Cubs begin their playtime (left). Cubs often play fight as practice for their later years, where they may be forced to fight for dominance. Cubs play with anything that interests them, including ostrich eggs, turtles, and their mother’s tail.
The mother plays with the cubs while the male lion looks on. Female lions remain playful well into their later years, much more so than adult male lions.
Defending cubs against outside males is one of the main reasons why lionesses live in groups, as there is strength in numbers and only groups of females can defeat males and successfully protect their cubs.
These images show the Black Dam Pride in South Africa, captured by the manager of a local game lodge who looks after the grounds. Prides can have several male and female lions, and all male lions compete for dominance.
Female lions remain more playful into adulthood than male lions in order to teach their cubs to fight and defend themselves, as well as play fighting to show affection to their young.
