Do you see the Lion?
At the end of week 2 in Mashatu we were lucky that one of the Land Cruisers was usable for us. We could explore an area that was new to us on foot, taking the car to a starting point. After the walk, as we were on our way back to camp, our instructor suddenly called out “Lion”. After the car had stopped and backed up, initially none of us – despite using our binoculars – could spot a lion despite a specific description of the location.
A Lioness in the shade of a tree
In fact, several hundred meters away, a lioness was sitting in the shade of a tree. He noticed her with the naked eye while driving. This is absolutely fascinating and we both keep wondering how much training is needed to do this. He perceives the shape/outline of an animal.
Mating is hard work
We didn’t hesitate and drove there. When we arrived, we met the brother of ‘blondy’ and a lioness. Both had retreated to mate. Well, actually ‘mating’ is hard work because the poor guy has to go for it every 15 – 20 minutes for 3 – 5 days – yes, even at night – and eats nothing for the whole time. If things go badly, for a maximum of 10 – 12 days.
He was already clearly emaciated, and we love those facial expressions on the pictures. He was already starting to get fed up and the lioness needed several attempts to motivate him by now.
