LOOK: In rare sight, lioness nurses leopard cub in Tanzania

Panthera-Lion-Adopts-Leopard-Cub from Panthera Cats on Vimeo.



It's believed to be the first time this kind of encounter has ever been photographed.


Ingela Jansson, head of the KopeLion conservation group, said Thursday that the lactating lion, fitted with a GPS collar so that researchers can track her, may have lost her own cubs and therefore was open to feeding the leopard cub. The leopard, meanwhile, appeared to have lost contact with its mother.

Sadly, this story isn't expected to end well.

Luke Hunter, president and chief conservation officer of the global wild cat organization Panthera spoke to the Washington Post. He told the paper that lionesses typically introduce cubs to their pride at about eight weeks old. Even if the little leopard cub makes it, Hunter says it's not likely the pride would be welcoming.


With files from the Associated Press