"We are family"

While tigers, leopards, cheetahs, lynx, cougars and Jaguars prefer to live alone, the lion is the only truly social cat that thrives off close companionship. For many years, the question as to why lions formed prides in the first place baffled scientific minds. But now we have the answer, and it's pretty obvious. Rich habitat with water source, cover and places to observe the place, are what are known as lion hotspots. But if that be the case, it's easier to defend a territory through strength in numbers, rather than continually compete against individuals who may want to take over your real-estate and force you into the unforgiving wilderness.  Here you see one of the Marsh Pride lionesses snoozing under a tree with one of her sub-adult daughters who will be a big help to her mother on future hunts. And when new males take over the pride in future, they will most likely work together in raising new cubs in what is typically called, a creche.