Being a Dad in the Animal World
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They had entered the territory of a lion coalition. In this area, multiple prides shared borders, with the core pride at the center, surrounded by outer prides.
Typically, male lions form alliances with their relatives or with others who have faced similar circumstances.
These males, once they reach maturity or adolescence, are driven out by the pride leader.
Unable to remain in their original territory, they wander in search of survival. To increase their chances, they often choose to form alliances with other lions.
These alliances usually consist of brothers, cousins, or lone lions who have gone through the same experience.
Once they establish a pride using their combined strength, some will live independently, while others will return to the outskirts of their birth pride’s territory to claim their own domain.
On the vast grasslands, lion coalitions are common. Their purpose is always the same, to expand their territory and increase their chances of survival.
The leader of the core pride, concerned for the safety of his group, often tolerates their existence.
These coalitions usually consist of at least two male lions. When faced with intruders, they fight together to defend their land.
However, encountering a coalition was not the most terrifying thing. The real danger was that they had entered an area where a powerful coalition was in the midst of breaking apart.
On this rainy day, Bai Yi and Jason moved forward with the three cubs, letting the wind carry them along.
The downpour was heavy, and even the usual herds of grazing animals were scarce. He wanted to find a place where the cubs could take shelter and rest.
The entire way, the scent of other male lions filled the air. Bai Yi was fully aware of the immense danger in this area, but he had no choice, he had to keep going if he wanted to find a safe place for them to stay.
He had no idea that he had just stepped into a coalition’s territory, nor that he was about to witness its collapse.
In the 'Animal Kingdom' live broadcast, the host braved the storm, explaining Bai Yi and Jason’s current situation to the audience.
A beautiful European woman narrated with exaggerated expressions. Her waves of fear and astonishment were so intense that viewers could feel the tension through the screen.
“This is the northern region of the Maasai Mara. Bai Yi has led Jason and the cubs away from their original territory into this perilous land. We are about to witness an unprecedented battle for the lion throne"
"This place is home to some of the largest coalitions, with many prides from prestigious bloodlines and an overwhelming number of family members"
"The battle has already begun, and it’s not far from where Bai Yi and the others are. On this rainy day, we are about to witness history, the division of a coalition.”
Viewers watching from their screens were deeply worried for Bai Yi and the cubs.
After all, Bai Yi was only a little over five years old, a lion so indifferent to conflict that he couldn't be more passive.
He was also a lion that, instead of hunting when hungry, would rather eat grass.
Hearts pounded with anxiety as countless people speculated whether Bai Yi, Jason, and the cubs would meet their end here.
Bai Yi was unfamiliar with this region. As an intern photographer, he had always traveled with a crew that guided him, so he never had to worry about directions.
Navigating north, south, east, and west was never his strong suit.
However, he quickly realized something was wrong. A river appeared before him.
Looking across, he spotted a group of plump hippos on the opposite bank, while faint shapes of massive crocodiles lurked beneath the water.
His heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to back away, the hippos suddenly became restless, fleeing toward the deeper part of the river.
In the next moment, a group of lions broke through the hippos' defenses, leaping desperately into the raging waters.
Blood stained the river red. The lions had no time to protect their cubs or the younger members of their pride, they were fighting for their lives to cross.
The scent of blood quickly attracted the crocodiles. A cub was seized by powerful jaws and dragged beneath the surface.
Soon, all that remained was a pool of crimson water.
That wasn’t all, the lions had entered the water, and more were chasing from behind. Several male lions, leading a group of lionesses, were hunting them down relentlessly!
Bai Yi glanced ahead, then looked behind him. He finally understood where he was.
This river should be the Mara River, dividing the Maasai Mara grasslands in two, forming a natural boundary.
It was one of the most frequent battlegrounds for lion coalitions.
The scene before him seemed to be a coalition being torn apart by a stronger one.
They were running for their lives.
Lions were incredibly aggressive creatures. Once a group became strong enough, the dominant males would lead their pride to seize more territory, turning the grasslands into a battlefield of blood and chaos.
Bai Yi spun around, grabbed a cub in his mouth, and ran. Seeing this, Jason snapped out of his fear, picked up another cub, and ran after him.
Under the rain, two male lions that had failed to escape were brutally killed by the pursuing lions.
Their roars thundered across the land.
One remaining cub cried out while stumbling after Bai Yi and Jason.
There was no way Bai Yi would leave it behind. He dropped the cub in front of him, and then turned back to grab the other one.
The lions had already crossed the river. They would catch up in no time!
Jason roared anxiously at Bai Yi. Bai Yi grabbed the third cub and sprinted as fast as he could!
The lions reached the shore, led by a dominant male. They quickly noticed Bai Yi and Jason and started picking up speed toward them.
A chill ran down Bai Yi’s spine. He cursed in his heart, this was it! Who knew failing geography could cost a lion’s life?!
If only he wasn’t so bad with directions and could tell east from west, he would rather starve than run into this lion-infested death trap!
Northern Maasai Mara was home to the most powerful lion dynasties.
A lion dynasty meant a pride with a long history, immense strength, and an unbroken legacy.
Any lion that trespassed here was as good as dead!
If the heavens gave him another chance, he would definitely...
Suddenly, a flash of light! A jeep was driving through the rain, a few hundred meters away!
Bai Yi knew it, how could his dear yet detestable former colleagues miss witnessing this historic moment?!
No wonder they were called the “Death Filming Crew.” Anyone they followed never lived to tell the tale!
