Watch nerve-shredding BBC footage of a tiny lion cub in terrifying fall from towering tree as male lions close in. Will it survive?

Watch nerve-shredding BBC footage of a tiny lion cub in terrifying fall from towering tree as male lions close in. Will it survive?

A desperate climb, a frightening fall and an agonising wait makes for heart-stopping watching


In the south-west corner of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, an emotional and tense moment unfolds in front of film makers capturing footage for Big Cats 24/7.

Two young lion cubs, alone and vulnerable, find themselves in danger. With their mother nowhere in sight, they have no protection as two large males advance.

Panicked, one cub scrambles up the trunk of a towering tree, clinging on desperately in an attempt to escape. On the ground, the sibling calls, urging it to come down.

As the cub tires, it slips. It plummets from the great height and hits the ground, lying motionless.

The camera operators struggle to contain their emotion as they watch the tiny, still body.

For agonising seconds, no one knows whether the cub will move again.

Watch tiny lion cub fall from towering tree. Will it survive?

This clip was taken from the BBC's Big Cats 24/7.

Main image credit: Getty Images

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