It's not just humans who are struggling with the burden of unexpected extra childcare at the moment, as these remarkable photographs show.
Singa, an African lion, found his pack of five unruly cubs were more than a handful – or should that be pawful? – when mum was away.
Although he appeared to be trying his best, his parenting skills were not quite up to the task of caring for his young brood at Pakawi Park Zoo in Belgium while their mother, JJ, underwent medical treatment.
Wildlife photographer Linda Smit explained: ‘The mother was attacked by another lioness. She had severe injuries and had to be separated from her cubs for a few weeks to heal. So dad had to take care of them.‘He was trying to lift them, like the mother would do, to carry them to what he probably thought was a safer place. But as a male, he didn’t have the skills or experience to properly lift them.
‘Although he was very gentle with the cubs, they screamed every time he came near and tried to move them. He was very tolerant with them, but he did get a bit grumpy when they were biting his tail.’
The cubs were clearly delighted when JJ was restored to health by zoo vets and returned to their enclosure, as the final picture shows.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