Bai Yi clenched his teeth in frustration!
Inside the jeep, they screamed in excitement. A drone hovered above Bai Yi, its camera locked onto him.
The lions were closing in. Bai Yi bolted toward the colleagues who were about to park their vehicle!
He heard their screams:
“Oh my God! Xiao Bai is running straight at us! He’s got a cub in his mouth!”
“Heavens! What is he trying to do?!”
“He’s charging right at us! It looks like he’s going to attack!”
The filming crew locked the doors in a panic, but Bai Yi had no intention of scaring them to death. He just needed them to take the cubs—otherwise, they were all doomed!
As fast as he could, he placed the three cubs in front of the jeep. Jason, still wary of humans, hesitated and roared anxiously at Bai Yi. Bai Yi roared back!
"Roar~!"
Get your damn tail over here!
Jason refused to move. Seeing the lions charging toward Jason instead, Bai Yi cursed in his heart—idiot!
He turned to the humans and let out a mighty roar, pointing at the cubs with both front paws before dashing back toward Jason!
The filming crew was stunned.
“He’s so smart! He knows how to use humans to protect the cubs!”
“Is this really a lion? I swear he’s a human in disguise, he’s way too intelligent!”
“Oh my God, look at this! Two male lions—battered and defeated. Their reign is over. Another two males and a few lionesses managed to escape, but they’re chasing Jason now!”
“Oh no, Little Bai is charging in! They’re fighting!”
The commentators and livestream host were completely shocked.
“This is unbelievable! Despite the danger, Little Bai still chose to save Jason!”
“My God, please let Little Bai stay safe!”
The comment section was flooded with messages of concern and fear.
“I swear, every group you film ends up dead. This time, I hope Xiaobai can break your curse! He won’t die.”
“He may be lazy and a little dumb sometimes, but today he showed incredible intelligence. He’s clearly different from other lions! Go, Xiaobai!”
“Oh my god, my heart is about to jump out of my chest! If Xiaobai dies today, I will never watch this garbage livestream again!”
“Ahhh, Jason! Xiaobai, charge forward! If you can’t win, just run! Don’t be stupid!”
The host and commentator were even more excited than the audience, quickly turning the camera toward Xiaobai.
“He’s surrounded by the pride. He and Jason are trapped—oh my god, I’m so nervous right now!”
“The pride is intimidating Xiaobai. Xiaobai and Jason are trying to fight back, but if they don’t leave soon, another lion alliance will catch up and wipe them out. There’s no way they’re escaping this. God help them!”
“Oh no, they’re fighting!”
Bai Yi and Jason were under siege by two male lions and six lionesses. The lions lunged toward them, their roars shaking the earth, filling the grasslands with terror.
The roaring was so intense that even the sound of rain was drowned out.
The camera crew and audience held their breath. The host even considered cutting the feed in case the scene became too gruesome and got the stream banned.
Then, something shocking happened.
Xiaobai suddenly stood up and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks on the charging lions. His moves were sharp and precise, wasting no effort. With his sheer strength, he knocked out both male lions in just two kicks.
The two males stumbled, dazed. The lionesses pounced next, but Xiaobai swiftly struck back with another clean and ruthless combo, slashing their eyes with his claws.
(Bai Yi: Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m a ninth-degree black belt in Taekwondo. I won the national championship at eighteen and the world championship at twenty-three. Nice to meet you.)
The lionesses roared in pain and backed away.
The unexpected turn of events left the entire camera crew stunned, and the audience was speechless.
“Did I see that right? Did Xiaobai just use Taekwondo?!”
“Is this really a lion? Or is it a person in disguise?”
“Holy crap, my jaw just hit the floor…”
“Eight lions! He just fought off eight lions by himself? He could rule the entire savanna at this point!”
Panting, Bai Yi glared at the hesitant pride and let out a furious roar.
“ROAR—” Get lost already!
Jason also roared at them. The two male lions, after staggering back a few steps, collapsed on the ground. The lionesses circled them anxiously, growling with concern.
Bai Yi wasn’t sure what they were trying to do.
He remained on guard, studying them closely. That’s when he noticed they were bleeding heavily.
The two male lions were too exhausted to move. The lionesses cried out desperately, urging them to get up.
If they didn’t leave now, the enemy would catch up!
Another lion pride quickly arrived on the scene, led by six massive males.
They charged forward with an imposing presence.
Bai Yi: “!”
Are they really going to kill us all?
Damn it, did I stumble into a lion’s den today? Why are there so many of them?!
Bai Yi knew they couldn’t keep fighting. He roared at Jason.
“ROAR!”
Run!
Survival was the priority now—they had no time to worry about the other lions.
The lionesses seemed to understand that the two male lions were done for. They let out mournful cries, circled them a few times, then quickly fled.
They had no choice. The males were wounded, and if they didn’t leave now, they would die too.
Bai Yi and Jason sprinted away at full speed. The three cubs were under the safety of human vehicles, far from the lion pride, so Bai Yi wasn’t worried about them. The humans wouldn’t just stand by and let the cubs be killed.
Right now, his only goal was to survive with Jason.
Jason kept pace, not falling behind.
A group of lionesses chased after them.
But this time, they weren’t attacking.
They were following.
Lions are like that, if someone stronger spares them, they submit and follow.
Bai Yi and Jason, unaware of their intentions, only ran faster.
Bai Yi was beyond frustrated. Why the hell were these lionesses still chasing him?!
There was no shaking them off!
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