This Lion Made The Ultimate Sacrifice For Her Cubs

Lions are among the most protective animals in relation to their young ones. This fact makes them even more dangerous especially when they see a threat to their cubs.

In this very dramatic and action-packed moment, wildlife photographer Pia Dierickx captured every detail when the lion made the ultimate sacrifice for her cubs to keep them safe.

Don’t miss the very remarkable clash on camera!

1. Mother’s Love

One can never truly measure mother’s love. And what is truly fascinating is that such instinctive nature of a mother to protect her young ones is not only true to human beings, but even to animals in the wild. The story that you are about to uncover is a true heartwarming moment of a mother’s ultimate sacrifice for her cubs.

2. Surveying The Location

The cautious pride of lions were surveying the area for a safe passage to cross the river in Botswana’s Okavanga Delta. What were they being cautious about? Apparently, the same river also serves as a home to some crocodiles looking for fishes as food.

Will they cross the river safely or will the lion sacrifice her life to have her cubs cross the river safely? There’s only one way to find out!

3. The Lioness Wade Into The Water

At this point, two of the lionesses walked into the channel. The first one did not see the lurking crocodile while the second did. Being a devious reptile, the crocodile swiftly moved into the deeper water to bring the imminent fight into its advantage. 

4. Moving Forward

Then there’s a huge splash in the water! The onlookers were confused and wondering what this female was going to do against a huge prehistoric predator like a crocodile. And as we all know, crocodiles, once they get hold of their prey, will do a death roll and drown the victim.

BUT the lioness was not a bit afraid and she growls menacingly at the approaching crocodile. Scanning the surface of the water, her amber eyes alight upon the threat to her pride, the deadly crocodile. She jumps into the air and lunges at the monster!

Will the lioness survive the fight? Or will the mighty crocodile take the win? What happens next will certainly keep you at the edge of your seat! 

5. And She Pounces Hard

The lioness valiantly jumped into the air and lunges at the monster without one bit of hesitation or thought of her own safety! She leaps into the water and starts grappling with the reptile to allow the rest of the pride to cross the river in safety.

The photographer just saw a huge splash and kept clicking the camera shutter. It seemed like something inconceivable was happening. Without hesitation, the protective lioness risks life and limb to protect her cubs, using her explosive power to spring from the water and attack the threat blocking their passage, head-on.

6. Mid-Air Collision

Jaws open, claws at the ready the lioness attacks the crocodile with full force! And mind you, this is not a small crocodile by any means. As it looks, the monstrous predator has the weight advantage, not to mention that the water is clearly its “home court.” 

With the vicious crocodile in advantage, will the lioness be able to outdo her enemy? Will the lioness bring her  cubs to safety? Click Next to find out!

. Wrapping The Monster In Her Embrace

Here you can see the lioness clamping her paws around the crocodiles mouth, preventing it from opening its jaws. A genius move, indeed! It already has a tentative grip on her snout, and if it had gotten a better bite, could have taken the brave lionesses snout off.

‘Luckily for the lioness the crocodile did not have an opportunity to do the death roll because its mouth was kept closed between the front legs of the lioness,’ the photographer added.

8. Pushing The Monster Down

The lioness somehow is free and putting all her weight on the crocodile to push it under the water, not that it can drown easily, crocodiles stay underwater for between 10 to 15 minutes. If the crocodile is trying to hide from a threat, dive length may be longer, up to 30 minutes or more.

Receding back into the water after a bloody encounter, the crocodile was unable to lock-in the death roll and admitted defeat. Seizing her moment while the reptile is under the water, the lioness makes a break for dry land.

9. Free

The lioness bounds over the crocodiles back for the safety of the other bank. Thanking her lucky stars that the crocodile released the grip it had on her lip. Seizing her moment while the reptile is under the water, the lioness makes a break for dry land. Lions are very agile and lionesses do a lot of hunting for the whole pride, so do attain a degree of fitness.

Don’t miss out #12! It is probably the most beautiful and touching image you’ll ever see as the lioness takes her cubs into safety.

10. Back on Dry Land

The lioness emerges safely on the other side of the river after bravely battling the crocodile to protect her pride. When it comes to protecting their young, lions can be one of the most fiercely protective predators in the animal kingdom. Emerging safely on the other side of the river, the defiant lioness scouts for her pride.

11. Diversion

With all this diversion and action, and the brave lioness taking on the huge beast the other two lioness and the two cubs swim across the channel to safety. Re-joining the rest of her pride, the diversion tactic was a complete success, as her cubs were able to cross the river in safety.

Pia said: “Luckily the story had a happy ending because all the lionesses and cubs made it safely to the other bank.”

12. Safe at Last

The battered lioness joins the other two lioness and the two cubs as they emerge from the water onto dry land. Today they escaped being a meal for the toothy crocodile. It would definitely have taken one of the cubs, which would have been totally helpless against the beast.

13. Bloody Mouth

These dramatic pictures show the moment one selfless mother lioness went above and beyond for her cubs. However, after the crocodile clamped its jaws around her mouth, the lioness was left bleeding. Hopefully her mouth did not take too long to heal, as she would probably have a swollen jaw for a while, which would hamper her kill and feeding of the next meal. The crocodile swam away after the incident that disturbed an otherwise peaceful day at the Okavanga Delta.

14. The Photographer

The amazing moment of the lioness protecting her cubs was taken by photographer Pia Dierickx, an enthusiastic wildlife photographer.