Lion Cubs in Etosha
Trip Start
Jun 04, 2009
1
15
18
Trip End
Jun 30, 2009
Etosha National Park, Namibia
Sunday, June 28, 2009
After fending off jackals all night, and having a night hot
shower, I settled down to a nights sleep in my rooftop tent. Sunrise came too soon really as I was
totally knackered, but the thrill and excitement of a day in Etosha took
over. I scoffed breakfast, packed
up and got out of the camp right at sunrise so was the first on the roads. I was richly rewarded as no more than
15min later I saw a lion with 3 cubs.
OMG, I was totally unprepared, slowed down, grabbed my cameras out of
the bags and banged out a few shots and some video before they ran into the
long grass. How brilliant is
that!!?? With adrenaline still
pumping off I drove still with the distant sound of the mother calling the cubs
with a deep growl and the cubs answering with cute little lion-cubbie
meows.
Just an FYI.
Lions and many cats have white spots on the backs of their ears so the
cubs can more easily follow them in long grass. Just another FYI.
Most for the cats and wildlife can’t see color, only black and white and
shades of grey. So the brown color
of their coats is a shade of grey, the same shade of grey of the grass and any
green foliage so the animals blend with the vegetation. Its something we literally can’t
see. So think about this, just
because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean its not there!!!
The rest of the day I drove around the park. The highlights were watching a lion at
a water hole for 2 hrs stalk prey, chase a few times, but it wasn’t
successful. Going out onto the
Etosha pan and seeing full of water as far as the eye can see. That was really remarkable. Then of courses elephants, zebra, and
other game. When it was time to leave, I saw the lion with cubs again is roughly
the same place. How lucky was
that? Then I had the long drive
back to the CCF.
The last entry I’ll make will be my journey home as it was
anything but uneventful!! In fact,
I should have been in Arizona by now, but I’m not, I’m in Johannesburg
Airport!!
