Life in the wild is difficult for a cub, especially in a harsh environment like Kenya’s Masai Mara.
This lion cub’s life was determined by a single minute of attention.
When its mother moved her gaze away from him, the child fell over the brink of a sheer precipice.
The youngster began to call out for rescue after seeing himself down there, alone and helpless.
His mother, who wasn’t far away, arrived immediately with three other lionesses and a male.
However, the cub’s destiny looked sealed because rescuing him would put the lions’ lives in risk as well.
Slowly, agonizingly, the lioness descends towards her terrified young.
She cautiously treads on the slick hill with her sharp claws, knowing that one slip would terminate both her and the cub’s lives.
She finally had him in her grip. The cub believes he is secure now, but danger is not far away.
The difficult trip to be back home is about to begin.
The dramatic events conclude with the mother and cub safe and well on the firm land above the brink.
Now that everything is OK, the devoted mother licks her baby to reassure him that he is secure.
Let’s hope the youngster learned his lesson!
