On World Lion Day, we celebrate not only the species as a collective but also the remarkable individuals who leave their mark on our hearts. At Khaya Ndlovu Safari Manor, one such lion is Bucket, the oldest pride member of the Rietspruit Reserve.
Bucket’s story began in the most unexpected way. As a tiny cub, barely a month old, she wandered away from her den to follow three male lions who happened to pass by. With her mother out hunting, little Bucket clearly thought this was the right thing to do.
For the next twelve days, the male lions made a valiant but hopeless attempt to care for her. She grew weaker by the day, without her mother’s milk, her survival was slipping away before our eyes.
In the wild, the common rule is to let nature take its course. But in a fenced reserve, human presence has already shaped the balance, and sometimes intervention becomes the only chance. So, the reserve’s management decided to step in.
Brent Leo Smith and the PaintedDogTV team took on the daring mission: to reunite the frail cub with her mother and brother. The task was daunting. The lions, both the trio of males and the cub were a mere 500 metres from the den-site. With a freshly culled impala as bait, Brent and his team lured Bucket’s mother closer. The plan was working until chaos erupted, when the males chased the lioness not only off the carcass but even further away from her cub.
Amid the confusion, the frightened little lioness vanished into the thickets. As night fell, Brent and his team searched relentlessly. At last, under the cover of darkness, Brent imitated a lioness’s call, and the cub revealed her hiding place beneath a dense sickle-bush.
With great care, they scooped her up, wrapping her in a towel to mask human scent, and placed her into a bucket, normally used for transporting venomous snakes! In that instant, a legend, and her name was born.
Safely returned to the den while the males were distracted with their meal, Bucket’s journey back to her family began. Against the odds, she survived, and today, years later, she still roams the reserve, her resilience and story an enduring source of wonder for all who encounter her.
