Being a Dad in the Animal World
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Bai Yi wasn’t sure if it was merely his imagination; he always sensed that Jason’s stride as he approached exuded confidence along with a hint of pride.
It had been months since they last met, and Jason had indeed grown a lot.
Jason dropped the food in front of Bai Yi, and the three little ones, starving, immediately rushed over to tear into it.
Bai Yi stood not far away and could only hear the sound of them gulping down the prey’s blood as if drinking water. He couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.
Jason glanced at him, then turned and walked away with his allied male lion.
Bai Yi thought Jason would stay.
He didn’t.
Bai Yi didn’t mind; he moved closer to the prey and began enjoying the hard-won feast.
At the same time, Jason and the allied male lion circled around, crouching not far away as they waited for the others to finish eating.
While eating, Bai Yi watched them and noticed that they remained extremely alert to their surroundings.
The two lions stood guard while he ate.
A pang of melancholy filled him as he devoured his food in large mouthfuls.
With his hunger finally eased a bit, he vacated his spot to let Jason and his ally take over.
It was obvious that the two hadn’t eaten either; whenever they caught prey, they would simply bring it over.
Driven by hunger, Bai Yi felt deeply moved. He couldn’t understand how Jason knew the whereabouts of him and the three little ones, yet at that moment his dislike for Jason had noticeably diminished.
After Bai Yi left, the allied male lion naturally went over to the remaining food while the three little ones continued nibbling.
Bai Yi approached Jason and gently nuzzled his fur, signaling that Jason should go eat while he kept watch.
Jason gave him a glance, and it seemed that a certain understanding had formed between them; whenever Bai Yi made a move, Jason knew exactly what he meant.
This unspoken bond made Bai Yi feel somewhat wistful. He didn’t regret having driven Jason away before, and now he had no regrets about letting him stay.
Jason also appeared to understand Bai Yi’s temperament and avoided coming too close.
A single high-horned antelope could never satisfy the lion pride’s hunger.
At best, it only eased each lion’s appetite slightly and merely helped to calm the agitation caused by the lack of water.
Not only were Bai Yi and the three little ones searching for water, but Jason and his group were as well.
They hadn’t had a drink in several days, and the onset of the dry season had turned survival into a challenge for every animal.
After finishing their meal and resuming their journey, they had to keep a certain distance from the herds of herbivores, because there were too many hunters trailing behind.
Especially notable were the massive lion prides, most of which were African lions that had migrated to Maasai Mara around June with the animals.
These African lions were exceptionally ferocious and brutal. Their prides were vast, and they seemed determined to leave little chance for other animals to survive.
Perhaps the only force that could rival them was the allied lion pride in northern Maasai Mara.
Bai Yi had originally intended to detour around the northern region that deterred lions, yet no matter how he tried, he couldn’t escape the fate of having to cross the Maasai Mara River.
This time, the great animal migration was headed north, and the noble lion prides in that region had long been lying in wait, ready for food to come to them. They would feast for some time before joining the migration.
Bai Yi decided that when the time came, he would lead his cubs straight across the Maasai Mara River without stopping.
That place would be a veritable hell for animals, including various lion prides.
The great animal migration occurred every year. It was a breathtaking journey, and many people would arrive early in this area just to witness it.
How can one describe such a magnificent scene?
Perhaps it could be likened to a locust plague.
Seen from above, the animal migration resembled a swarm of locusts on land, densely packed and moving in groups.
People with trypophobia might even feel uneasy because of it.
Animals, in their pursuit of survival and reproduction, braved life-threatening dangers to cross areas of death.
As dusk approached, they reached a riverside forest.
They could spend the night resting in the underbrush before continuing on their way.
A journey of over 3000 kilometers was no joke, and they covered only about ten kilometers in a day. It was hard to tell when they would reach their destination.
A riverside forest implied the presence of a riverbed, but unfortunately, it had already dried up. The scarcity of water left Bai Yi with a growing anxiety about dehydration.
Jason and his ally stayed behind because Bai Yi did not display any behavior to drive them away, leading Jason to assume that he had indeed allowed them to remain.
Since the dry season began, Bai Yi has seldom groomed himself. As the weather grows hotter and drier, the grime on his fur increases, giving flies and mosquitoes a place to settle.
