Two lions make record-breaking swim through crocodile-infested waters in search of love

Two lions at Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park went to incredible lengths for love, swimming 1.6 kilometers through crocodile-infested waters. One of these determined lions even had an amputated leg. Talk about making a daring decision in the 'heat' of the moment!

A paper published in the journal Ecology and Evolution revealed two lions at Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park who made a daring night swim.

Researchers believe that the nearly mile-long (1.6-kilometer) crossing of the crocodile-infested Kazinga Channel is the longest documented swim by lions.

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The stars of this adventurous tale are Jacob and his brother, Tibu. For Jacob, this incredible feat is just another chapter in his fascinating life story.

Jacob is a resilient lion who has survived numerous life-threatening situations, including losing part of a leg to a poaching trap, during his 10 years in the park.

Jacob/ Alex Braczkowski - Griffith University

The waters they swam across were far from safe. The Kazinga Channel is home to numerous crocodiles, which can weigh up to four times more than a male lion and can easily kill a lion in the water.

Yet, Jacob and Tibu were undeterred by the dangers lurking beneath the surface. But what drove them to make such a perilous journey?

According to researchers, the two brothers were likely in search of females after losing dangerous fights to another group of male lions.

Lion and brother Jacob Tibu/ Alex Braczkowski - Griffith University

They needed to find new territories and avoid human encounters, making the risky swim their best option.

"Competition for lionesses in the park is fierce, and they lost a fight for female affection in the hours leading up to the swim," explained lead study author Dr. Alex Braczkowski, research fellow at Griffith University's Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security in Australia.

"It's likely the duo mounted the risky journey to get to the females on the other side of the channel."

The most astonishing aspect of their adventure was their willingness to enter waters teeming with high densities of crocodiles and hippos.

Representational image/ iStock

"Finding females to breed with clearly is more important to the male lions than their own wellbeing or the potential risk of getting killed by crocs and hippos," Braczkowski noted.

The brothers' journey wasn't completed in a single attempt. With only brief stints of about 15 minutes between each effort, Jacob and Tibu succeeded on their third try, taking about 45 minutes to cross the river.

Jacob trailed his brother by 98 to 131 feet (30 to 40 meters), but both made it to the other side safely.

Well, talk about the road - er, water - less taken. These lions proved that sometimes, love requires a leap of faith¡ªor in their case, a swim through treacherous waters.

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