After a long drive to the South of the park in search of the Southern pride of Lion, we located them crossing the massive open plains. We noticed that they were on the hunt trying their luck at blue-wildebeest and zebra – the female with her three cubs, and the Dinokeng male close on their heels. We followed them for over an hour and the moment the hunt was on you could see the body language of the lioness and her cubs changing. We were fortunate to witness an amazing sighting of the lioness taking down a young zebra. The zebra frantically scattered into various directions but one female zebra and her stallion came rushing back, and we realised that they were trying to save her young zebra foal that was already caught by the lioness. The zebra repeatedly ran towards the lion and tried to kick the lioness. Together, the lion and lioness managed to push the mother zebra away, however she kept coming back until, after several futile attempts she must have realised that her baby’s fate was sealed. The lioness claimed her kill and moved off into the thickets to feed her cubs. An amazing interaction of two species – both trying to save their young and survive the best way they know how.
Greg Toplis
