Lion Brothers: From Cubs To Kings

There is one thing that a lion has on his mind right from the start. Dominance. Male lions need to feel superior, and the strongest start young. A male cub is born into a hierarchy of power. His father wields it, and his mother lives by it. From day one, this new addition to the pride aspires to be a dominant force. He will fight for this goal his entire life, both with his prey, and with his family.

For this cub, the world is a playground. He always seems to have fun. But death and danger are woven into his play too. With unusually strong genes, he immediately rises above the rest. As a youngster, his character emerges quickly. Most cubs are afraid of their father. He’s clearly not. Even his play smacks of a challenge and he will have to handle himself carefully. Aside from leading a pride, his immediate goal - should he survive to young adulthood - is to bring down the holy grail of lion prey. A buffalo. He’s braver than the rest of his siblings, and during a buffalo hunt he forces himself into the thick of the action. He stays at the kill longer than the other cubs, putting himself at risk to watch and learn from the adults. As he grows, his quest for power makes him a threat to his own father. After the inevitable fight between them, he’s no longer welcome in this territory. One of his brothers leaves with him.

Although the two youngsters don’t rule anything, they’re much stronger together. Despite this, it’s tough being out in the cold and every day is a challenge. But together they eventually succeed in bringing down their first buffalo. The old ruling male eventually loosens his grip on the pride and dies on the throne. It’s time for the young male to step back into the family. Will he kill his father’s cubs, or are their genes close enough to home?