Safari operator Kurt Schultz sees some incredible things while working in South Africa’s Kruger Park. But when he saw a baboon nurturing and caring for a young lion cub, he just had to capture the moment on film.
Kurt was driving a safari vehicle full of tourists through the park early in the morning when he encountered a group of baboons. Of course, this is not an unusual sight in an African reserve, but it wasn’t long before he noticed something very unusual.
A baboon was holding a young tiger cub in its arms. Kurt was stunned, as he had never seen anything like it in his 20 years as a safari leader.
“I recently went to an area where tiger sightings were very active and came upon a troop of very excited and playful baboons, which is typical for early mornings,” Kurt said. “There was another vehicle at the time of the baboon sighting, and it was reported that there was possibly a tiger cub in the baboon.
This sighting was especially surprising to Kurt because baboons are very aggressive towards tiger and leopard cubs. For that reason, Kurt understandably assumed that the cub was dead and that the baboon was proudly carrying around his kill.
But the safari operator soon realized that this was not the case at all. In fact, the baboon was carrying the baby around, taking care of it as if it were his own!
The baboon was seen carrying the lion cub around as though it were his own baby.
“The young baboon crossed the road and climbed a marula tree; then he was tending and caring for the lion cub as if it were a young baboon,” Kurt said. “The males do a lot of grooming, but the care that is given is the same care that a female gives to one of her young.”
He was grooming and caring for the cub.
“It happened so fast,” Kurt said. “I was quite worried because I knew that if I didn’t get the footage, no one would believe me.”
And how lucky are we that Kurt managed to get that footage! Such a remarkable sight to behold!
It was something Kurt had never seen before.
You can see the incredible footage below.
Watch as the baboon cradles the cub like his own baby. Such incredible and rare moments were captured on film.
Sadly, although it’s a fascinating sight, Curt says it’s highly likely that the cub won’t survive. A lion pride would not have been able to take the cub back and he would not have lived among the aggressive baboons.
But Kurt says that while it’s sad, it’s “100 percent natural.” Mother Nature sure works in mysterious ways!
“It’s nature at its best,” Kurt said. “It may seem cruel to us, but if this baboon hunts a predator, it knows that if the lion gets the chance, its character will change in two years.” Will.”
On the other hand, there are many different stories about animals adopting the babies of another species. And most of them have happy endings!
H/T:pupperish
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