the guardians are regularly challenged
by younger males like these looking for
lionesses of their own as time passes
the threats become more serious at the
prospect of a battle the females and
Cubs make themselves scarce
the residents are defiant so a
demonstration of male power is
inevitable
after their brutal mauling the
overthrown brothers withdraw after
several years in charge they've had
their day
now the interests of the new males and
those of the lionesses different
without their fathers to protect them
the Cubs are in peril they're
systematically hunted down and
dispatched the lionesses have no defense
against the male's superior strength for
the mother a years parental effort is
wasted
but for the males the loss of the Cubs
is in their interest it causes the
bereft lionesses quickly to come into
season however the lionesses need a
strong coalition of males for their
future protection so they must prevent
them fighting over sex they do this by
being sexually insatiable as each
lioness comes into heat she demands to
be mated every 20 minutes
over three days a lioness can copulate
300 times when one male has had enough
she allows the other to take over
keeping them both happy three months
later the lionesses start producing new
batches of Cubs but these little
creatures now have nothing to fear from
their awesome guardians the mothers have
cleverly confused the issue of paternity
as both brothers mated both males must
work together to protect the family
until one day they too will be deposed
you