# When a lion acquires a tribe & begins killing the cubs, how does he get past the protecting moms?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-lion-acquires-a-tribe-begins-killing-the-cubs-how-does-he-get-past-the-protecting-moms/507378>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 23, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-lion-acquires-a-tribe-begins-killing-the-cubs-how-does-he-get-past-the-protecting-moms/507378 "2009-08-23T10:36:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-lion-acquires-a-tribe-begins-killing-the-cubs-how-does-he-get-past-the-protecting-moms/507378/1 "2009-08-23T10:36:22Z")

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When A male lion takes over a tribe he often kills all the existing cubs. How does he get past the protecting lionesses to do this?

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**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-lion-acquires-a-tribe-begins-killing-the-cubs-how-does-he-get-past-the-protecting-moms/507378/2 "2009-08-23T10:53:17Z")

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The lionesses will often try to defend their cubs.

> [@](#):
>
> A male lion is about one and a half times the size of a female, so to defend her cubs she will often need the help of other females. Females protecting their cubs will often sustain serious injury and on occasion a fight can result in the death of a lioness.

In some cases a coalition of young related males will take over the pride, and clearly this helps in dealing with irate mothers.

[Link](http://mammals.suite101.com/article.cfm/prides_coalitions_and_infanticide_among_lions)

No sign of the mother though in [this video](http://www.toxicjunction.com/get.asp?i=V3482) where a lion is filmed efficiently dispatching three young cubs.

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**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-lion-acquires-a-tribe-begins-killing-the-cubs-how-does-he-get-past-the-protecting-moms/507378/3 "2009-08-23T23:17:45Z")

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IIRC from some nature show or other, if the young are cubs the lioness stands with their father to try to drive off the newcomer, but if they’re old enough to stand a chance on they’re own, she’ll hold back and leave the alpha male on his own. If he loses, the young males will flee and begin a solitary life on the plain until they’re mature enough to make a bid for their own pride.