Watch: Baboon ‘adopts’ and grooms lion cub [video]
In a very rare wildlife sighting, a baboon was caught on camera seemingly ‘adopting’ a lion cub and then grooming it – a scene which some believe resemble something from The Lion King!
It is reported that Kurt Schultz, from Kurt Safari, captured this once in a lifetime sighting on Saturday, 1 February 2020 while on his way back from a meeting in the Kruger National Park.
He told Latest Sightings that he had a meeting and found himself in the Kruger for the morning. He decided to take some pictures – when he came across the sighting.
“I drove onto the S21, one of the roads near Skukuza when I came across a troop of baboons being restless. Being early morning this is relatively common, but then I noticed a baboon carrying something and the rest of the troop were interested in that baboon. The baboon was not visible and I spent some time at the sighting as I was told it was possibly a lion cub.”
He believes the baboons started their day foraging for food and came across the hidden lion cub.
“I first thought it was a female baboon but it was in actuality a young male baboon. The young baboon crossed the road and climbed up a marula tree. I waited for about 30 minutes before it came into view and was moving from tree to tree.
“The rest of the troop then moved away and the baboon was grooming and caring for the lion cub as if it was a young baboon. I spent about one hour at the sighting and decided to leave.”
He says futher that it is normal for a troop of baboons to kill young leopard and even lion.
“However after 20 years of guiding this is the first time I have seen a baboon nurturing and caring for a young predator cub.”
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