Protective lion: Touching when the mother lion bravely saves her cubs from the abyss.

For those who remember Mufasa’s death in The Lion King, these youngsters manage to avoid the same fate – with help from their mother.

After seeing the herd, Jicho leaps across the stream onto the safety of an island but neither of her cubs had enough strength to climb out of the water.

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The first cub has no problem in joining its mother

Help us, mum! Heart-warming pictures show Jicho the lioness helping her two cubs across a stream to escape a buffalo stampede

Helping hand: The youngsters managed to avoid the same fate as Mufasa from The Lion King, who was killed by a herd of wildebeest

After seeing the herd, Jicho leaps across the stream onto the safety of an island but neither of her cubs had enough strength to climb out

The cub struggles to climb the slippery muddy bank

Don’t leave me behind! Jicho reaches down her to help cub who struggles to climb up the slippery mud bank in the Masai Mara region of Kenya

Safe and sound! The cubs get a cuddle – and a much-needed clean – from mum after making it across the river