Week in Pictures: An Ode to Lions

This week we’re doing things a little differently. Due to the abundance of lion sightings at our Kruger camps, we’ve decided to dedicate this “week in pics” purely to lions. Our majestic panthera leo species deserves to be celebrated. We’ve selected a few mind-blowing lion pictures for this week’s round up.

Game drives at the Ezulwini game lodges in the Balule have been quite memorable in terms of lion sightings. The Olifants West split pride (13 members strong) was seen drinking from the waterhole. Two lone lionesses from the original Olifants West pride were spotted relaxing in the thicket.

Bruce, from nDzuti Safari Camp, has been tracking the mating activities of the pale female and her mating partner. The male happens to be the same male that took down the dominant male from the River pride. They have been mating for over a week now and we hope they will produce cubs.

We’ve not seen the white lions of the Klaserie/Timbavati this week, but two of the Trilogy were seen roaming around their territory. Three Ross pride lionesses were seen – two of the breakaway females and one from the Ross Pride. Rangers have not seen any lions mating in the past few days. It won’t be long before the Trilogy are at it again – they really are sowing their wild oats with the lionesses of the Klaserie.

The Charleston pride, who are seen on occassion at Umkumbe, have 2 young male cubs. Unfortunately, the team at Umkumbe haven’t seen them yet. Hopefully we will get a glimpse of the cubs in the future.

We’ve also decided to feature the Camp Savuti lions, the Savuti pride drinking out of chanel in the marsh. The area was populated with lions, just waiting to take down and getting on the move to hunt elephant. 13 lions were counted, but there could well have been more. The Savuti was literally littered with lions.

Trilogy Male with Sore Paw

Trilogy Male Drinking

Savuti Male Hunting

Savuti Male Lion

Savuti Male on the Hunt

Two females at Camp Savuti drinking from the waterhole

Tatty Ross lioness - currently with cubs

Both Ross lionesses faces

Ross Pride seen through the eyes of the BeetleCam

Mating pair of lions - Ross lioness and Trilogy male

Lion bears his teeth in a growl

Male lion from Umkumbe

Sparta Pride taking down Buffalo

The Sparta Pride sub-adult

The Sparta Pride - Umkumbe Safari Lodge

ow-split-young-males-drinking

ow-split-pride-grooming

OW-split-pride-drinking

Young Olifants West male with a 'punk' mane

Olifants West Duma's Brother

Mating lions at nDzuti

Flehmen grimace from nDzuti lion

The Pale Female - nDzuti Safari Camp

nDzuti Male & Pale Female

nDzuti Mating Lions - River Pride