Following Her Footsteps

Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. This little male cub was the only survivor of a litter born to the Marsh Pride Lioness known as Little Red. We followed her group that included one other female called Spot who had two older male and female cubs and formed a crèche or nursery group that spent much of their time along the intermittent watercourse known as Bila Shaka, the traditional birthing place for the Marsh Pride. We followed their story in early 2019 while filming Season 2 of Big Cat Tales (Animal Planet). People often ask us if we get emotionally involved in the highs and lows of life in the pride. The answer is an emphatic “yes”: how could you not when watching little cubs like Kelele (his name means noisy in Swahili) as he struggled to compete with older siblings and all the dangers that lion cubs must face on a daily basis. Forming a crèche helped, with both Little Red and Spot providing food and protection for Kelele. This emotive image was taken by Angie early one morning as the Marsh Pride returned to the shady retreat of Bila Shaka. It speaks volumes about the need for nurturing and companionship, of having relatives you can rely: the strong protecting the weak, in having a place to call home. For more information about Jonathan & Angela Scott, check out their Artist Bio.