Richard Collins: Why did the three-legged lion swim more than a kilometre through predator-infested waters?

Jacob the lion survived poachers, a buffalo attack, a limb amputation and more — so when he wanted to meet females he wasn't going to let crocodile-infested waters stop him

Tibu and Jacob. Picture: Alex Braczkowski / Wildlife Conservation Network / Lion Recovery Fund 

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted — The Book of Job.

Jacob, a 10-year-old lion, is the Job of the feline world — he has endured the most appalling trials and tribulations. Poachers and human encroachment are rendering Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, where Jacob lives, a dangerous place for lions. According to Zoologist Alexander Braczkowski, who studies them, numbers have been almost halved in the last five years.