Male baboon steals cub from its pride while foraging for food in South Africa’s Kruger Park
The Lion Cling! Male baboon steals a cub from its pride while foraging for food in South Africa’s Kruger ParkFootage was recorded by Kurt Schultz in the Kruger National Park, South AfricaBaboon holds the lion cub as it attempts to wriggle free and cries out in distressThere were several reports that the lion cub died a short time later
By Raven Saunt For Mailonline
Published: 12:01 GMT, 2 February 2020 | Updated: 12:41 GMT, 2 February 2020
A male baboon stole a lion cub from its pride while foraging for food before taking it into the treetops to groom it.
The footage was recorded by Kurt Schultz in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, on Saturday.
In the video, the adult baboon can be seen sitting in a marula tree as the sun shines through the leaves.
It turns around to reveal that it is holding a lion cub which is crying out feebly in distress.
Mr Schultz begins to narrate the scene in front of him and says: ‘Kruger National Park with Kurt Safari, [there is] a baboon with a lion cub that it has caught.
‘Its lion cub is still very much alive and the baboon is busy grooming it.’
The lion cub continues to flail around in an attempt to break free but the primate retains its firm grip.
Mr Schultz continues: ‘The cub is still alive and the “female” baboon is literally grooming it.
‘Its an unusual sighting – first of its kind for me.’
The footage was recorded by Kurt Schultz in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, on Saturday. In the video, the adult baboon can be seen sitting in a marula tree with the lion cub firmly in its grasp
The baboon then readjusts its hold on the young lion and begins trekking through the trees.
It tucks the cub under its arm to leap between branches before sitting down to comb through its fur with its fingers, which is where the video ends.
The interaction has reminded some of the famous Circle of Life scene in Lion King where Simba, a lion cub, is lifted above the African planes by Rafiki, the baboon.
Mr Schultz spoke about the interaction again a short while later.
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He said: ‘I had a meeting at Skukuza – one of the camps – for Kurt Safari on Saturday so I was in the Kruger for the morning.
‘Before the meeting, I decided to enter the park early to do some photography which is a hobby and passion of mine.
‘I drove onto the S21, one of the roads near Skukuza, where I came across a troop of baboons being restless.
It tucks the cub under its arm to leap between branches before sitting down to comb through its fur with its fingers
‘Being early morning this is relatively common but then I noticed a baboon carrying something and the rest of the troop were interested in that baboon.
‘The baboon was not visible and I spent some time at the sighting as I was told it was possibly a lion cub
‘The baboons probably moved down [from the trees] during the early morning to start their day foraging for food came across the hidden lion cub.
‘I first thought it was a female baboon but it was in actuality a young male baboon.
‘The young baboon crossed the road and climbed up a marula tree.
The interaction has reminded some of the famous Circle of Life scene in Lion King (1994) where Simba, a lion cub, is lifted above the African planes by Rafiki, the baboon
‘I waited for about 30 minutes before it came into view and was moving from tree to tree.
‘The rest of the troop then moved away and the baboon was grooming and caring for the lion cub as if this was a young baboon.
‘I spent about an hour at the sighting and decided to leave as I had a meeting.
‘It is normal for a troop of baboons to kill young leopard and lion cubs but after 20 years of being a guide this is the first time I have seen a baboon nurturing and caring for a young predator.’
It is thought that the cub died a short time later.
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