Instead of directing her fury towards a third party, the lioness unleashed a powerful blow upon her romantic partner, causing the male lion to collapse to the ground.
According to Barcroft Media, the intriguing photos capturing the lioness’s act of jealousy were taken by Leon Botha, a 61-year-old tourist on a family and friends’ vacation at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana in late November 2015.
Botha patiently waited at a waterhole within the park to observe the wildlife. From a safe distance, he witnessed a pair of lions approaching to drink water under the scorching African sun.
The lioness momentarily separated from her partner to drink water but quickly noticed another female lingering around the male lion. She displayed anger and charged towards the couple.
The male lion stepped forward, positioning himself as a barrier between the lioness and her rival to prevent an imminent conflict.
However, instead of attacking the intruder, the lioness turned and forcefully slapped the male lion with her large claws. With an open mouth and a threatening demeanor, she relentlessly struck the male, who tried to withstand her assault.
The enraged lioness continued her onslaught until the male lion lost his balance and collapsed to the side. Understanding that she had taken her frustration out on her own partner, the male lion appeared submissive towards the lioness.
Simultaneously, the remaining lioness calmly departed after witnessing the fury of her counterpart. According to Animals, lions typically live in prides consisting of a dominant male, several lionesses, and one or two subordinate males. The dominant male has the right to mate with the females in the pride. Lionesses can also mate with multiple partners. Sometimes, the estrus cycles of the females overlap. When the dominant male becomes exhausted from frequent mating during the reproductive cycle, the subordinate male will have an opportunity to find a mate.
