About the Author

Bruce Arnott

Field Guide Alumni

Bruce worked at Londolozi from 2017 to 2020. He always had a passion for the bush and the outdoors, having been camping and fishing since he was a young boy. He attended school in the Natal midlands after which he moved down to ...

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53 Comments

on What Do 13 Lions Drinking Look Like?

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Joanne Wadsworth Kelley
Master Tracker

What an incredible sight! I can’t imagine everyone’s thoughts as the line-up continued and continued.The images are excellent also. I had to grin to myself when I thought of the fish story…..where a man brags that he caught a fish “This Big!” as his arm swings out further than belief. When telling the waterhole story to disbelievers, just whip out your photo and give them a big smile!

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Thank you Joanne! I’ll make sure I am armed with the photo when I am telling the story!

Callum Evans
Master Tracker

And that’s just incredible! To get some many lions in one photo in one drinking line is so lucky!!

Judith Guffey
Digital Tracker

Missing the thrill of the hunt?????

Callum Evans
Master Tracker

You have no idea!!! It’s torture!

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Callum it was one of those moments that truly humble and inspire you!

Callum Evans
Master Tracker

I can imagine!

Marinda Drake
Master Tracker

Wow! A fantastic image. You never know when the oppurtunity presents itself for a once in a life time sighting. A wonderful experience.

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Thank you Marinda, it was a true privilege!

Karen Taylor
Explorer

That is an amazing picture!

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Thank you Karen, a photographers dream!

How amazing and fortunate! Nice photograph, too!

Dina Petridis
Senior Digital Ranger

luckily they didn’t drink from the lodge pool ,as we had with 10 elephants at the little pool of the Vlei lodge.
I sent the picture to James

Christa Blessing
Master Tracker

Awesome pictures! Once a group of about 20 lions passed our car one by one crossing open grassland. It was thrilling, same as your pictures of those 13 lions drinking together. It makes me looking forward to another safari, though, of course, it rises expectations to an incredible level.

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Christa that must have been an incredible moment having so many pass the vehicle one by one! It raises expectations, and Londolozi is the ultimate place to meet those so make your way over here!

Darlene Knott
Master Tracker

A ‘once in a lifetime’ experience for sure! Love these photos and the story. Thanks so much for sharing, Bruce!

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Thank you very much Darlene for your appreciation, the moment is etched in my memory!

Dawn Phillips
Explorer

Absolutely epic!

Captureson
Digital Ranger

Wow, this is so spectacular! Well done Kevin Power for having all the patience in the world to capture this amazing photo.

Kim Chiotti
Explorer

Thank you for this amazing photograph. I am in Toronto, Canada where we are about to get our first snow storm of the winter season. Reading the blog and seeing this magnificent gathering of lions has really warmed my day.

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Kim I am so glad to see that we had an influence in brightening your day; it is the bush that does that job for us over here!

Sue Dickinson
Explorer

What an absolutely amazing event to see! Quite surreal!

Denise Vouri
Guest contributor

Awesome photo of the 13 members of the pride. I remember when they left a clearing in Singita, the 16 passed next to our rover one by one , and then four of the youngest stopped to drink from a large puddle, all the while keeping an eye on the rest of their family as they continued to quietly walk off into thick vegetation. It was a sight I’ll never forget.
So, are they moving between the two properties??

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Hi Denise! That sounds like a wonderful sighting of this pride. Yes they move a lot and have a large territory, having 16 individuals in the pride they need to eat more and thus need to cover more ground.

Carolyn Whitaker
Senior Digital Ranger

That is amazing! What a great day for you all.

Jennifer Ridgewell
Senior Digital Ranger

Amazing – how incredibly lucky to witness this sighting! Loved the appearance of “Big Daddy” to join the harem. The photo has to be a “first” and thanks for sharing.

Ian Hall
Master Tracker

A classic photo, I would copyright it and put it with a photographic library

Vivien Jones
Explorer

Wow what an amazing photo, the chances of seeing thirteen lions drinking in a row has to be one in a million. This has to be a photo enlarged to go on a nice big wall. Just fantastic.

