Some sightings stay with you long after they’ve ended. This was one of them. On the final afternoon drive of 2025, something unbelievable happened. Its always been my dream to watch a lion swim!
In the morning, we decided to cross into the northern parts of the reserve to go and see the two members of the Kambula Pride with five cubs that had been found feeding on a young giraffe kill. We arrived at the scene to only a couple of hyenas and vultures finishing off the scraps. While we were sitting there, we got a radio call from a vehicle on the southern bank of the sand river saying that one of the Gijima Males had crossed through the river and was heading towards where we were, as the vultures descending had most likely drawn him in, and there was an opportunity to scavenge a free meal. And arrive he did, but unfortunately for him, there was very little remaining. We had an incredible sighting of him chasing vultures away and finishing the remains, but this is not the sighting I want to talk about.
A few hours later, now heading out on the afternoon drive with the knowledge that the Gijima Male was still in the north, we decided to stay south of the River and explore a bit. All the while, knowing that at some stage the Gijima Male would need to return south. After a great drive around, and when we were on our way back to camp, the sun was just about to set, we got a radio call from a vehicle in the North saying he was up and heading for the river. We raced over to the southern bank, where he had crossed in the morning and set up perfectly.
The river was still flowing strongly, and crossing always comes with risks. Surprisingly, lions are awkwardly powerful swimmers, but they are also cautious, and water is one of the few things that can put them at a real disadvantage.
Everything came together in those final moments of the year 2025.
Enjoy this selection of a memorable sighting…
He reached the bank and stopped. You could see the hesitation. He looked up and down the river, paused, and then stepped forward before stopping again.
This wasn’t a casual decision. Eventually, he committed and slid into the water.
The current was strong. Almost immediately, it pushed him downstream, and at one point he disappeared completely as the water pulled him under. It was only for a second, but it felt much longer.
When he resurfaced, he powered on, head just above the water, pushing steadily toward the opposite bank.
Watching a male lion swim a full Sand River in flood conditions is not something you see often. There was no drama, no rush, just determination. He climbed out on the south side, shook himself off, and walked straight past us, back into familiar territory.
The light was golden, the timing perfect, and the moment unforgettable.
It was a reminder of how these animals constantly weigh risk against reward, and how sometimes survival means taking a chance.
It was a sighting I will never forget, and one that reminded me just how incredible these lions are, especially when they move beyond the boundaries we think they should stay within. Its in times where animals step outside there comfort sones that lead to magic like this.
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Wow, Ross, stunning photos and a great video. This lion really took a risk.
Do you think a crocodile, if one had been around, would have attacked him?
Very brave lion for just some little reward, but of course, he had not known that there were only a few scraps left.
Terrific account of this Gijima male swimming across the Sand River in the hopes of cashing in on a free meal, only to discover not much was left of the carcass. You wrote that you originally crossed the river to see the two Kambula lionesses and their 5 cubs – are these the two mothers that originally had 6 cubs? They must be close to a year now, and it seems sadly one cub has not survived. Back to the Gijima male, you all captured some great photos of him swimming, which couldn’t have been easy considering the force of the water, but determination to return to the south propelled him across.
WOW!!!! Amazing to witness! Wondering if a croc would mess with him?
Regarding the photo labeled “Gijima Male 4”. that’s not the dog paddle. Is it the lion paddle?
What an astonishing sighting, Ross….how lucky you were! Many thanks for sharing it.
Hi Ross this is amazing footage and absolutely brilliant. Watching him swim with just his head above water is stunning. So determined to get to the other side of the river.
Hi LGR. Thank you do much for putting up such a very interesting blog of the 2 Gajima males crossing the deep and nearly flooded Sand River. If there isn’t a bridge for them to cross over to get to the other side, then I suppose they will just have to brave the water to get to where they want to be. The two big males didn’t seem to worried or overly concerned about the deepness of the water orceven what could possibly be hiding underneath it, they seemingly just crossed over through the deep murky water together, without a bridge to use.
If they were hoping to get to where the two adult lionesses of the Kambula pride were with their six cubs feeding on a kill together, then I do hope they don’t and won’t discover and kill the vulnerable cubs there at all. With the two feircely protective mothers around to make sure nothing bad and sad will happen there.
If the two ever alert mother lionesses of the Kambula pride see or saw the threat the two big males pose to the six vulnerable cubs there and if they saw the two males heading straight for the cubs, then I’m sure they’ll both spring into action in next to no time at all, in a effort to save and protect their cubs from any danger.
The two lionesses have invested a lot of their energy into falling pregnant with the last six of the offspring sired by their 2 old former pride makes, the 2 Ndhzenga males. So the only last thing they would want to have to happen is see them get killed untimely. It might seem very risky, but if the mothers want their 6 cubs to survive to adulthood, then I’m sure they know that it’ll mean putting their lives on the line to protect their family jointly and feircely. With the two mothers around, I don’t think the males will stand a chance of getting to kill the cubs in their presence. Anyway, I think the 2 Gajima males are both very preoccupied with mating and trying to impregnate 2 other adult lionesses of the Kambula pride who sadly had the terrible misfortune of loosing their cubs to the slightly bigger but dark maned male. So, I think those 2 cubless lionesses will keep the males distracted & preoccupied.
Though she wasn’t in this blog, but I do hope they’ll also get the lovely and much admired Tsalala lioness impregnated at sone stage this year together. It’ll be so nice to see her give birth to and raise a new litter of cubs successfully after 2 other failed attempts in a row. It wasn’t her fault, but it was just that luck wasn’t on her side at all, as well as other male lions who weren’t the biological fathers, killed her first litter about 17 months ago. I, like you do, so want her to be ever so very successful in raising a few litters of cubs to adulthood successfully in order to rebuild her pride’s numbers back up to what they once were so many long years ago. With her the only remaining survivor left over, her pride is so barely existent. But all we can do is just hope that her third attempt at been a mum goes her way more successfully. It is just a case of been optimistic and positively hopeful for her own sake. For her, the challenge is finding a safe and ideal place to give birth to and raise a new litter of cubs successfully and safely. I hope it won’t be long before the next new blog on her is put up there eventually.
Hope to hear from you shortly.
Robert 28.1.26
amazing photography of the gijima male just shows how strong physically and mentally these lions are determined to just do what needs to be done thank you
What a wonderful story and great pictures!!
How simply fantastic! Lions show all their power and courage while swimming. There are very serious dangers potentially, like big crocodiles or dominant hippos in a bad mood… I saw hippos cutting one crocodile into two… they are regal, reminding the best time of the Birmingham and the Majingilane…