Monday, August 27, 2012

Lions, lions, everywhere


Dec. 23, 2011- Day 7

 

It’s 10:15 am, and I am lying on a hammock 30 yards or so from the Mara river.
 
 
 
 
 
I can see hippos popping their heads out occasionally, and a giraffe is just visible through the trees to my left. Earlier, I had spotted two giraffes from the path to my tent, heads poking curiously over the trees.

 

 
 
 
We were on the veldt by 6:20 today, and at 6:33 we spotted a large male lion ambling up the road. We pursued him, circled around and got in front of him so we could watch him approach, which he did, unperturbedly passing within 5 feet of our truck.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Three other big males were lying around, and this one joined them, and they all went back to sleep. Determining that they weren’t interested in doing anything more strenuous that yawning, we passed on.

  
Not long after, we discovered a pride of 3 adult females and about 7 cubs, the youngest Dominic said had been born Nov. 10, making him about 5 weeks old.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
The yawning rib cavity of a topi lay gaping gorily behind them, while the kittens gnawed on a few stray bits of flesh scattered about.









 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We were only a kilometer or two from where we’d left the males, and the females were very suspicious and nervous. Dominic said the males probably would NOT kill the cubs, because they were related, but the mothers were on the watch nonetheless.

 


A jackal scuttled by in the distance, and that brought all 3 females to their feet. The babies were full of energy and played vigorously, leaping upon one another with tiny growls and tumbling across the sward.
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The cubs were very vocal and a delight to watch. We were maybe 10-15 feet from them, and occasionally one of the younger ones would take note of us, and growl “fiercely “before being distracted by something more interesting – like a gnat, or mamma’s nipple. When they finally settled down, we moved on.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We are still hoping to see a cheetah, so we headed into plains where the grass is not so high. Game is plentiful here, because the herds can spot predators easily.

 

We saw several hyenas, truly nasty looking creatures. Where a lion looks majestic and a buffalo looks tough, these guys just look like bullies. Something in their features just appears cruel. One had a collar and a tracking device on it. Dominic said there was a woman here from Michigan studying them. Another had several bloody wounds visible as though he’d recently been in a skirmish.

 

 
 
 
A little later we saw a group of land rovers gathered, and we wandered over where another pride of lions lay hid in the grass. Having just spent 30 minutes watching the very active antics of other lions we opted not to stay, but set off looking for the rhino we had spotted yesterday.

 

Along the way we hit a swampy patch and sank up to the doors in mud. I was sure we were trapped, but after about five minutes of mud-slinging sliding, we managed to get out. Even with all the windows up, Kathryn and I were fairly splattered through the open roof.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We didn’t see the rhino but stopped to watch a troop of 9 elephants feeding. We had to get back as our Japanese friends, who had stayed behind, needed to be picked up and transferred to the airport.

 

As we headed into the trees that mark our camp, we saw two giraffes and a water buck, probably 5 meters from where we would be sitting to have our breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, cereal, fresh mango juice, croissants, etc.

 

All this, by 9 am...

 

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