Our dominant male lion was found with a young zebra kill this morning. It was still very fresh and had probably been killed in the early hours. There were tracks of lionesses and young lions in the area but due to the heat they were probably sleeping in the thick bush to get some shade. At the end of drive the male lion also moved away from the kill to find a shady spot but as soon as he saw the vultures circling above he went straight back to protect his dinner!

We also had the pleasure of seeing 4 Southern Ground Hornbills hunting. The Southern Ground Hornbill is one of Africa’s Big 6 birds, whose population has been rapidly declining for some years now. The total number left in South Africa is said to be only 1500, so for us the sighting was a rare and precious treat.
This evening we decided to go back to where we left the male lion this morning. We discovered that one of our lionesses and her two cubs had joined him. It was great fun to see the youngsters feeding and playing. At 8 months old they have not spent much time with their father and it was interesting to witness the interaction. They were cautiously approaching him and he was chasing them away every time! He was clearly too tired and full to tolerate their playfulness.
Story By: Sarah Sangster -Kapama River Lodge Ranger