The natural world has a knack for the unpredictable. Just when we think we accept things figured out, some startling slice of bear witness surfaces, like camera-trap footage of a genet playing rodeo on the back of a rhinoceros, or a right whale hanging out with a pod of dolphins. In the latest example of interspecies abnormality, a baboon was spotted grooming and seemingly caring for a tiny lion cub.

Video by Kurt Safaris (www.kurtsafari.com)

Safari guideKurt Schultz filmed the rare sighting on Sat (February i, 2020) while on a drive about Skukuza remainder camp in S Africa'southward Kruger National Park. As Shultz meandered his way along a gravel road that traverses the Nwatimhiri River south of Skukuza, he came across a restless troop of baboons. Ane of the primates was carrying something that drew attention from others in the grouping, and so Shultz stuck around, eager to come across how the action would play out.

Somewhen, the young birdie paused in the treetops for long enough that Shultz could get a decent view. Clutched in the primate's hands was a newborn king of beasts cub, squirming with the innocence of infancy. The young baboon appeared to be training the lion, leaving Shultz baffled. "Later 20 years of guiding this is the first time I have seen a baboon nurturing and caring for a young predator cub," he told Latest Sightings. He spent an hour photographing and filming the rare sight before a scheduled meeting dragged him away from the scene.

While it's tempting to weave Lion King-like tales of interspecies kinship, the training and nurturing in this case likely shadow a darker narrative – 1 in which the cub meets a grisly end. Baboons are omnivores and are known to regularly eat meat when available (sometimes with frightfully grim table manners). The primates are regularly targeted by lions and leopards, and then it is unlikely that a baboon would show whatever kind of genuine affection towards a predator (no matter how tiny it is).

The baboon troop somewhen disappeared into thick bush-league leaving the outcome of the unusual interaction undetermined, however, later reports received via the Latest Sightings app signal that the cub did not make it. Whether or not the cat succumbed to its captor or simply vicious victim to the circumstances is unclear. Sadly for the cub, the odds were always stacked confronting its survival: the cub mortality rate for lions in the Kruger Park is at least 50%.

baboon-lion-cub-2_2020-02-04.jpg

Before long after the photos and video were uploaded to Facebook and YouTube, annotate streams were oversaturated with inevitable Lion King references. But amongst the gifs of Rafiki and Simba were several comments from those who felt that Schultz and the people present should have intervened to help the kidnapped cub. Kurt Safari Company explained their position in a Facebook annotate: "Every bit much as we realise it might be hard to picket and might exist cruel, human interaction with wildlife in the Kruger National Park, or most wild animals reserves globally, is not something that happens."

Fifty-fifty if those present had intentions of aiding the cub, the rules of the park would not have permitted them to do and then. Visitors to the Kruger Park are non allowed to exit their vehicles outside of demarcated areas and handling wildlife is confronting the regulations. Intervention could simply have come from South African National Park (SANParks) rangers and, in instances such as this, it is very unlikely that officials would pace in. It'south mutual for almost all species to lose at least some of their young to predators, so this incident is just a harsh reminder of the ofttimes-violent workings of the natural world.

Other commenters were curious near how the baboon managed to snatch the cub in the commencement place. Information technology is more than likely that the troop stumbled across the young cat while its mother was out hunting. Shortly before giving nativity, a lioness will separate herself from the rest of the pride and sneak off to a well-hidden lair. Cubs are born blind and helpless, so lionesses spend their early days of motherhood caring for their cubs on their own.

Suckling youngsters tin can exist physically taxing and there will exist times when mothers must temporarily abandon their cubs and go on the hunt, leaving the newborns vulnerable to predation. There are likewise reported instances of lionesses getting distracted and abandoning their cubs out of forgetfulness, or simply leaving them behind if there is non enough food to go around.

The splendour and beauty of the natural world is often contrasted with savagery. Sadly, this piffling lion cub establish itself on the wrong end of the scale.

baboon-lion-cub-1_2020-02-04.jpg

Images and video © Kurt Safari