It was indeed quite a rare sighting that unfolded without warning. Luluka the leopard and her young cub while looking for a new home were forced to take a long detour to avoid a male leopard on the prowl. After a tiring long walk in unfamiliar territory, the last thing she expected was a lioness targeting her three-month-old cub. Totally oblivious to the lurking danger they walked closer. However, the moment she sensed the lioness’s presence, the mother’s instinct to protect her cub exploded in a flash. The cub was shunted into some bushes and she took on the much larger lioness full tilt. The mother’s fury was clearly too much for the lioness who beat a hasty retreat. Soon after, all was well again as mother and cub reunited and continued onto a new home. It’s almost impossible to describe the rollercoaster of emotions I went through documenting this episode.

By Usha Harish, entered in aid of The Maa Trust