The lion, often referred to as the king of animals, is known for its majestic appearance, with a towering mane and a powerful roar. However, in this particular family of lions at the Washington National Zoological Park, it was the lioness who displayed dominance.
A playful encounter between the father lion and one of his mischievous cubs led to some drama within the lion family. The mother lioness had to step in and restore order when the playfight went too far. It was unusual to witness the lion male showing submission in front of the lioness. Amateur photographer Jennifer Lockridge captured the amusing incidents in a series of photographs.
In one instance, the big lion tried to teach his cub a lesson by grabbing his tail and biting it. However, it was the lioness who took charge and reprimanded the male lion for his attempt to discipline the youngster.
Lockridge, a frequent visitor to the zoo, was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to capture this heated interaction. On what seemed like a calm day in the lions’ habitat, a mischievous cub named Lusaka playfully nipped the tail of the father lion, Luke.
Luke had recently been allowed to interact with his cubs, and Lockridge found their relationship fascinating to observe. Luke is the father of seven cubs from two different mothers in the lion pride at the Wildlife Refuge. As the cubs grow bolder, they approach Luke fearlessly in an attempt to play with him. It seemed that Luke didn’t show signs of anger and might not have realized that Lusaka was biting his tail. Lusaka has a habit of playfully biting the tails of both the adult lions and her siblings.
