Adi Norris, SUNY ESF
The past 12 days we conducted wildlife monitoring at the most recent concession, Khwai Private Reserve (KPR). We saw so much including elephants, hippos, buffalo, hyenas, jackals, leopards, and of course… Lions. There are several lodges located on KPR and we often spotted lions by the roads between lodges and at the Skybeds.
The Skybeds consist of four towers built at the edge of an artificial watering hole.
All the lions we saw belonged to a well established group, which the escort guides named the Sable Pride. There are 17 individuals in the pride but they don’t all travel together. There was a group of three adults that we spotted multiple times right next to the road.
Then there was a second group comprised mainly of subadults with one or two lionesses supervising. The younger lions were very playful, both with each other and the environment. When we drove up to them, they became very curious about our vehicle. This is unusual; normally, lions continue sitting, even when we approach them.
Subadult lions at the Skybeds watering hole. The spots on their bellies and the short mane on the male indicate their age.
Lions are nocturnal and spend a lot of time sleeping during the day to conserve energy. The first rains of the season occurred during this time and the lions just continued to chill out even when wet. That isn’t to say they aren’t fierce; we found them one time lounging next to a giraffe carcass. They can get to 250-300 lb as adults and will put that weight to use when hunting. They are smart too; lions groups will create specific hunting formations and consistently stay in the same role. The ability of these cats to socialize truly makes them dominant in the Savannah.
