Lion with amputated leg swims record-breaking distance for his ‘female mate’

Researchers say that the swim of about 1.6 kilometres by the lion brothers across the Kazinga Channel is the longest ever swim by lions.

The Story of Jacob’s Perseverance

What makes the story of the two brothers even more interesting is the tenacity of one of them, Jacob, who survived in the harsh conditions of the jungle even after nearly years of losing part of his leg in a hunting net. The lion has been living in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park for the past ten years.

Jacob and his brother Tibu crossed the waterway connecting two lakes, possibly in search of female lions. The brothers chose the risky route after losing to another group of male lions in a dangerous fight. According to the research, by swimming across the channel, they both could also avoid encountering humans.

“Competition for lionesses in the park is fierce, and they lost their battle for the female lion in the hours leading up to the swim, so it’s likely the two made the risky journey to reach the female on the other side of the channel,” Dr. Alex Brakowski, research fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security at Griffith University in Australia and lead author of the study, was quoted as saying by CNN.

Sharing Jacob’s incredible journey of survival in the African jungle, Braczkowski regarded the lion as a “cat with nine lives.” The lion had faced many obstacles in his life, including a bloody fight with a buffalo, attacks by poachers, and more.

Describing Jacob as Africa’s most resilient lion, the researcher said the lion had once been trapped in a hunter’s net but in another hunting attempt it lost its leg, this time in a steel trap.

The brothers’ attempt to cross the dangerous waterway is believed to be the result of a fierce fight between the two brothers and other male lions in the area. When Jacob and Tibu were chased out of their territory, Tibu was badly injured in the fight and was saved by Tibu, who then led the other lions away from Jacob, CNN reported, citing research.

Later, the two reached the channel in search of their ‘lady affection’. The two made several attempts to cross the river. In one of their attempts, the two had to retreat due to a possible attack by a ‘crocodile’.

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Published: July 11, 2024, 02:18 PM IST