Lion

[Mel]

And after the mating they'll be chums again

[Lisbeth]

Quite possible

[RogerFraser]

Kruger safari guide steps out of vehicle and accidentally walks straight into pride of lions

2019-08-21 12:00

It's not everyday you see something like this on a game drive: Your guide literally stumbling upon a pack of predators camouflaged in the tall bushveld grass.

WATCH: Kruger tourists treated to front-row lion hunt of kudu

Steve the guide stepped out of the safari vehicle to look at some animal tracks when he unwittingly found himself mere meters away from an entire pride of lions. Funny, it's unclear who was more surprised, him or the lions.

Seems the tracks were very, very fresh.

Published on SafariLive, they say 'It's true what they say about the wilderness "you never know what's around the next corner". Or at least in Steve's case "you never know what's hiding in the long grass!". It seems both the Nkuhumas and Steve were equally surprised by each other! At least Jeandre and FC had a good laugh!"

Watch the moment here:

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[Peter Betts]

Steve handled himself very well and the lions behaved exactly as they always do out in the open as a human arrives ..They run away

[Alf]

I saw the lions even before he got out of the vehicle. It's as if this whole video was staged.

[Peter Betts]

Yes me too ..Oscar award winning performance

[Richprins]

Ja...

[Lisbeth]

Big cat sightings in the Greater Kruger

Posted on 19 August 2019 by Tintswalo Safari Lodge in Animal Encounters, Destinations, Kruger, South Africa, Wildlife


Koppies Pride lioness with her cubs © Neil Jennings

There is an ongoing war between the lions and buffaloes in the Greater Kruger National Park, and it always depends on the season as to who is winning that war. Right now, the tables seem to be turning in favour of the lions.

It’s the dry season here in Manyeleti Private Game Reserve, and that means the grass is thinning, there is less cover, and hence less food for the buffaloes. As the buffaloes get weaker in the hot sun, the lion prides find it much easier to take down these great big herbivores, which is why we have been seeing a number of buffalo kills in the last few weeks. At the same time we’ve been treated to some great sightings of the various lion prides in the reserve, along with a few leopard sightings as well.


Buffaloes by a waterhole © Tintswalo

The resident Mbiri Pride – made up of twelve lions (including one Nharu male) – has been spending a lot of time around the lodge. This pride is renowned for their buffalo hunting skills, and they are taking full advantage of the weaker buffalo at this time of year.

The pride killed a large buffalo right near the lodge, and then brought down another one near Manor House a few days later.


Mbiri Pride eating a buffalo © Neil Jennings

The Koppies Pride – made up of three females and one young male – now has two beautiful little cubs, and we believe that one of the other females also has a new litter of cubs. We are hoping to see them emerge from the bush soon!


Koppies Pride cub © Neil Jennings

Down in the south of the reserve, the Talamati Pride has a huge litter of eight cubs, and they are frequently moving around with the Avoca males.

The Nharu Pride – made up of 11 lions – took down a big bull buffalo recently, which is a great feat! We have also noticed that the Giraffe male has been spending a lot of time with this pride, perhaps because of the buffet on offer.


The Nharu Pride © Neil Jennings

Winter has cleared the bush of thick grass, and we are spotting more leopards while out on game drives. Many of them seem to have cubs in tow.

The beautiful Nompethu female (along with her cub) made an impala kill, and then proceeded to hoist it right to the top of a tree. We were not sure if her cub would join her, but soon enough the young leopard scrambled up to get some of the spoils. We also found the Ukuthula leopard with a very young cub, which is very exciting and promises lots of cute sightings in the future.

The Xirombe female and her cub have also been spotted very close to the lodge. The cub was very relaxed and even tentatively approached a vehicle full of delighted guests.


The Xirombe female leopard with her cub © Neil Jennings

We also found a completely new female around Main dam and we would love to see her more. It really is an exciting time for our leopards, and we hope the sightings continue and that these new cubs survive this difficult period of their life.

All in all, winter in the Manyeleti has been a spectacular show. The days are cool, the bush is thin and open, and the lions are taking full advantage of the weaker buffalo. For any guests visiting us soon, we look forward to showing you the wonders of the Manyeleti at this time of year. Who knows what the next month will hold!


The new leopard spotted near Main dam © Neil Jennings

[Lisbeth]

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Tourists were treated to a spectacular sight when they encountered a lion along a road on a safari drive at the Kruger National Park.

The lion walked alongside their car for a while, but was distracted by a lone kudu on the side of the road.

He saw an opportunity for a meal and went after the kudu, taking it down while tourists watched in awe.

[Lisbeth]

What a mess

Diesel engines running, too many cars, people talking, OSV blocking the sight