Sex on the Savannah
Mufasa: A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day Simba, the sun will set on my time here and will rise with you as the new king.
—From The Lion King
Sex on the savannah—it’s everywhere! Being on safari is like being in class in real time—zoology, botany, anthropology, geology, conservation—teaching opportunities are everywhere including sex education.
Lions have a reputation of being lazy since they sleep 18 hours a day. They are the only cat group that lives in family social structures. A group of sleeping lions looks like one big happy family, everyone snuggled in close.
Mothers share babysitting duties even nursing other cubs if their mother is out on a hunt. Co-operation rules, even in the hunt—most of the time.
Lazy, however, does not apply to lions when they are mating. This happens every couple of years for a lioness. Life is more demanding for the King. He’s on duty whenever a lioness in the pride is in heat. In other words, he has his work cut out for him and if he doesn’t satisfy his harem there are always competing males ready to take over. So much for co-operation.
The first time I came across lions mating on the Maasai Mara I felt like a voyeur. There is nothing discrete about lion sex, it is aggressive, loud, and goes on for days! The mating couple alternate between fierce roars, bites, and exhausted companionable collapse. My curiosity overcame self consciousness when I realized the mating couple had eyes only for one another. I shifted my focus to capturing their story.
When a lioness is in estrus her urine sends out a scent that she is ready to mate. If given the opportunity she will mate with more than one male to protect her offspring from being eaten by competing males. Typically, a lioness gives birth to 1-4 cubs after a gestation period of 14-15 weeks.
A lioness is in heat leaves the pride with her mate and spends a few days away on honeymoon. She calls all the shots. I watched the seductive advances of the lioness as she approached the male waving her tail under his nose then distancing herself playing hard to get, snarling and growling. The King followed her like a drunken lover mounting her and roaring and biting her neck. Copulation is brief and painful for the lioness. The male’s penis is barbed so withdrawal hurts the female. Apparently, the pain shocks her system inducing ovulation and permitting fertilization.
After mating the pair collapsed and rested—for a few minutes—then the ritual began all over again. Lions mate for 5 to 6 days. They don’t eat, they just mate, again and again and again, every 15 minutes. Repetition ensures the survival of the species.
As we watched the lion couple two big males sauntered into the scene. They kept their distance from the lovers and headed for our truck. One of the males sprayed the front headlight as he passed by. Our vehicle was a convenient spot to leave his dance card in case the lioness was interested in a new partner.
Lions are a keystone species. As top predator they play a crucial role in how an ecosystem functions. Human wildlife conflict is the biggest threat to lions in Africa. Their population has been decimated; they have lost about 80% of their historic range. Conservation practices and eco-tourism are one of the greatest hopes for ensuring lions continue to roam free.
Listen to Moreangels Mbizah describe how community-led conservation can save wildlife in the following TedTalk.
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