Cat got your tongue? What happened to a male lion when he angered his jealous mate

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 11:35 AM on 05th May 2009

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Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

And when that woman also happens to be a lioness, the male who scorned her should really keep out of the way.

Unfortunately for him, this male lion got a little to close to his angry mate - and suffered the consequences.

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Don't you dare: The lioness catches the lion by his tongue as he tries to make his way to visit a neighbouring lioness in Botswana

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You can almost see the hairs of the male's mane being blown back as the lioness roars her displeasure at him

Wildlife photographer Lee Whittam was observing lions last December in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, when he captured the incredible moment the lioness clawed the lion's tongue.

She had been whipping into a jealous rage after a neighbouring in-season lioness called to the lion, and was trying to stop him from crossing over to her.

But the male shook off her desperate attempts, crossing a channel of water to find the other female that was calling him.

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For a brief moment, the male almost appears contrite - but he quickly got over that, succeeding in his efforts to reach the other female

Mr Whittam said an attack of this ferocity was unusual.

'I haven't personally seen such a vicious attack by a lioness in order to try and stop a male accessing another female,' he said.

'Usually such intensity is reserved for protecting her cubs from a particular male.'

Described as 'the jewel of the Kalahari', the Okavango Delta is a widely considered one of Africa's best safari destinations.

Encompassing deserts, rivers and lakes, the delta is teeming with lions, elephants, hyenas, wild dog, buffalo, hippo and crocodiles to name but a few.

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One more time: The lioness's claw can actually be seen ripping at the lion's tongue

'It was clear that the female that called to the male was in season and they started the pre-mating sequence,' Mr Whittam said.

'This is where the female flirts with the male and then repels his advances.

'This can go on for several hours or several days and is basically the way the female tests if the male is really interested in her, and has the stamina to keep up with her and if so she will allow him to mate with her.

'This way she ensures he is fit and healthy which will mean he is genetically a good father.'

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