Shared Moment: Life Support

A protective mother guides her cub

Photograph by Sonalini Khetrapal
PhotoZone
Jun 01, 2020

WHEN THIS VIGILANT LIONESS saw one of her cubs wander too close to a cliff, she quickly—but gently—gripped its head and carried it to safety. “This mother was extremely protective,” says photographer Sonalini Khetrapal. “We often saw her hiding her cubs behind the bush and away from predators.” Khetrapal watched this pride of lions for two weeks in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, keeping a respectful distance. “Patience is the key to capturing beautiful moments,” she says. “For me, this image is touching because it captures the soft heart of a mother.”

More from National Wildlife magazine and the National Wildlife Federation:

Ladies First: Wildlife Matriarchs »
Smile Lions, You’re on Beetle Camera »
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