Lions are highly social predators that live in family groups called prides, where the lionesses are the primary hunters and caregivers. The life of a young lion begins with many challenges, making the journey to adulthood a difficult one.
The Term for Young Lions
The term used to describe a baby lion is a “cub.” This naming convention is common among many large, carnivorous mammals, including bears, wolves, and most big cat species, such as tigers and leopards. They are sometimes also referred to as “whelps” or “lionets.”
Physical Traits and Early Growth
Lion cubs are born after a gestation period of approximately 110 days, typically in a secluded den away from the rest of the pride. Litter sizes usually range from two to four. At birth, cubs are tiny and helpless, weighing only about 3 to 4 pounds (1.5 kilograms) with their eyes closed. Their eyes open between 3 and 11 days, and they begin to walk within 10 to 15 days.
A distinctive feature of a young lion is its coat, which is covered in dark spots or rosettes. This spotted pattern provides camouflage, allowing the cubs to blend into the dense grass. These spots are not permanent; they typically fade as the lion grows, usually disappearing completely by the time the cub reaches adulthood. Cubs rely exclusively on their mother’s milk for the first several weeks, but they are introduced to meat around three months of age. Weaning, the transition from milk to solid food, is usually complete by six to ten months of age.
Survival and Social Life in the Pride
The pride’s social structure is a significant factor in a cub’s survival, as lionesses engage in cooperative care. Mothers often synchronize their breeding, allowing multiple females to nurse any cub in the group, a behavior known as allo-suckling. This behavior improves the overall survival rate of the young. While lionesses handle the daily care and feeding, resident male lions primarily defend the territory.
Despite the pride’s protection, the early life of a lion cub is dangerous, leading to a high mortality rate; up to 80% of cubs do not survive past two years of age in some regions. The greatest threats are starvation during prey scarcity and infanticide by rival males. When a new coalition of males takes over a pride, they often kill existing cubs to bring the lionesses back into heat quickly, securing their genetic legacy.