Dramatic Video Captures How Lioness Reacts When Male Lion Threatens Her Cub: ‘Amazingly Special Thing to Witness’

A visitor to the Kruger National Park in South Africa captured a tense moment between a lioness and a male lion at the game reserve as the mother lion protected her cub.

In the video, the mother lion walks down a path with her cub by her side. Several yards ahead, a male lion intently watches the pair approach.

Suddenly, the mother lion rushes forward and attacks the male, and the two scuffle briefly before the mother lion returns to cub, looking back several times to make sure the male lion doesn't follow.

Passengers watching from inside the safari vehicle can be heard gasping and exclaiming "no."

"Oh my God," one passenger whispered.

Kylie Haslam, a guide at the park, said the lioness was nervous and appeared to check on her cub more than normal. According to the Daily Mail, Haslam said she saw the male look over at her, which is when the mother lion decided to attack.

The male lion hid underneath the safari car after the attack, she said.

"It was such an amazingly special thing to witness, the raw aggression and unbelievable love the mother had at the same time," Haslam said.

(H/T: Daily Mail)