Reality like a scene from “The Lion King”? Photos of a baboon “taking care” of a baby lion cub have gone viral
One of the safari guides in the Kruger National Park in South Africa managed to photograph an unusual scene. The baboon “took care” of the little lion cub as if it were his cub. Commenters immediately compared this situation to “The Lion King.” However, wildlife experts brutally dispel their ideas.
On Saturday, February 1, Kurt Schultz from the Kurt Safari company that organizes trips to the Kruger National Park in South Africa captured in photos and a video a baboon carrying a small lion cub in its hands. The whole scene looked as if a monkey was taking care of a lion cub. “A male baboon steals a lion cub in Kruger National Park, then the groom carries and cares for the cub as if it were a baby baboon.” – Kurt wrote on his Facebook.
After an hour, the herd of baboons moved on, and the man, unable to follow them, returned to his duties. He posted the recording and photos on social media.
“The lion seemed dehydrated and tired,” he wrote in one comment. – “I have seen baboons killing leopard cubs in the past. Therefore, I assume that the cub will not survive the day due to other baboons fighting for it, due to the strength of the baboon moving with the cub, or due to the heat.” – added.
After three days, Kurt Safari guides reported that they had found no new information about the animal’s condition. “Although baboons were seen in the same area, they did not have a lion cub with them. “No lion at such a young age could survive without its mother’s milk for such a period of time.” – they wrote on Facebook. “Nature is sometimes cruel and we as guides and park rangers did not intervene because nature has its own rules, regardless of how we as nature lovers may feel” – added.
According to the nature portal Earth Touch News, although it is tempting to compare this event to Simba and Rafiki from “The Lion King”, the little lion cub probably met a gruesome end. “Baboons are omnivores and are known to regularly eat meat when it is available” – the portal emphasized, adding that their “table manners” are often macabre. “Primates are regularly attacked by lions and leopards, so a baboon is unlikely to show any genuine attachment to a predator (no matter how small it is)” – we read in the article.
There were also unconfirmed comments under the photos suggesting that a few days after the event, locals found the body of a small lion cub.
