As father-son bonding experiences go, few are more time-honored than going hunting together. Of course, over time, the honor of hunting has come into question. With the invention of faux fur and synthetic leather, hunting for clothing is usually done in stores rather than in the wild. And hunting for sport has become increasingly frowned upon, considering so many species have become endangered or extinct because of such 'manly' pursuits. Hunting for food is still acceptable, provided the prey species is very common and the hunting is done during the right time of year. With several large predators losing territory to humans, the deer populations has exploded and it has become more encouraged to reduce their numbers during hunting season.
Since Animalia first began, predator species have been using the annual hunting species to indulge their instincts. This also provides a service to areas where herds need to be culled. Particularly for invasive species like feral pigs. The time before Thanksgiving is particularly popular for hunting as it brings extra meat to the table.
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Since Jeff got his second dose, he and his father, Andrew, have been doing yearly hunting trips. It wasn't an exclusive father-son experience as they both brought their respective mates with them. Though they couldn't have started hunting without them. Having been born a lioness, Kinjara had a better idea of how to hunt, even if she was raised in a zoo. And Zoe converted into a lioness long before Andrew and Jeff came to Lyre and she didn't spend all of her time at Maelewano doing photoshoots. Lena and Ruby were more inexperienced, mostly watching from the sidelines as the others brought down an elk last year. But they've had time to adjust to their new bodies and instincts. And their bigger, more muscular bodies should help with taking down bigger prey. Though it made the drive a tighter squeeze.
During the long drive, the lionesses were doing a fair amount of gossiping. "So, what did you think of that lion that appeared on the Animalia Ambassadoria episode?" asked Zoe.
"He's a big one, certainly," said Kinjara, "I thought only tigers could grow close to that size."
"They don't have manes that grown down their chests either," said Ruby pointedly.
"Actually..." started Lena.
"I know it seems that way with mundane lions, but that rarely carries over when they're uplifted," said Kinjara.
"That does make him very interesting," said Ruby with an almost-lustful purr.
"You're not suggest we invite him to join the coalition, are you?" asked Zoe.
"Don't worry, we're happily married to Andrew," said Kinjara, "Just as you and Lena will be married to Jeff some day." The younger lions blushed under their fur.
"Speaking of marriages, I did pick up something really juicy," said Ruby.
"Do tell," said Andrew.
"You remember that fox headmistress is going to be marrying that French official?" asked Ruby.
"They haven't already?" asked Lena, "I would have thought they'd done it by now."
"School scheduling problems, I'm betting," said Zoe, "Running a school probably cuts into a lot of your personal time, including your own wedding."
"Well, the French government is rewarding her for all the good she's been doing," said Ruby, "They arranged it that once Notre Dame is completely finished and open to the public, she'll be the first one to have her wedding there."
"Ooh, I'd love to get married at Notre Dame," said Lena, "Uh, n-not that I want to be married right now."
"That does sound especially romantic," said Kinjara, "Though I wonder how Miss Juliet feels about such a big gesture."
"I'm not even sure if she's Catholic or not," said Zoe.
"I think any Christian woman would want to be married at Notre Dame, no matter what branch they're from," said Ruby.
"It does sound like the French government is doing this to gain PR points," said Kinjara.
"I'd see it as mutual benefit," said Ruby.
"As long as the government's footing the bill, I wouldn't mind a little publicity at my wedding. Er, not like it'd be anytime soon," said Lena.
Jeff gave his father a beleaguered look. Andrew could only give an apologetic shrug. Lionesses are among the biggest gossipers in Animalia. Andrew had long learned to start tuning them out. Jeff would learn to do so himself in time.
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Once they arrived at the hunting ground, Kimjara laid out their strategy. "Once we've isolated our moose, our main goal will be getting him into the arms of our Guennol Lionesses," said Kinjara, nodding at Lena and Ruby, "They will wrestle it down to the ground while Andrew goes in for the neck."
"Why does Andrew get to do it?" asked Zoe, "Why not Jeff?"
"A moose's neck is thicker than a deer's," said Kinjara, "It takes strong, experienced jaws to bring it down."
"By that logic, you or me should go for the neck," said Zoe, "You don't need to keep putting your mate on a pedestal."
"Ladies, ladies, we're going after a moose, not each other," said Jeff. One slight disadvantage of living in a coalition is that the lionesses tended to build up a rivalry, mainly over whose male is superior. Kinjara had teasingly suggested that such rivalries would dissipate if both king and prince were willing to share their females. Jeff was less eager to act on this then he would have years ago, mainly because he now had half-siblings.
"Are you s-s-s-sure it has to b-b-be m-m-me and R-r-ruby?" asked Lena, her stutter becoming obvious with her nervousness.
"You two are easily the strongest," said Kinjara, "Between you, that moose's spine could be broken. Though we'll give it a quicker, cleaner death than that."
"A m-moose is still p-pretty b-big," said Lena, sounding a little bit more sure.
"In the wild, lions can take down big prey by working together," said Kinjara, "They can even take down adult giraffes."
"Really?" asked Ruby.
"Well, they take a lot more effort. Giraffes aren't that easily hampered and their kicks and stomps can be deadly. But it can be done by an ambitious pride," said Kinjara, "And we have plenty of ambition, don't we?"
"So let's get ready to hunt," said Andrew.
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As Kinjara might boast to Clara later, bringing down the moose was easier than they had expected. Clara would be quick to point out that she and Rick were two mountain lions who had to wrestle down their quarry. Kinjara had six African lions, including two who are stronger and more muscular than average. The moose had less of a sporting chance. Even so, the moose was a very decent prize.
Though considering how many predator Animalians there are now, a second quarry would help feed more mouths. Kinjara and Zoe helped Ruby and Lena set up their own hunt, where they took down a deer. It may be smaller than the moose, but the newer lionesses still need more experience. Lena struggled a bit with hunting a cuter deer, not being quite in touch with her hunter instinct. Ruby was more sure of herself and made the killing blow. She told the younger lioness that it gets easier with time. Fortunately, they did not need to hunt so often. After a few more hunts, Kinjara might say they're ready to take on feral pigs, which could fight back more ferociously than moose and deer.