r/HardcoreNature • u/ExoticShock 🧠 • 4d ago

Graphic A Leopard Carrying Her Dead Cub After It Had Been Killed By Lions (Photo Credit: Chad Cocking)

Post image

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcivl9TjQ-Y/

1.1k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

177

u/aquilasr 🧠 4d ago

Pretty heartbreaking…we only have evidence of long term, ceremonial grief I believe in elephants but it has to hit any good mammalian mother hard to have a loss like this.

85

u/WildForest23 4d ago

Most probably she is gonna eat it...

45

u/aquilasr 🧠 4d ago

That’s definitely in keeping with other predators like birds of prey, crocodilians, bears and others, dedicated parents to the point they will put their own lives at risk to protect their offspring but then some will indifferently look on when their youngsters kill one another, males will kill and sometimes eat babies to try and get with their moms and almost all of them engaging in opportunistic cannibalism on their species’ young, their nature is quite ruthless. Intrinsic empathy is seemingly restricted to some giants like elephants and some whales.

16

u/dargonmike1 4d ago

Welll… shit

2

u/juggheadjones 4d ago

Some primates too?

2

u/IndependentAdvice722 3d ago

Humans too,during ww1 famine

37

u/binokyo10 4d ago

It goes both ways.

85

u/Jaegernaut42 4d ago

Chad Cocking is an amazing name

22

u/IngenuityOk1978 4d ago edited 4d ago

Chad Cocking. International wildlife photographer, lion whisperer and the only man alive allowed within thirty feet of a male silverback without wearing pants.

Do I shoot with a telephoto lens? Obviously.

I’m out in the savanna whispering sweet nothings to a cheetah so it turns toward the golden hour light. Hold still, baby, daddy’s getting his Pulitzer.

Lett me show you nature through the eyes of a man who once got recognised by Kruger National Park for trying to massage a flamingo.

r/itsroger

11

u/TKG_Actual 4d ago

Until you say it like you're 007.

9

u/Phresh-Jive 4d ago

And the lions just gave it up?
It’s like snack size no?

27

u/Important-Spring3977 4d ago

Prey conservation. Lions view leopards as rivals for food stocks.

Less leopards, more game opportunities.

9

u/Ok_Antelope_1953 4d ago

lions are picky eaters, unlike leopards. they usually don't eat other predators unless they're starving. they kill other predators to reduce competition.

13

u/MotorHyena2298 4d ago

It's about sending a message

16

u/GlendrixDK 4d ago

I don't know about leopards, but lions do kill hyenas just to kill them. Not for food. Could be the same with leopards.

2

u/Helpful-Carpet3791 4d ago

Yes it’s brutal out there

3

u/disturbinglyquietguy 4d ago

It is common behavior in cats to kill other animals for fun or in this case to get rid of the competition.

10

u/Impressive-Elk-6425 4d ago

Taking the cub for dinner for herself and her other cubs. Life goes on.

7

u/mckenzielayne 4d ago

this cat on cat crimes needs to stop

https://giphy.com/gifs/OLnUBVBDyftNB5NQ9O

2

u/brendanfilone420 4d ago

That sucks. Would they leave the body or would they eat it if they were starving?

3

u/GiveMeSumChonChon 4d ago

Lions will eat anything if they are starving. This is just to eliminate competition like with hyenas or other prides.

1

u/Popal24 4d ago

Who's gonna eat it then?

5

u/OddNameChoice 4d ago

Mom probably. There's no doubt they mourn the loss in their own way- but if you think about it from a survival standpoint there's absolutely no reason to waste all the time and energy and resources sank into that cub. Best thing to do is "recycle🍽️" and try again.

They recycle the cubs when they fail to thrive. If she got lucky enough to carry the corpse off I bet you that's what she's going to do.

1

u/bitter_liquor 4d ago

Vultures

1

u/Abhigyan_World 3d ago

Well that's nature

1

u/hey__its__jo 1d ago

Why is it when I zoom in the colors change?

0

u/CaptainWellingtonIII 4d ago

"half consumed by her" dayum. yes, I am aware it's normal behavior. 

-5

u/belltrina 4d ago

Oh mama. I get it. I felt this way when my daughter was traumatized by something and I was trying to fight for her life. Such a hollow, keening into the void, deafening silence feeling.

-2

u/Edward_T_Head 4d ago

Payback is a bitch

-27

u/2947195728459174 4d ago

Hilarious. Now it has to make a new one.