Jeff Rodgers
Digital Tracker

This is one of the most special images I have ever seen. We have 3 house cats, and for years we have tried to get them to line up for a group photo with no success. Clearly 13 was the lucky number that day.

Anym V
Explorer

Wow that picture with the 13 lions looks majestic..Truly beautiful

Wendy Hawkins
Senior Digital Ranger

Oh Bruce that is just the most beautiful picture I have seen in a long time! I bet you, your tracker & guests were speechless as I would have been – wow what a sight to behold & every wildlife lover spend years waiting for!! 🙂 Thank you

Nicki Ryan
Explorer

Kevin Power – you have surpassed yourself! Those images are absolutely incredible and what a sight it must have been. Truly fantastic and a ‘once in a lifetime’!

Ian Thomas
Guest contributor

Beautiful story, I particularly like the last paragraph. Stunning images by you and Kevin.

Bruce Arnott
Field Guide Alumni

Thank you Ian!

Mike Ryan
Explorer

Nice one Kevin

Susan Farrington
Explorer

What an exciting sighting! How amazing that they lined up so perfectly to be photographed. Interesting to look at the different expressions on each one and how most are keenly alert as to what might be happening around them, while a few others are relaxing and focused (for the moment, at least) on enjoying the cool drink. In fact, except for the two lions on the end, they almost are expressive in pairs…I’m sure that the balance of that shifted more than a few times in the timespan of the viewing, but a fascinating photo to say the least! …and I love the ‘two tails up’ on the bank 🙂

Jane Thomson
Explorer

Amazing two part blog Bruce, and an unbelievable picture of the 13 drinking together. But ever so cruel of you to leave us all hanging on overnight to find out!

Justin Levin
Explorer

Incredible sight and shot!!!

Agnes Charles
Explorer

Wonderful pics! and an amazing experience! The whole day was a lucky day for observers .Watching the whole pride drinking together is really awsome !!! Thank you so much for sharing the bush with us!

Lachlan Fetterplace
Senior Digital Ranger

Well that is awesome!

Mike Beder
Explorer

we’ll be there in 4 weeks.
i’m trusting you guys to get us to a sighting just like this!
magnificent!

John McCabe
Explorer

Fantastic pics! Would their natural instinct kick in with regards to crocodiles? Looking up ever so often?

Judith Guffey
Digital Tracker

Will they stafe this again in December for me??

Judith Guffey
Digital Tracker

Will they stage this again in December for me.??

James Tyrrell
Alumni

Let’s keep fingers crossed Judy! I’m sure Freddy can organise… 😉

Michael and Terri Klauber
Master Tracker

Almost doesn’t look real! Love the one on the end – maybe counting how many too!

Karen Millman
Explorer

Wow!! This is breathtaking!! I can’t get my 3 cats at home to do this! Well done!

Janice Riley
Explorer

Great two part blog and fantastic photographs. After the reading the first instalment I was wondering what on earth could be coming next. Like you guys, I never expected to see that spectacle. (PS. Is there a prize for the most number of comments on a blog? This seems to have caught the fans attention!)

Janice Riley
Explorer

Great two part blog and fantastic photographs. After reading the first blog I wonder what on earth could be coming next. I like you guys didn’t expect to see that spectacle. Amazing. (PS. Is there a prize for the most number of comments to a blog. this seems to have caught everyone’s attention!)

Rich Laburn
Head of Digital

What an incredible story and photograph to accompany it. So fantastic to see this pride of lions looking so strong! I remember back in 2013 when James first wrote about them: http://blog.londolozi.com/2013/08/21/more-of-londolozis-new-favourite-pride/

Judy Hayden
Explorer

Right place at the right time. Luck must follow you. Wonderful picture.

Orangekitty
Explorer

When we left Londolozi in mid-September, we shared a flight that left from Richard Branson’s Safari camp. A couple that got onboard there showed me a video of 13 lioness’s bringing down a water buffalo. Could this be the same pride of lioness’s that has migrated to Londolozi? What a fantastic experience you had to see them all lined up at the river! Great photos!!

Good day! Yes I’m sure that you saw the same lions as the ones referred to in this blog. There aren’t any other prides as big as this one in the Sabi Sands 🙂

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