Their incessant biting makes his sleep restless.
He occasionally licks himself. Since water sources have become scarce, he is even too lazy to waste his saliva.
Flies and mosquitoes have become his biggest nuisance in the absence of water, and he can no longer maintain the refined image of a male lion.
Jason and his ally groom each other by licking their fur, which helps keep their scent faint and greatly reduces the number of flies and mosquitoes.
Jason seemed to understand Bai Yi’s predicament. After grooming with his ally, Jason approached Bai Yi and lay down beside him.
He began to help Bai Yi clean his fur.
Bai Yi glanced at him with half-lidded eyes. Jason remained cautious, fully aware of the spots on Bai Yi that should not be touched.
At first, Bai Yi resisted a bit. He did not relax until Jason’s licking made him feel comfortable.
There is no denying that having another lion help with grooming is a truly pleasant experience.
The young one has grown up and appears to understand his temperament; when he licks, he never touches Bai Yi’s belly or rear.
This greatly comforted Bai Yi.
Jason was simply afraid of being hit by Bai Yi, and Bai Yi had no idea how much Jason longed to lick his belly and rear.
Animal instincts lead them to feel a complete possessiveness toward those they care for.
Jason’s return delighted the audience and the filming crew who had been down for months.
Especially when they saw that Bai Yi did not reject Jason and even allowed him to groom his fur, the "SonBai" fans came back to life.
"Wuwuwu I thought they had broken up for good. I never expected that after several months they could reunite. Jason has truly grown up; he is no longer as reckless as before"
"After Jason returned, Bai Yi seemed to have become refined again. A few days ago, he was covered in flies and mosquitoes and his fur was matted. In just one night, his fur became smooth and shiny again. Could it be that Jason groomed him?"
"Wuwuwu I really want to be the one on the receiving end like Bai Yi, the tsundere type. He always scolds Jason, yet he still enjoys Jason’s care. Jason has shown promise since he was young. I believe in him"
"Who could disagree? Just look at Bai Yi’s energetic demeanor. He certainly found love"
"The allied brothers are so unfortunate, having to eat lion food on the road every day, while he no longer has to search for food"
"KSWL I still like Bai Yi and Jason together"
After the previous 'imitation incident' and a series of online 'slander cyberattacks' against Jason, he used his own strength to put all those hypocritical critics in their place.
Because the cub not only inherited Bai Yi’s true teachings but can also hunt, spending these months with his elder brother has paid off; his hunting techniques have become remarkably precise.
Perhaps he had seen his mother hunt before, so it was not unfamiliar to him; he simply lost his hunting drive for a while while absorbing Bai Yi’s ways.
Hunting is a natural instinct, ingrained in his genes from birth.
When two subadult male lions joined Bai Yi and his three cubs, their food situation gradually became more stable.
Bai Yi witnessed a remarkable hunt in which Jason and his ally cooperated to achieve a win-win outcome.
The spectacle was astonishing, and even he, an adult male lion, found it hard to believe that the two had managed to take down an adult buffalo.
Bai Yi led them to a completely secure hunting ground to avoid drawing the attention of other prides. Without this, not only would food be scarce, they would also be at risk.
He took them to a relatively barren territory where herbivores were few in number; there was only a herd of buffalo and a very small group of wildebeest.
It appeared they had become separated from their group.
This presented a fine opportunity for Jason and his brothers.
They initially failed when attacking the wildebeest, and subsequently turned their attention to the small herd of buffalo.
Bai Yi had intended to join the fray; however, the remarkable coordination between Jason and his ally left him at a loss.
When he joined for the first time, his angle of attack was off, which agitated the buffalo herd. One lone buffalo then broke away, slipping past Jason and his ally and escaping.
Bai Yi knew he had erred and stood there, dismayed and at a loss.
Luckily, animals do not speak; otherwise, Jason and his brothers would have already started insulting Bai Yi’s ancestors.
That brother glanced at Bai Yi with obvious disdain, as if saying "You useless thing, who let you join? Now it's over, run away."
Bai Yi turned away in dejection. He walked off to be with the three cubs and watched them perform.
It was clear that Jason had not given up hunting but instead launched another attack.
