Ross Breakaway Lionesses: #BestFriendsForever

These endearing photos taken of the Ross Breakaway lionesses show their softer side, while an image of one of the females baring her teeth shows her true colours… They are wild cats, of course, and they survive on live prey, but their bond as sisters appears to be unbreakable. We have watched them over the years as they have born cubs and lost them, fought with rival prides, paired up with various male lions, and disappeared for weeks at a time; but they have always stuck together and we like to think they always will. But who are we to judge? What we think we know about the life of wild lions is merely based on human interpretation.

Two peas in a pod: Ross Breakaway lionesses

Ross Breakaway lionesses grooming each other

Ross Breakaway lionesses greeting each other after a nap

Over the weekend, it looks like one of the Breakaway lionesses got into a scrap with another lion. Tensions are running high with a whole host of strange lion activity taking place in the Klaserie. This morning, guides at Africa on Foot found both the lionesses relaxing near Jason’s Dam. One looks in poor condition with lots of scratches and bite marks, and a limp in her back leg. In the past these lionesses have fought with the Hercules Pride, but the cause of the latest injuries is unknown.

One of the Ross Breakaway lionesses appears to be missing a canine

Ross Breakaway lioness strolled passed Africa on Foot vehicle

Admiring the Ross Breakaway lionesses from up close!

These photos of the Ross Breakaways feeding on a buffalo calf demonstrate the reality of the wild world, where only the fittest survive. This young buffalo would have been the target of a long stalk by the lionesses, and in all likelihood they would have had to fight off the buffalo’s mother in order to successfully kill the calf. Adult buffaloes are notoriously defensive and fearless, and many a lion has lost its life to the piercing horns and stampeding weight of this formidable bovine.

A buffalo calf provides much needed food for the lionesses

A morbid, albeit natural image of a lioness feasting on her kill