Being a Dad in the Animal World
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The two and a half year old cub couldn't understand what he had done wrong.
The male lion had smacked him the moment he approached, even though he had been so gentle and friendly with the other three little ones.
Jason flattened his ears and stood still for a moment before trying again to crawl under Bai Yi’s belly. But once more, Bai Yi swiped at him with his paw.
Squinting his eyes, the cub backed away and stopped about a meter away from Bai Yi.
Bai Yi watched him warily, his lion face fierce.
He bared his teeth, letting out a low, angry growl from time to time.
His expression was a warning, telling Jason not to do anything that made him uncomfortable.
Bai Yi truly felt there was something wrong with this little lion. He was already so big, with a growing mane starting to take shape around his neck, yet he was acting in such a sneaky and inappropriate way.
It seemed like he needed to start educating this cub about certain things as soon as possible.
At almost three years old, he could already find a mate.
Typically, male lions developed sexual awareness around two to three years of age and could start seeking partners.
Bai Yi refused to believe he was just an innocent child.
So this brat was clearly trying to take advantage of him.
There had to be something off about him.
Technically, Bai Yi could chase Jason away and stop him from following, but if he left on his own, the three little ones would follow him instead. He wasn’t strong enough yet to protect all three by himself.
Bai Yi could only let out a deep sigh.
After nursing for a while, the three little ones finally quieted down.
When lionesses raise cubs, one of the biggest concerns is their cries. The sound can easily attract predators, putting them in danger.
Sometimes, if a cub cries too frequently, the mother might choose to abandon it or even kill it, to ensure the survival of the others.
That’s just how cruel nature is.
Among the three little ones, one was especially noisy. The other two made small sounds, but this one had a loud voice.
It had only been a short while since Bai Yi had stopped nursing them, and yet the noisy one had already started crying again, loudly.
Jason grew irritated and let out a roar at the little cub, roughly meaning:
"If you keep crying, I’ll throw you away!"
However, the cub completely ignored his warning. The cries only grew louder as it kept nudging toward Bai Yi’s belly.
But Bai Yi had already stood up. The little ones kept tilting their heads upward, trying to find the source of food that would comfort them.
Bai Yi glanced down and sighed internally. It seemed he had no choice—he had to go hunting.
If he didn’t, they would keep crying and crying from hunger.
He really wished he could just tell Jason to watch over them while he went to hunt.
But all that would come out was a lion’s roar. Bai Yi had no choice but to shut his mouth.
He walked over to Jason and rubbed his face against him, signaling: "I’m going out to hunt. Watch over them."
But Jason seemed to misunderstand. He immediately flopped onto the ground, rolling around and acting cute.
Bai Yi: "…" What an idiot.
I know you think you're cute and adorable, but in my eyes, you're just a fool right now.
Bai Yi was speechless, feeling an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
But he still had to go hunting. If he didn’t, the three little ones would starve.
Bai Yi left to find prey.
Jason watched Bai Yi’s retreating figure. After a moment of confusion, he quickly made up his mind.
He let out a low growl toward the three little ones before chasing after Bai Yi.
The three little ones didn’t follow. They stayed where they were.
Bai Yi needed to find an absolutely safe area to hunt. He couldn’t step into another lion pride’s territory, but was there such a place as absolute safety?
He could smell scent marks left by other male lions everywhere, which meant the hunting resources in this area were relatively abundant.
He moved cautiously, afraid of accidentally crossing into another pride’s domain. That would turn into another desperate escape.
Fortunately, it was still the rainy season. There was plenty of water, many herbivores still called this place home, and the grass was lush.
Once the rainy season ended and the dry season arrived, many animals would begin migrating. If they couldn’t keep up, they would starve.
The harsh laws of nature had already determined the fate of every species.
As Bai Yi walked, he came across a group of large hippos. Their round, plump bodies looked somewhat comical. He stared at one munching on grass not far away, calculating his options.
There was no way he could take down such a massive creature. He needed to find something smaller.
Silently, he moved away and continued his search.
Sometimes, luck was on his side. He knew how to conceal himself in the grass, keeping his presence and scent from being too obvious.
After walking about a hundred meters, he spotted a group of hyenas that had successfully hunted.
He wasn’t sure if a lone lion like himself could take on so many hyenas, but they were about to feast.
These wretched scavengers had stolen Jason’s food before. Today, they would get a taste of their own medicine.
Bai Yi had underestimated the hyenas’ strength. A single lion couldn’t fight off dozens of them.
But with the three little ones crying out in hunger, he had no choice.
The hyenas had taken down a young buffalo calf. Even though it was small, it was still much bigger than a fawn.
Bai Yi set his sights on their prey.
Not far away, the rest of the buffalo herd remained. The mother who had lost her calf was wailing in sorrow.
It sounded heartbreaking.
Nature’s laws were cruel.
There was nothing anyone could do.
Bai Yi silently offered a short prayer before charging at the hyena pack.
He sprang forward with a roar, startling the feasting hyenas.
But after a brief moment of panic, they realized it was just a lone male lion. They began circling him, calling out to one another.
It was clear they weren’t willing to give up their meal so easily.
There was one thing all predators, whether lions or hyenas, had in common when they ate: they always devoured the internal organs first.
