Sometimes, you need a little encouragement from Mom — just ask these lion cubs! A guide from MalaMala Game Reserve caught the cutest video of the kitties learning to climb a tree under their mother’s supervision. Michael Moth sent the footage to Latest Sightings, who posted it on YouTube. The sweet clip already has over a million views!
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In the video, Mama lion stood on a high tree branch while her cubs played below. She kept calling to them, trying to entice them to climb up with her. Although they seemed hesitant at first, the adorable kittens finally gave it a try. However, it was harder than Mom made it look!
Eventually, one of the lion cubs managed to climb all the way up to where their mother was waiting. She quickly praised her brave child with sweet nuzzles and kisses! None of the other cubs were able to climb quite so high, but they made a very impressive effort.
“In the end, the mom came down proud of all her cubs,” reads the YouTube post. “Each of them put in an excellent effort in learning this new skill. Some learnt it better than others but in the end everyone of these cubs learnt a valuable lesson that may one day help them in their lives of survival.”
According to the caption, these lion cubs were pretty young. In fact, this was one of the first moments between Mom and her babies that humans at MalaMala Game Reserve were able to witness. Commenters absolutely loved the footage!
“Awww… this is so heartwarming,” wrote one user. “The tenderness with which a fierce animal guides her cubs, encouraging them while staying alert, shows that mothers are the same across species. The cubs are adorable and mama lioness’s patience, love and care are so beautiful.”
“The way the mother lion patiently waits and cheers for her cubs is amazing,” another added.
What an adorable teaching moment that this MalaMala guide captured on camera! As long as these lion cubs stick with their mom, they’re in good hands — er, paws.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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