The Bittersweet Reality of Nature: Why Lionesses Abandon Their Cubs.

A Heartbreaking Look at the Role of Survival Instincts in the Animal Kingdom.

Photo by Matt Reed on Unsplash

Infanticide in the animal kingdom:

Wildlife researchers have observed a tragic phenomenon in which lionesses abandon young cubs who are handicapped and cannot keep up with the pride.

Filial infanticide is a term that describes when a mother abandons and refuses to nurse her cub because of an injury, congenital disability, or poisoning.

This phenomenon is common in the animal kingdom. It is often seen as a survival mechanism, as the mother may abandon the cub to focus on caring for other healthy offspring.

Here is the sad video of a lion cub struggling to reunite with its family.

A lioness will commit filial infanticide and abandon her cubs in the following situations:

• Injuries, birth defects, or poisoning can prevent a cub from keeping up with the pride.
• The cub is weak from starvation.
• If the mother is too weak or hungry to care for the cubs or if they are too young to travel the distance necessary to find prey, she will abandon them.
• It is not uncommon for a lioness to abandon or kill a single cub after her other littermates have perished to maximize her lifetime reproductive success.
  Researchers observed that a lioness undergoes a dramatic shift in her behavior toward a singleton cub.
• She suddenly becomes aggressive, rejecting, and cold towards it. This includes refusing to let the cub suckle, which can ultimately harm the cub’s chances of survival.
• Eyewitness reports have confirmed that other lactating females nursed outcast cubs on several occasions. Even though these animals are primarily solitary, this act…