Lioness Momma Adopts Sick Baby Leopard And Raises As Her Own

Lions and leopards at the Gir National Park don’t usually get on. “They compete with each other” for space and food, said Stotra Chakrabarti, a researcher who studies animal behaviour. “They are at perpetual odds.” And until recently, this statement wouldn’t have been questioned. But one particular lion, against all odds, broke the barrier when she adopted a baby leopard.

The researcher believes the lioness may have overlooked the fact her new child was actually a leopard because of similarities the cubs share with young lions. Until they reach young adulthood, lions and leopards play, meow and beg for milk in similar ways, meaning the leopard cub was able to 'blend in' with his adoptive siblings.