The Tsalala pride are a bit different to other prides. They like to move in the day. Even in the heat of Summer, they are seldom to be found in the evening at the same place they were left in the morning. I like this about them for two reasons. One, it doesn’t matter how long after sun-up it is, you can still get a great sighting and anything can happen. Two, you can have the fun of a track-and-find twice in one day if they do decide to move a bit.
They were found snoozing in the Manyelethi riverbed recently, with relatively full bellies, and we decided to head there in the afternoon to try capture some pictures in the beautiful natural setting. Being full, we presumed they would be unlikely to leave the comfort of the sand, but as is so often the case with the Tsalala pride, they had other ideas.
Tracks left the riverbed and headed south, parallel to the Manyelethi river, but within a few hundred metres the tracks had once more descended into the sand. A further 30mins later the clear pug marks left by the lions were looking very fresh, but in the failing light we were moving cautiously on foot.
Before we could catch up to the Tsalalas, the tracker/ranger team of Euce and Werner had found the Mhangeni pride not too far away, and the “Highly mobile!” update he gave on the radio was enough to raise our pulses. We thought there was a chance that the Mhangeni lions were moving towards where the Tsalala pride was, so made the decision to leap ahead to Werner’s position. As it happened, the Mhangeni pride were racing in to take down a giraffe calf, and we arrived a mere minute after they had killed it. A fascinating sighting followed, as we watched the 13 Mhangeni lions tearing into the carcass, all thoughts of the Tsalala pride long forgotten.
We decided to get back on the trail the following morning, but no tracking was required as we turned a corner on the hill opposite Varty Camp and bumped into the pride coming the other way, heading for the river.
The younger Tsalala lioness leads the pride towards the Sand River.
Knowing how regularly the pride likes to use a certain shallow section to cross the Sand River, we positioned ourselves on the opposite bank and waited.
Our patience was rewarded…
The young lioness and one of the sub-adult males entered the water first. Always wary of the danger of crocodiles, lions will often hiss at the water before they cross deeper sections, but in the shallows they were in on this day, there was no real danger from crocs.
Nick Kleer and guests enjoy front row seats as the action begins.
The sub-adults were in a very playful mood.
The tailless female didn’t really enter into the spirit of things at first, choosing merely to spectate.
The splashing water added massive value to the scene.
Hitting the brakes!
The young lioness tired after awhile and came to doze on a sandbank just below us.
The high-spirits were infectious, and eventually almost the whole pride was involved. Here a sub-adult chases the young lioness out of the river and up the bank while the Tailless female moves in to pounce from the side.
Eventually the lions got tired, and moved into a nearby thicket to sleep as the sun and the temperature rose.
And would you believe it, by that afternoon, when some of the rangers headed out to enjoy a sighting with the pride, they had gone again…
Written and Photographed by James Tyrrell
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Awesome action photos. Great sighting
what a lovely sightings by londolozi rangers and trackers, well done
Great photos James! They look like they haven’t a worry in the world…so nice to see.
Amazing! So fun! Can’t wait to get there!
How wonderful to see this interaction. I love lions, except when they focus on a leopard. Leopards being my all time favorite.. Would love to see the lions playing in the water one day..
Thank you for sharing your little piece of paradise!
Thanks for these great pics. They bring back wonderful memories of my visit two years ago. I have to admit that I read your postings almost every day. It has been great to see the tailless lioness again and her stroll through life. In addition, the updates on Camp Pan Male have been a story of their own. I have some terrific photos of them both. What a great pleasure.
Many thanks.
Me too , love love lions & other big cats . With the human encroachment or times of difficulty, they do loose out to hyenas .