Ever Photos Show Wild Lion Nursing Leopard Cub

Most lionesses would perhaps kill the baby leopard as a direct competition to its food source experts believe, but not this lioness, whose maternal instincts seemed to have kicked in as she nursed the leopard cub.

"Even its early exposure to lion society would not override the millions of years of evolution that has equipped the leopard to be a supreme solitary hunter", he said.

A unique wildlife interaction has been captured on camera for the first time: in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a lioness is breastfeeding a baby leopard.

MORE: Do you find this image disgusting?

"This is all speculation, and I'm hoping for the best", he said.

While the arrangement is unusual, Hunter says there's nothing physiologically that should prevent the lion from raising the leopard.

While it's not impossible, if the leopard cub were to survive, here's what would have to happen.

Hunter said that while there are cases where lionesses adopt other lion cubs, this one was unique. Right now, the only photos we have show the lioness nursing the leopard out in the open.

Thanks to other threats such as hyenas and wildfires, Hunter says the mortality rate for a lion litter in their first year averages is about 50 percent.

It's unknown how the leopard cub ended up with Nosikitok.

Next, the leopard kitten would need to be welcomed into the lion pride.

"She would not be nursing the cub if she wasn't already awash with a ferocious maternal drive (which is typical of lionesses)", he continued.

The lion cubs may not accept the leopard cub, and even if they did, the latter would have many more challenges to face.

And even if that doesn't happen, the story comes to a similar end.

Like this adorable leopard cub they are around two to three weeks old. Hunter says it's possible that one of the lions killed the leopard's mother, as lions see leopards as competitors.

"Lion females are incredibly devoted and diligent mothers", says Hunter. The leopard cub is estimated to be about 3 weeks old, and the lioness is 5; She bears a Global Positioning System collar and is monitored for scientific purposes by KopeLion, a Tanzanian conservation organization supported by Panthera.