A difficult day for Mawe, a baby lion with a sore throat from a snake bite

 

Mawe, a playful baby lion, awoke to a strange feeling in his throat. What had started as a mild irritation soon grew into a sharp, burning pain. The day before, while chasing butterflies in the tall grass near his pride’s watering hole, Mawe had unknowingly stepped on a snake hiding beneath a sun-warmed rock. The startled snake had lashed out, biting Mawe just under his jaw. At the time, it had seemed like a sting—nothing more—but now the swelling and pain made it hard for him to swallow or even growl.

His mother, Lela, noticed right away that something was wrong. Mawe, usually the loudest and most energetic of the cubs, was quiet and sluggish. He didn't pounce on his siblings or beg for milk. Instead, he lay under the shade of an acacia tree, pawing at his sore neck and whining softly. Lela nudged him gently, her instincts telling her that this was no ordinary sickness.

The pride’s elder lioness, Nuru, recognized the bite. “Snake venom,” she growled. “We must wait and keep him cool.” The lions gathered around Mawe, shielding him from the sun. Birds chirped overhead and a breeze stirred the savannah, but Mawe barely noticed. Each breath hurt.

By afternoon, the swelling had peaked. His throat was sore, but the worst had passed. Lela licked his fur gently, encouraging him to drink water. Slowly, Mawe lapped a few drops. It would take days to fully recover, but he had survived.

That night, under the stars, Mawe drifted to sleep in his mother’s warmth. The day had been long and painful, but he had faced it bravely. Tomorrow, perhaps, there would be butterflies again—and he would chase them, more carefully this time.