Be aware that you may have very different types of lion sightings depending on the terrain and your safari type walking, game drives, canoeing, etc. Pride behavior shifts from territory to territory depending on the group's size, seasonal game movement, rivalries between male lions, and pressure from other predators such as hyenas. As a general rule for safari planning, check the blog of safari lodges you are considering for reports of lion pride activity.
Also see if off-road driving and night drives are possible to increase your chances of following lions hunting. During daylight hours you are more likely to see the big cats sleeping as they digest prey killed the previous evening. And always ask your travel specialist to request that a senior guide escort your game drives and walks, since an experienced lodge staffer will know the environs and the ranging animal populations far better than a new arrival.
Lions normally rest on the ground, but it's believed prides living in areas with lots of biting tsetse flies have learned to seek refuge in trees. Tanzania has the continent's largest lion population. This allows him to follow his nose and reports from fellow guides to maximize lion sightings. Recently, a group of Nolting's clients chalked up more than lion sightings, including a huge male that stalked and brought down a hyena.
Within the Serengeti Ecosystem, a mobile tented safari timed to the cycles of the annual wildebeest migration increases the possibility of witnessing lions hunting, especially during the July through October period when lions ambush wildebeest along the banks of the Mara River, or during the January through March wildebeest calving season at the southern end of the Serengeti.
As a greater food supply is available in the Ngorongoro Crater than elsewhere, male lions here grow to a size that intimidates outsiders from joining local prides. This has lead to serious problems of inbreeding within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. According to host and professional photography guide Jonathan Scott , lions regularly stalk the tree-lined water courses east of the marsh.
Scott and his wife, who have been observing the prides for years from their base in the Governors concession, are sometimes available to lead private safaris by arrangement. Also working in the area, often from Rekero Camp , standout guide Jackson Looseyia , one of Jonathan Scott's presenters for the Big Cat DiariesTV series, is regarded as one of the best the Mara and his bush sense has resulted in extraordinary lion sightings for clients, including the makers of Disney's "African Cats" documentary.
On an early morning game drive in Ruaha National Park in Tanzania we discovered a lioness gently dozing on the banks of the river. We sat and watched — just us and her.
People and lions trying to co-exist in habitats under mounting pressure are increasingly coming into conflict. Three of the five largest populations are in Tanzania. Lions have disappeared from 12 sub-Saharan countries in recent decades. It means they play a crucial role in keeping a healthy balance of numbers among other animals, especially herbivores like zebra and wildebeest — which in turn influences the condition of grasslands and forests. Adopt the Eneiskiria pride of lions and become a part of the solution to help protect lions in the Mara.
The smaller, more remote North Luangwa also offers excellent lion sightings, for the more intrepid traveller. Elsewhere in Zambia, Kafue National Park is a good place to see lions, particularly in the Busanga Plains area — a vast open floodplain system in the north of the park. Hwange hosts a large population of lions and prey species — including large herds of buffalo, a favourite item on the menu.
Just a short drive from Victoria Falls, Hwange is a convenient add-on to your southern African safari. If you are not yet a member, see how to JOIN below this story. See details below. We're the safari specialists at Africa Geographic - a passionate bunch of experienced safari-goers keen to share our deep understanding of this addictive continent we call home.
We create life-changing safaris just for you. Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. Visit our website. And as human settlements grow, lions lose their habitat and see it fragmented, making it difficult for males to find new prides and mate. Poaching, too, poses a threat. Conservationists hope to halt the decline of the fragile species by supporting the coexistence of lions and humans across Africa.
The survival of the species depends on working with local communities that must coexist with lions and recognizing their role in protecting them, says Peter Lindsey, director of the Lion Recovery Fund. Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are dominated by females. Older cubs are raised together as a creche, or nursery group, as seen here in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park.
One way forward is providing tangible benefits to those living alongside lions for conserving them. For example, some conservation models reward communities that show an increase in lion numbers, which provides an incentive not to poach or retaliate against them for livestock kills. Compensation schemes work similarly, paying livestock owners to replace animals that are killed by lions. These kinds of programs can change a community's overall attitude toward animals they may have previously been seen as a threat to safety and livelihood.
If the benefits of living near lions can outweigh the cost, then people will choose to protect them, Dickman says. Involving communities directly in conservation is also an important element. Warrior Watch recruits young Samburu men—who are traditionally excluded from conservation and wildlife management conversations—to scout the areas surrounding their communities for lions.
Ewaso Lions started a Sunday school, and now every person in the program can read and write in Swahili, Bhalla said. The warriors also felt much more socially empowered as a result of this project.
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