It seems that the lionesses are choosing our direction, or are they?
I thought that these words by Robert Frost were rather apt as we headed out on a game drive…
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The remains of a small zebra that was providing this pair with some nourishment.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served.
Walking away from the carcass, this young male was uncertain if he should leave or just chase away the vultures and the hyena that were making their presence felt.
Tummy full, and time to find a place to nap.
People tend to forget just how large a lioness is.
For those into stats:
The length of a lioness is typically 1,5m, while the males are around 2.2m. In both genders, the tail length is 68 to 104mm.
Lionesses can weigh between 113 and 182kg, while their male counterparts tip the scales at 150 to 259kg.
When owners move out, and new tenants move in…
There are two of the Big5 in this image. Can you spot the second one?
Taking a wander around the property. What was interesting was to see how at home this duo was when walking around the campsite.
Once the owners return, or the camp is again populated by guests, the behaviour of the lions might be very different.
Seeing that there was neither food nor water available for them, I am certain that once humans return, they will move away to reduce confrontation.
Not certain if this was a yawn as a preamble to a nap, or to prepare to get up and head out to search for a meal.
Unfortunately for this cat, he would have to go and search for his dinner as Uber Eats do not deliver to this residence.
Leaving her partner behind, this female walked towards our vehicle and flopped down next to us.
In the fading afternoon light, she was beautifully lit as she strolled towards us.
Roadblock…
Lions tend to like hogging the middle of the road, thus effectively denying the vehicle right of way. This can mean a long wait for the guests on the vehicle, should the animal choose to hold the high ground.
Night falls and a raptor can be seen in silhouette as the sun vanishes beyond the horizon…
The setting sun conjures up these words by Henry van Dyke, but also attributed to Victor Hugo.
I Am Standing Upon The Seashore
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says;
“There, she is gone!”“Gone where?”
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, “There, she is gone!”
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout;
“Here she comes!”
And that is dying.
Although the daylight might have faded, there are those for whom the darkness is what they wait for all day… for it is in the darkness that enables them to feed.
Who dares to enter my kingdom without an invitation?
To find out more about the camp and what it offers, click on the logo above to visit their website.
All images, unless otherwise stated, are the copyright property of
and may not be used without permission.
