In a remarkable display of maternal instinct, a mother lion in Africa avenged her cubs by ɑттɑᴄᴋɪпɡ a crocodile that had threatened them.
The incident occurred near a river bank where the lioness and her cubs had been drinking. Scanning the surface of the water, her amber eyes alight upon a threat to her pride – a ԀᴇɑԀly crocodile lurking in the river that the family of lions must cross.
Suddenly, this crocodile emerged from the water and snatched one of the cubs in its jaws. Despite the lioness’s valiant efforts to save her cub, the crocodile managed to drag it into the water and drown it.
Enraged and grief-stricken, the lioness took matters into her own hands. The fiercely protective lioness did not hesitate, leaping into the water and grappling with the reptile to allow the rest of the pride to cross the river in safety.
These images show the magnificent lioness fastening her front legs around the crocodile’s jaws and dunking it underneath the water before making a break for the river bank at the Okavanga Delta in Botswana.
The remarkable scene was captured on camera by wildlife photographer Pia Dierickx. She watched in awe as the lioness showed her incredible strength and determination in avenging her young.
This incident serves as a powerful reminder of the fierce maternal instinct that exists in the animal kingdom. Mothers will go to great lengths to protect their offspring, even if it means putting their own lives on the line.