February 2008 My other destination in Kruger National Park was Satara, a savanna that attracts grazing animals and has the highest concentration of lions. But we seemed to be out of luck: on our third day in the park, we hadn’t seen any lions yet. Toward the end of that day, we stopped to photograph some birds, and as we were leaving, we saw a lioness coming down the road behind us. As soon as we turned the car, she disappeared in the tall grass. We kept looking for her, but after almost half hour, gave up and decided to leave. As we started the car, she reappeared some 40 yards ahead, crossed the road and went into the grass again. We rushed to the spot, and there she was, sitting some 20 steps away. Finally! Then I heard a rustle and that’s when I saw them rushing towards her – 3 cubs, who couldn’t be more than 3 months old. They all walked back to the road, and at some point, just lay on the pavement a few steps from our car. Even though she was clearly tired and hungry, she carefully nursed and cleaned them, not minding us at all. I couldn’t hold back tears. We stayed almost one hour with them until sunset and as we were about to leave, the lioness turned her head and looked straight into my eyes. It was a casual look, as if she was looking at someone who had always been around, someone who was part of her world. And of all the things I’ve seen and done on any trip, spending time with her and the cubs was one of the most extraordinary of all.
The following day, we were reminded why lions are such fearsome creatures as we came across a pride that had killed a buffalo earlier in the day. In the sizzling mid-afternoon temperatures, the stench of decaying flesh was almost unbearable, and on a nearby tree, a handful of vultures awaited their turn. One of the lionesses was feasting on the remains, and I’ll never forget the sound of flesh being torn by the sheer force of her jaws, a ripping sound that lingered in the stillness of the savanna. When she was done, she came towards the road and as she did so, she also looked straight into my eyes. This was the look of a predator, of someone who will stop at nothing to survive another day. I cringed against the seat. It was a chilling moment, but awe-inspiring nonetheless.
The following day, we were reminded why lions are such fearsome creatures as we came across a pride that had killed a buffalo earlier in the day. In the sizzling mid-afternoon temperatures, the stench of decaying flesh was almost unbearable, and on a nearby tree, a handful of vultures awaited their turn. One of the lionesses was feasting on the remains, and I’ll never forget the sound of flesh being torn by the sheer force of her jaws, a ripping sound that lingered in the stillness of the savanna. When she was done, she came towards the road and as she did so, she also looked straight into my eyes. This was the look of a predator, of someone who will stop at nothing to survive another day. I cringed against the seat. It was a chilling moment, but awe-inspiring nonetheless.
No comments:
Post a Comment