Riding in a game safari vehicle in Kruger National Park we were carefully taken care of by our experienced driver. After we had watched this troop for a few minutes the big baboon in the center decided we looked interesting and started across the road toward us so our driver made a quick exit.
Usually hippos stay submerged in water during the day but we were delighted to see this mother and her baby climb out onto the bank in full display.
After a downpour of rain in midmorning we were surprised to see a pride of nine lions emerge from the brush on our right and purposefully walk in single file on the pavement. Alerting to hunt they separated into the brush on the right and left, staying just off the road but within our line of vision. As if on cue in a movie, three old Dagga boys (aging male Cape Buffalo) emerged from the brush on our left onto the roadway. Quickly becoming aware of the lions creeping toward them they turned facing us, three across on the road with their horns almost touching. They spun around and thundered away from us down the road, the lions in close pursuit.
Consider a similar sighting of bear hunting elk in Yellowstone--with 14 vehicles in close proximity to the amazing scene unfolding before them with cameras going and cars jostling for position amidst the hunters and hunted. In our case the human distraction deterred the lions and they gave up the chase.
Only after all the action was over did we realize we had just been enthralled with the drama and not taken one photo of it! We have photos of the lions passing us on their move forward and in return, growling deeply as they regrouped.
This is perhaps the most amazing and rare scene in nature we have encountered during our year in Africa.
What an incredible adventure! did you ever think you would say, in one year, the things you would see?
ReplyDeleteCool hippos!
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