The Babyhood of Wild Beasts/Chapter 19

by Georgia McNally

CHAPTER XIX

baby lions

DO you know that baby lions are spotted with black spots and resemble leopards more than they do lions? They also have black stripes on their backs very much like tigers. The spots and stripes prove to us how closely the lion is related to the leopard and the tiger, who are also members of the big cat family.

Lions are born in the late spring or early summer. They are born blind, like kittens. There are from two to four in a litter. And on a single occasion that I know of, there were six in the family, the largest number I have ever known. The eyes open on the second or third day and are of a beautiful soft brown colour, for all the world like a collie puppy's.

They have overgrown, clumsy paws, with sharp claws hidden in their velvety sheaths. The ears are many sizes too big for the little roly-poly babies, who are no larger at birth than a small house cat. They are unable to walk but during the second or third week begin to creep about and soon get control of their helpless legs. They are loving little fellows and readily make friends with animals of other species and humans.

The lioness is one of nature's true mothers. She watches her babies with jealous care, anticipating their wants, kissing away their childish troubles, teaching them good manners, settling their disputes and showering them with the mother love of her great big heart. Many human mothers could learn lessons worth while, lessons of patience, forbearance, gentleness and wisdom from the lioness.

Lions are clean animals. The little babies soon learn to wash their own faces and bodies and take pride in keeping themselves scrupulously clean. Can you imagine anything dearer than a little lion washing his face with his big clumsy paw? They perform their ablutions in much the same fashion as a kitten does. Shortly after birth the milk teeth appear. These are replaced between the ninth and eighteenth month by the permanent teeth. Little lions suffer during the teething period with the same maladies young children do at that time. Colic, fever, sore gums, worms and indigestion are among the commonest of their ills. The cubs crave solid food before they lose the milk teeth. In captivity they cry for meat between the third and fourth month. Rich nourishing soup is added to their milk diet, but no raw meat is given until the sixth month. In the wild state the mother divides her kill with them when about two months of age.

I know a little lion who has been raised on a nursing bottle. He lets me hold him in my arms and takes his bottle just like a baby does. He's a greedy little scamp and always is hungry. He can't be tempted to a nice drink of water or a bowl of soup unless it is put in the bottle. This little lion is five months old and has a bulldog for a room-mate. They love each other dearly and play games most of the time. Rough-house is their favourite game and wrestling is very popular with them. The bulldog is such a good-natured old chap. And what maulings he takes from that lion! The poor old dog lies as patiently as can be imagined under the circumstances and lets the lion "chaw" him. Only when this onesided game gets too hot does he try to uphold his dogship's dignity. He then proceeds to give the lion a wholesome trouncing. Then the lion locks his big fore paws around the dog's neck and with its hind feet flying at the rate of a mile a minute, proceeds to "kick the stuffing out of him." The dog looks disgusted, as much as to say, "Aw, what's the use?" Then they make it up and kiss each other and after a sleep, side by side, start it all over again.

I am personally acquainted with a young, ramping lion whose name is Pompey. He has a fleecy white lamb for a playmate. They are good pals, these two, and live harmoniously under very trying conditions. Pompey has had the toothache for a week and has held his temper during this harrowing situation. Then the dentist came and extracted the aching tooth. He bore it like the little gentleman he is, but his cries were pitiful. After it was all over, he laid his poor suffering jaw between his paws and shivered with the agony of the pain. I am glad to tell you he has

Photo by A. W. Schaad

These four fat lion Cubs are out for an airing. I suppose they will have some wonderful stories to tell their mother about the birds and bees and babies they saw while out on their little lark.

Photo by A. W. Schaad

"Baby Snyder" and Baby Lions are great pals. Grandpa "Bill Snyder" taught his grandson that Lion babies are just like humans—they would much rather play, eat and sleep than do anything else in the world.

recovered and is happy again. When Pompey was three months old, long, soft, tawny hair appeared and his pretty black spots began to fade. At six months of age, the new tawny coat was so thick that only a few spots on his legs were visible. His hair is much lighter in weight than human hair. The mane of a full-grown lion is estimated to weigh about a pound and a half.

Pompey has developed a fine black tassel at the tip of his tail. Also he is developing a voice. The first expression of that noble voice was a faint "meow." But it's going to grow into that great, reverberating roar composed of two syllables "Ah-oum," which is the grandest sound in our brute creation. Pompey is proud of his voice and exercises it on the slightest provocation. He struts before his little sister, because she won't have any voice to speak of, until she is five years old, and he is very vain of his accomplishment. His voice breaks at times and ends in a plaintive "meow." He looks sheepish then and lies down in the darkest corner of his cage.

Pompey is nine months old now, a scraggly mane is sprouting on his neck and he looks quite a fine young dandy lion. His mother will wean him in a few weeks and the little fellow will have to depend on himself and his keeper.

The memory of lions is quite remarkable. Carl Hagenbeck cites an instance which is most interesting regarding this highly developed faculty in lions. Two lions with whom Hagenbeck was well acquainted, had been taken to Bronx Park, New York. As their old friend approached their den, they stared at him. The moment he called their names, they sprang up, ran to the bars, purring loudly while he stroked and caressed them.

His old lion, "Trieste," has been in his possession eighteen years. Trieste is a performer and does many tricks. His master writes of him: "He is as tame, true and faithful as a dog. Indeed I often treat him as if he were a dog. One day last summer, I noticed with sorrow that my old friend was lame; and upon further observation, I found that he was suffering great pain.... I found that on each of the animal's hind feet two claws had grown into the flesh.... In such matters, Trieste can be treated like a sensible human being. Having been ordered to lie down, his claws were clipped with long sharp clippers and the points drawn out. During the whole procedure, which was by no means painless, the lion kept perfectly still."

Lions love their young just as we do and can be affectionate and faithful. I think the "black sheep" among them are due to bad rearing or to having been caught after they are full-grown. I do not believe that all the bad lions are born bad.

There is no more beautiful animal than the lion. They are intelligent and loving and, if taken when young, make devoted pets.

The lion is deservedly called The King of Beasts.