He and his ally divided the tasks: he was responsible for scattering the herd and isolating a buffalo, while his ally drove the isolated buffalo into a sparse grove nearby.
It went very well; they quickly succeeded. First, his ally leaped up and bit the buffalo's neck, then Jason jumped onto the buffalo's back and clamped onto its spine.
They had to bring the buffalo down for a chance at success. Otherwise, even if they bit it, if the buffalo did not fall, it might still escape.
Bai Yi watched this scene, his whole body trembling. He was grateful that he was at the top of the food chain; if he were an herbivore, he wondered if he could even survive one night.
He thought, perhaps not…
Soon the buffalo, its spine damaged, had its limbs go limp on the ground.
The buffalo struggled to rise, but Jason and his ally bit it relentlessly; once the buffalo fell, it had virtually no chance of survival.
The massive animal struggled a few times and then there was nothing more to it.
It was not until the buffalo had completely died that the two male lions released their grip.
Fresh blood made up for the lack of water. Jason sucked fiercely at the bleeding wound before looking up in Bai Yi's direction.
He let out a low call, and Bai Yi went over with the three cubs.
This buffalo was enough to sustain them for four or five days.
Jason's regal bearing was beginning to take shape, which both delighted and alarmed Bai Yi.
He had finally managed to live off his own cub, yet there was no guarantee that one day, when his cub grew strong and he could no longer defeat him, his own honor might be at risk.
Thinking about these things now was pointless, Bai Yi reasoned. His cub was only subadult and had not yet dared to defy him; its submission was the best evidence.
After a sumptuous meal, it was the first time in nearly a month that Bai Yi had eaten his fill.
He thought it was simply wonderful to be full.
After eating, some of the prey remained, but they could not take it away.
Jason would never consider taking the food with him; they could only finish it on the spot to avoid attracting other hunters.
Bai Yi even thought about packing the leftovers to eat on the road, but the circumstances did not allow it.
Looking around, he couldn’t even see a single plastic bag on the vast grassland.
Otherwise, with his intelligence, he would definitely have managed to debone the meat and pack it into a plastic bag to nibble on along the way.
Being full was one thing, but having no water to drink was a serious issue; the next four or five days were destined to be spent searching for a water source.
They hurriedly made their way toward the Maasai Mara River, hoping that the river would quench the thirst of their parched bodies.
A scene of Jason hunting was recorded by netizens and then went viral online.
Within a few hours the view count had surpassed one hundred thousand.
Those netizens who had defended Jason began to sarcastically allude to the earlier hypocritical critics:
"I don’t even know which dog met its end, yet from just a live documentary you all harbor so much malice toward a subadult male lion. Those unaware might even think that this lion killed your entire family"
"First you complained that the production team was imitating, then you launched verbal attacks against Jason. His cub is still in the learning stage, yet you treat him this way. Luckily, animals are not human; otherwise, how could they withstand your slander and insults? The world is not lacking in filthy bugs hiding in the gutters who can’t see the light of day"
"The cub looked so dashing while hunting; Jason is far superior to Bai Yi. He will definitely grow up to surpass Bai Yi. Bai Yi has finally gotten himself a devoted son, and he must be very happy"
"What devoted son? He's his husband. We have to be precise"
"Ah ah ah, I love younger ones the most; Jason has brought sunshine to Bai Yi!"
"I have a strong intuition that once Jason grows up, he will definitely bring sunshine to Bai Yi. Whether you believe it or not, I am utterly convinced. The cub has already demonstrated superb hunting skills, and Bai Yi, this male lion who only knows how to mooch off others, will undoubtedly have to rely on Jason for sustenance. He would surely be embarrassed if he were to live off him, wouldn’t he?"
"Jimei, you got it right. With Bai Yi’s intelligence, he would never just sit by and wait to be devoured. In view of Jason’s transformation, he will undoubtedly find a way to improve himself, after all, the kids threat has already begun to emerge."
That was right. After witnessing several successful hunts by Jason and his ally, a sense of crisis arose in Bai Yi.
What on earth has happened to the cub in these past few months that he has become so strong?
Could it be that he has returned to take revenge on him?
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^姐妹 (jiěmèi): Sister