It’s well known that mating and relationships in the animal kingdom are rarely romantic. Dominance, fighting, relentless pursuit and agressive mounting are all part of a female’s day, but when you add the power, speed (and claws) of a lioness to the equation, it gets a lot more interesting!
We found this young adult male following a female down a track. She contiunally trotted ahead of him, but occasionally relented and allowed him to mate with her. On one occasion, he obviously overstepped the mark, and had to swerve rapidly to avoid a sideswipe. The photo is slightly out of focus, and the light was bad, but her intention is clear.
He then affected a brilliant ‘hurt’ pose, almost appearing to pout as she sat and licked her paws.
After a bit more gentle pursuit, she allowed one more mount, and then all seemed to be well. We moved on and left them in peace.
