When we first started guiding it took quite a while before I first saw any lions; a bit frustrating, since nobody wants to leave Africa without seeing them. Once they have been found though, their usual day activity isn't very interesting...
But then we had a couple of weeks when we regularly encountered them (and not only sleeping), especially around Shabeni. Not at all bothered with our presence they often walked and mated on the roads, making the game spotting much easier. After rains it isn't unusual for lions to head for the roads; being cats they prefer the open, dry, elongated patches of dirt to the wet vegetation.The first time I saw lions mating I had the vehicle full of newly arrived Germans with me. The first animal we had seen this morning was an impressive elephant bull, crossing the road right in front of the car, right after entering the gate. The second sighting was of course these two lions! As a guide it is difficult to have ridiculously good sightings early on, since “How on earth do you top that!?”... and I probably had nine hours to go after this... Anyway, the lions were lying in the road, surrounded by five or six game viewers and three private cars, 15 m away and partially obstructed.
A few minutes later the female gets up, walks around the male until she's got his attention and then she places herself two meters away from our game viewer! Even though the whole affair is short (and not so sweet), we had front row seats and the audience held their breaths, while clicking away with their cameras.When a lion walks past you, staring into your eyes almost at eye level you feel tiny. The fact that they don't jump into the car and tear you apart is one of life's great mysteries. Guests are frequently surprised that they totally ignore us, after having eyed us so thoroughly.
One of the guides recently came closer to lions then you may wish for when she gut stuck in a ditch at a lion sighting. No longer at eye level with them, she had to look up at them!
Lately the skies have been clearer and the Shabeni pride has moved a couple of kilometers closer to the camp; a sure sign that winter is around the corner, or so we have been told. They can now often be spotted 2-3 km away, in the area where we conduct our “Sundowners”, something which have made these drives far more interesting than before. The fact that the grass isn't as dense anymore and that a few elephants have found their way back into the concession also adds to the excitement.I was looking for lions with a group of four Germans the other week and seemed doomed to disappoint them. They had been in Africa for two weeks without seeing any predators! I searched around Shabeni and other outcrops in the area, only to find lots of tracks, in all directions. It was getting late and they were leaving for the airport the next morning... so I reached for my last straw and called one of the guides that lives at Nsikazi, in the concession. I had a feeling that they might have headed in that direction... And, he had just seen two females, less than a minute ago! What are the chances of that!? I rushed to get there but it took me twenty minutes anyway, even though it is only a few km, as the bird flies.
As we arrived, the sun was setting and we were on our own in this forested stretch of the concession, with two lionesses as our only company. As I turned back and smiled at my guests, I saw tears running down the face of one of the girls. When she managed to speak again, it was a barely audible “Thank you Anja!”. That really made my day!Just a couple of days ago I heard that the lions again were close by. Having the day off, I quickly drove there in one of the Landrovers and made it just in time for lunch; four females and a cub were sharing a young kudu they just had caught.
Being all alone (without guests or anyone else for company) with four adult lionesses and a cub feeding is a privilege and an experience I'll never forget./A
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