Wildlife photographer Paul Joynton from England captured the horrifying scene at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.
The terrifying scene of a male lion killing a lion cub Paul Joynton and his colleagues were observing an affectionate lion couple when they witnessed the male lion devouring a lion cub on the grassland. The female lion next to them was the unfortunate mother of the cub.
Male lions often eat their own kind when they acquire new territory as a way to establish dominance and assert their authority among their peers. Territory battles between adult male lions can also be brutal.
Mr. Joynoton-Kicks, 44, one of the witnesses, said, “We were just having breakfast and driving back to camp, passing through Silale Swamp. We stopped the car when we saw a pair of lions. At first, we thought they were just mating normally, so we observed for a minute until we saw the male lion having a meal, which happened to be a lion cub.”
Professor Craig Packer, Director of the University of Minnesota’s Lion Research Center, stated, “This is the only time we have witnessed a male lion eating the offspring of its mate. The female lion’s involvement made it even more terrifying. Lions often roar and fight with adult male lions to protect their mate and territory.”
Despite having written over 100 scientific articles about various animal species, Professor Craig Packer, an expert on lions, stated that he had never seen such a rare occurrence before.