The story revolves around a lioness named Maïba, who is a devoted mother and a high-ranking huntress. She is part of a troop of lions in the African savannah, which is divided into vast territories with invisible borders. Each territory is ruled by a troop of lions, and in Maïba's troop, the leader is Sekourou.
The story takes a turn when two young males, probably brothers, are driven from their troop in adolescence. They are determined to conquer a troop and start a reign of infanticide, a common practice in the lion society. This threatens the survival of Maïba's lion cubs.
To protect her cubs, Maïba takes a daring step. She leaves her troop and leads her cubs away from the savannah, putting them at risk but ensuring their safety from the infanticidal males. This is a rare occurrence, as lionesses usually stay with their troops.
Maïba's journey is fraught with danger. She has to hunt for food, which is scarce due to the threat of the nomads. She manages to hunt a buffalo, but the nomads arrive and take the prey from her. This leaves Maïba and her cubs in a vulnerable position.
Maïba's sister, Nenande, also leaves the troop to find her cubs who followed Maïba. She takes care of the cubs, feeding them and protecting them from the infanticidal males.
After three weeks, Maïba heals her wounds and starts to recover. She is still very weak, but her cubs have recovered well and are moving fast towards adulthood. The story ends with Maïba's survival and the successful growth of her cubs, demonstrating the strength and resilience of the lioness.
1. The story is set in an African savannah, a vast plain divided into territories with invisible borders. Each territory is ruled by a troop of lions .
2. The lions are divided into two groups: the lionesses, who are both devoted mothers and huntresses of high rank, and the young males, who are driven from their troop in adolescence and are ready to conquer a troop .
3. The lionesses are led by Maïba, a lioness who is more expert in hunting than the males. She has three young lion cubs and is the best helper on the hunt .
4. The lions live in the Malilangwe Reserve, a haven of peace in south-eastern Zimbabwe. The reserve is home to forty thousand hectares of grassy meadows, forests, plains, and valleys .
5. The lions are at risk from the two young males, who are driven from their troop in adolescence and are ready to conquer a troop. They are threatening to destabilize and occupy the land by sound provocations .
6. The lionesses organize a hunt to feed the troop, as the only prey possible nearby are the most dangerous of all, the buffaloes. An adult buffalo weighs almost a ton, thrice more than a lioness .
7. Maïba and her sister Nenande lead the lionesses in the hunt. They operate most often in commando and are forced to give up their buffalo to the two young males .
8. Maïba leaves the troupe with her three lion cubs, leading a group of eight year-old lion cubs. She is forced to go far away to save her children from the violence of young males about to take power .
9. After a long journey, they reach the foot of a promontory populated by baboons. They are 20 kilometers away from their starting point, on the borders of the territory of Sekourou .
10. Maïba has to go hunting alone for the first time. She has eight mouths to feed and business success depends only on her .
11. Maïba and her troupe reach the southern limit of the Malilangwe reserve. The lions are still tortured by hunger .
12. Maïba is impaled on a protruding stump and has two gaping wounds in her stomach. Despite the pain, she advances step by step using what remains of her strength to join the lion cubs .
13. The lion cubs decide to abandon Maïba. Her own lion cubs hesitate a little longer, but the hunger will eventually push them away too .
14. The young lions return to the only place that is familiar to them, the old territory of Sekourou .