Lioness and Cubs
by Staff EditorLion cubs are born in litters of two to three and weigh about three pounds each. They are able to hunt for food on their own by the age of two and are generally fully grown at six years of age. A pride typically contains at least two or more pregnant female lions and the cubs are usually born at around the same time and raised together. Most mothers carefully nurture their young but some have been known to abandon them, particularly when food is scarce. Many lionesses will permit cubs that are not hers to suckle, sometimes giving a neglected cub the chance to survive. The life span of a lion is about 13 years.
