The Cyclic Game Of Thrones - Lion Life

Masai Mara National Reserve

Lion Prides are not led by the males. Whether they know it or not, the males come and go through a revolving door that provides a varied gene pool to the family of related females who are a constant in the pride. Lion prides operate within a matriarchal social structure. The males are ousted often from the throne of Pride King or Controlling Coalition and replaced by younger, more virile, males to no objection by the females. Strong male coalitions are known to have multiple prides that they have within their territories. So, the males and females are not necessarily always playing the same unified game as a pride. Males, if they are strong enough to gain control of a pride, on an average will stay only two years with it. They will stay with their coalition brothers for life. The females will stay with their pride for life. Young males will be kicked out of the pride by the age of 2 or killed if his dad is kicked out by a new lion for control of the pride.

Kinda makes sense that nature didn’t leave them to be made weak by incest but how such a system develops is, to me, the miracle of nature seen in front of us. Humans were so busy looking at ET to take on the role of Creator that we forgot to look in our own surroundings or rather chose not to acknowledge where we stand. Not a story fantastical enough I guess.

To me, being born a male lion is definitely being handed the short end of the stick. Think about it, if your dad looses the pride before you leave, oop dead. Your mum, will kick you out at 2 if you get that far. After which, you have to basically find a bunch of boys usually your age and then walk around trying to take on bigger guys who’d like nothing more than to end you right there and be done with the competition for good. All of this, to have sex. If you get strong and get your pride, you will finally get to mate but you will also get your ass handed to you by the next guy in like 2 years. After which, you and your bros go on repeat mode of this kick ass / ass kicked life till one of you can’t get up anymore and then you all go off to lion heaven one by one, usually alone and in a ditch, unable to move. If there are wild dogs around, they’d start taking bites even before you die. In fact a pride of 30 females can have only 3 males in it. See the survival rate? It’s a very hard life, being a lion.

What I find amazing in nature is that all of us find the most conflict within our own species. Big Cats are named and tracked. The detailed stories of the lives of individuals have so much masala, given their social system that most of us who follow them are hooked and always looking for the latest gossip. The most popular drivers are the ones that can keep the party engrossed best and it’s not hard because they are being judged by human moralities and standards. The stories you hear at every camp or hotel dinner table when on safari is always the only entertainment you need in the evenings. Lion stories are particularly more salacious given the pride dynamics. Hey, the stories and gossip is one of the reasons we do this. Kingdom, Violence, Deceit, Sex, Revenge, Legend and Lore, cat society has it all and more.

In fact, if I could write better, I would draw inspiration from the lives of lions and tigers and write a human story. I kid you not, the result would be more dramatic and action packed than The Game Of Thrones.