Lions from Botswana

[Spalea]

Robynne Kotze: " Looking forward to the weekend like this male was looking at his next potential meal ?

Very grateful that despite the world chaos I have still been able to make it out to wild places. I think now more than ever people have started realizing the value of nature and open spaces and how good it is for the soul.
In the words of Henry David Thoreau “All good things are wild and free”"

Patroling...

Robynne Kotze: " Finding the lions in the Okavango is not always easy - even if some of them are collared! See the holes in the Miscanthus grass in the top picture? There's a whole pride - male, females and cubs - resting in those tunnels. After spending hours trying to find them, the pride male Mufasa appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, until the noises in the grass from the females and cubs gave away their hiding place. The damp soil underneath and the thick canopy of shade created by the 7ft high grass provide the ideal cool microclimate for escaping the October heat. Ever wondered where swamp cat sleep? This is it. "

Robynne Kotze: " Meet two of the oldest males in our study - Tinkerbell and Brutus. These are the males of the six-wheel pride, and they cover a massive area of about 700 square kilometres. These two old boys are between 9 and 10 years old, and their scarred faces prove that they have fought to keep their place! After hearing their calls almost every night from one of our normal camping sites, it took us two years to set eyes on Tinkerbell for the first time. Tracking is extremely difficult in the floodplains, as once the lions go off road their tracks disappear in the couch grass making finding the lions a matter of luck more than anything else! Luckily, that's where the collars help a great deal in following up on an animal that covers such a large area, with very few roads! "

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