Rare footage shows a lioness mother walking with her four cubs - weeks before the other three babies disappeared.

The big cat was with her offspring in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve in Mpumalanga, South Africa, earlier this year.

However, the three cubs were never seen again and the mother was left caring for the only remaining baby.

Safari tour guide Tendai Moyo, who runs the Africa Journey Nature Experience, said: ''It was a privilege to see the rare scene. The Nkuhuma female lioness was with her four cubs before she lost three cubs.''

The family belongs to the Nkuhuma, a pride of more than 20-strong lions remarkable for their skills in hunting buffalo which is one of the largest prey species.

They hunt food across the 65,000 hectare fields in Sabi Sands Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger park in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Due to unknown reasons, the three cubs were never seen again and the mother was left caring for the only remaining baby.

The guide said that the babies could have been attacked by a pack of hyenas when the mother was away.

He said: "Someone had said a hyena possibly came when their mom was gone. But no one really knows for sure."

Lionesses work together to hunt for food for the pride, aside from helping each other raise and nurse the cubs.