The organs were easy to swallow, with no bones to deal with. Bai Yi had seen Jason feeding the three little ones this way.
Whenever Jason made a fresh kill, he always saved the organs for the little ones, gnawing on the tougher parts himself.
Bai Yi noticed the hyenas had just torn open the carcass’s belly.
Even if the king of the world showed up today, this prey was his to take!
"Roar~!"
He kept growling at the hyenas, trying to intimidate them. The hyenas circled around anxiously, unwilling to leave. No one wanted to give up an easy meal.
However, their opponent was a fully grown male lion, powerful and strong. They didn't dare to charge recklessly and could only harass him from the sidelines, continuing their chaotic battle strategy.
But Bai Yi wasn’t like other foolish lions. He had a mind and a soul. There was no way he would let their tactics drain his stamina.
He stepped toward the prey, lay down beside its belly, and began using his mouth to pull out its internal organs.
Honestly, the sight was overwhelming, making him feel nauseous.
Yet the scent of blood awakened something in his taste buds, like a baptism.
This was a beast’s instinct.
So when he was digging through the organs, he didn’t feel disgusted. Instead, he couldn’t resist the urge to swallow them.
The hyenas chattered noisily around him, but he paid no attention. Occasionally, one would charge at him to provoke a fight, but a single swipe of his paw was enough to send it scurrying away.
Fine. A lion should always leave some for others. He only wanted the internal organs.
He pulled out all the organs, stuffed them into his mouth, and clenched them between his teeth. Now was not the time to keep fighting.
He got what he wanted—it was time to leave.
A low warning growl rumbled from his throat as he glanced around. The hyenas were still trying to get closer, hoping to snatch some food from him.
White Yi looked at what was left and thought, 'I’m already being generous by leaving you the rest'
Holding the animal’s organs in his mouth, he slowly stepped out of the encirclement. But the hyenas weren’t ready to let him go and surrounded him again, taunting him.
At this moment, Bai Yi figured talking wouldn't work. Would a bit of military combat training be too much?
So, when one of the hyenas came at him again, he grabbed it, stood up on his hind legs, and used his sharp claws to deliver a brutal slap across its face.
The hyena yelped in pain as White Yi let out a deep, menacing growl.
'Come at me again, and I’ll drop this prey and bite you to death!'
The hyenas had never seen anything like this before. Terrified, they backed away.
Bai Yi finally lowered his front paws to the ground. He walked out of the encirclement at a steady pace, then suddenly took off at full speed.
He left with style, not a single lion hair behind.
The hyenas chased for a few steps, but once they saw him gone, they quickly rushed back to feast on the remains.
And just like that, Bai Yi had his first experience as a robber on the savanna. This was only the beginning of his bandit life.
He realized that stealing was much easier than hunting on his own.
Considering his status as the king of the grasslands, the weaker animals couldn’t do anything about him.
Of course, as a male lion, Bai Yi had to warn all the little kids out there: 'This method only works for lions like me. As humans, you must follow the law. Stealing from others is absolutely illegal'
But since he was a lion, human laws didn’t apply to him. He was the “Lion King,” radiating confidence.
Later on, he didn’t just continue his life of robbery, he even led Jason astray.
The three cubs had a full meal, while Jason and Bai Yi could only watch hungrily from the side.
To be honest, Bai Yi also wanted to take a bite, but one bite from him would probably swallow all the food meant for the three little ones, so he held back.
Jason had recently eaten a mottled wolf, so he could hold back as well.
The three little ones, full and satisfied, were now climbing all over Bai Yi, playing with his tail, then his ears.
In the end, they started licking him all over.
A strange thought suddenly popped into Bai Yi’s mind.
He flipped the three little ones onto the ground and checked their genders.
Well, well, turns out only one of them was a little lioness.
That meant that when they grew up, only this one lioness could stay in his pride.
Since they weren’t his biological cubs, he could consider this one as his future mate.
Six years? He could wait.
A lioness usually has her first litter at around six years old. By then, he would be eleven.
Damn, eleven? That was practically ancient. Wouldn't he be halfway to the grave by then? Wasn't this just asking to be struck by lightning?
Regardless, this little lioness would be his in the future.
So, he stretched out his paw and pushed the two little male cubs toward Jason, signaling, You two have the same mother, so you should stick together.
Then he pulled the lone little lioness into his embrace, satisfied, and gave her small head a gentle lick.
From now on, you’ll stay with me. I’ll make sure you always have enough to eat and never go hungry.
The little lioness was very fond of Bai Yi too. She rolled around on the ground, wanting to play with him.
Bai Yi played with her for a bit until the little thing grabbed onto his mane and refused to let go.
Jason stared at Bai Yi with a resentful expression, clearly not understanding why Bai Yi was doing this.
After eating their fill and getting some rest, they had to leave this place. Otherwise, the herd of wild buffalo would track them down by scent.
It didn’t really matter for him and Jason, but the three little ones would be in real danger.
Bai Yi led them in search of their next stop. Until they found a new territory, this wandering life would continue.
Their pride was too weak to defeat other prides. If they were attacked, all they could do was avoid the fight, and they didn’t even dare challenge another pride for territory.
But even so, the unexpected still happened.
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