Video shows baboon grooming lion cub in Kruger National Park in South Africa
A troop of restless baboons is a common early-morning sight at South Africa’s Kruger National Park. At first, safari operator Kurt Schultz didn’t notice anything unusual while snapping photos last Saturday. Then he spied one baboon spiriting a furry bundle away from the troop.
Schultz waited almost an hour before he could see the baboon had a small lion cub in hand. He watched the baboon cross the road and hop into a marula tree, stopping occasionally to groom the cub. Schultz said that, in his 20 years as a safari operator, he’d never seen anything like it.
“There was a bit of competition among the males, because they all wanted this cub,” Schultz told The Washington Post by phone from South Africa on Wednesday. “How it was holding it is the way a female holds the young and grooms it, looking for parasites and fleas.”
Advertisement
Schultz suspected when he stumbled across the scene that the baboons may have been restless with excitement from discovering the cub. The rocky hill where the baboons had gathered is a spot where leopards and lions are known to stash their young while they go hunting.
“It happened so quickly. I was quite anxious because I knew no one would be believe me if I didn’t get the footage,” he said of his rare observation.
“It only dawned on me later on as I was driving away what had actually happened and how unique it was,” he added.
When he was finally able to look at his photos, Schultz realized he had been watching a male baboon — not a female — grooming the cub, which made the interaction even more notable.
The main reason for Schultz’s surprise? Despite appearing as a tender moment straight from a Disney movie, interactions between baboons and lion cubs more often end like a snuff film.
Share this articleShare“Generally, when they get ahold of a lion or leopard cub, they would kill it immediately,” Schultz said. Adult baboons are known to kill leopard and lion cubs when they find them unattended by adult lions.
“ ‘The Lion King’ is not reality,” Schultz said, laughing at the comparison. “Baboons don’t hold up lion cubs in real life. It’s a good story, but untrue.”
Advertisement
Schultz didn’t know the condition of the cub but suspected it was uninjured, at least until the baboon started to carry it in its sharp teeth, causing it to cry out. He’s not sure whether the cub survived.
Despite the grim fate that likely awaited the baby lion, Schultz said it would be out of the question for safari guides or even park rangers to intervene. Short of a man-made threat, like fire or infection, Schultz said the ecologically responsible thing to do is let the circle of life move unimpeded.
“What was taking place was 100 percent natural; it was nature at its best,” Schultz said. “It might seem cruel to us, but if this baboon kills a predator, it knows in two years’ time the roles will be reversed if the lion gets its chance.”
Read more:
A lawyer argued that plea deals are unconstitutional. Now the DA won’t bargain with her.
What’s in that bag marked ‘Bag Full of Drugs,’ sir?
Sand dunes ‘communicate’ when they move, researchers say
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCktcSnmp5nYmV%2FcXuPa2ZpbV%2BXrqO7zqdkpaGfo3qkwcFmraKclaR8