January 2022
Whilst on a wildlife safari game drive in Luangwa National Park Zambia, we observed a rate sighting of mating lions. We managed to capture this extraordinary occurrence on video so that we could share this once in a lifetime experience with you!
Did you know?
Female lions will start mating when they are 2 years old. Male lions will start mating when they are 3-4 years old, although it is unlikely that they will pass the prime of 6-7 years before dying.
Male lions will guard their females against other males who try to get their female away from him or into submission while mating. The larger, more powerful male and dominant one is the one that will be chosen by the female since he is the one that will provide for her and their future cubs.
It is very unlikely that a male lion who is not in his prime years will get to mate with any female lions. The number of females that can be mated by one male lion depends on the size of the territory that they control. A lion will have a territory that measures anywhere from 50 square kilometres to 200 square kilometres, equivalent to 15-50 miles in length.
When it comes time for mating, the male lion will often roar very loudly to let other lions know his intentions.
How many times do lions mate ?
When its mating time, a lion pair mates every 20–30 minutes, with up to 50 copulations per 24 hours. You would ask why do why do lions mate so many times ? The reason for this is the low fertility rate of Lions. Lion parents can mate up to 3000 times to have a cub. Besides that a female will not be in heat for longer than a week, which is why the male must mate with her right away. When she does go into heat, however, males from all around will know and compete for the chance to reproduce with her.
What lions do when they mate
Mating between lions is an intense affair. A male lion may stroke the female with his tongue on the shoulder, neck or back to initiate. When lions mate, the male mounts the female from behind. Female lions might be aggressive because of the hormones released while mating. After mating a female lion often rolls on her back, a behavior scientist don't have a good explanation for.
The gestation period can last anywhere from 110 to 180 days. When a female is pregnant, she will hunt and bring food back for the male as well. This is because, during this time, he must protect both her and their cubs from other lions who would like nothing better than to make an easy meal out of them.
Once they give birth, the female will often go off on her own to protect her cubs from being killed by other animals, including the male lion she mated with. They have no time to mate again until their cubs are over 2 years old, at which time they will be driven off by the male as he wants to mate with other females and produce more offspring.
So, while the males may get all the mating benefits, this is not true. Females can and do enjoy many of them as well.
Would you like to experience a safari in Zambia and view lions in their natural habitat?
Zambia safaris are extremely popular, contact Ntanda Ventures an award-winning safari company to book your safari holiday today! www.ntandaventures.com or info@ntandaventures.com #safari #wildlifesafari #africansafari #lioness #lions #wildlifephotography #zambiasafari
