When heading to a lion sighting and THIS steps into your path, you quickly realize that it might be a while before you get to spend time with the apex predator of the African bush. On a game drive, time moves at a pace that is dictated by the animals. In this instance, the elephant was more interested in feeding off to the side of the road than pretending to be a roadblock.
Did you know? An adult bull elephant can weigh up to 6800kg. The Land Cruiser we were in weighed in at a paltry 2638kg…no contest!
Wind blowing through his mane, this lion was following a group of females that were walking a short distance in front of him. Lions are the second-largest cat in the world. The first place is held by the Siberian tiger.
Is THIS what she thought about being followed? This particular lioness squatted to urinate and the following male would have stopped to check to see if she was in oestrous.
Taking a moment to survey her surroundings. Although not normally attacked by others of her species, a lioness in the area was recently attacked, killed and eaten by another pride.
Did you know? Although it is predominantly the females that hunt, males do get involved in the kill. Should the females be successful, it will still be the males who feed first in most cases.
Seeing double? Lions used to be found in Europe, the Middle East and even North America. However, their numbers have been severely depleted over the centuries and they now occur mainly in Africa and a small group that can still be found in India.
With his impressive array of canine teeth on display, this incorrectly named ‘King of the Jungle’ is an impressive sight. Why incorrectly? Because lions do not live in the jungle, but can rather be found on the open plains or savannah areas.
Did you know? The roar of a lion can be heard up to 8km away
Time for a clean up? The thicker the main, the more likely it is that females will be attracted to a male.
Did you know? Adult lions are the only one of the cat family that has a mane.
A moment of quiet reflection? If we regard lions as sentient creatures, could be possible that they are able to contemplate their situation and reflect on their day?
And so, just like that, another spectacular day in the African bush comes to an end. Being in the presence of the mighty African Lion is a humbling experience and one that visitors will remember for years to come.
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