7/10/2007 - Lions doing what they do best!

On our second day in the Serengeti, Tanzania, our morning started off well with a couple of lion encounters. The first one, we nearly drove straight past but as always, I was in my normal spotting position with my head out the top of the 4WD, camera round my neck, making sure I didn't miss a thing. These 3 lions were doing what lions do best, sleeping and I don't believe anything was going to interrupt then. One rose her head for a brief moment and didn't even look at us. We were less than 2 meters from where they were lying. This was the first shot I caught of them as we got closer. You may understand from looking at the shot, why it is so easy to miss them. They were also lying behind a large mound, making it even more difficult to spot them. If I hadn't been in my spotting perch and instead sitting on the chair, we would have driven staight past them.

Next you will see what I mean about being undisturbed by the vehicle.

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That was all the attention we could get out of these sleepy creatures so we headed on and just down the road we came across another lioness looking very interested in a gazelle from her hiding spot in the tall grasses.A look in the other direction and she saw something that looked a lot easier to catch.…

In the distance she could see some Vultures having breakfast.

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What an easy meal that would be. And off she goes, getting faster as she gets closer.…………A quick look around to see where the vultures are.And she has a free meal.……She grips the left over Thompsons Gazelle firmly in her mouth and heads to the closest tree for shade.………………I looked around to see the Vultures standing there wondering what happened to their meal.What goes around, comes around, I couldn't help thinking. The vultures had stolen their meal from a Cheetah. I thought it very clever that the lioness had opted for a quick steal rather than a chase to get her breakfast.