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Okavanga — Lion Family 8

#cubs #lion #lioness #safari #tanzania #wildanimals #wildlifephotography
Published: 2015-11-22 11:11:24 +0000 UTC; Views: 338; Favourites: 15; Downloads: 1
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Description The Leopard and the LionsJust South of the Lemala Camp, in the central Serengeti, stands a solitary statuesque sausage tree (Kigelia africana) http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/kigelia-africana-sausage-tree Rising to 15 meters, with its convoluted branches covered in dense foliage and with its large sausage-shaped fruits hanging ripe to fall, this tree casts a wide shadow over a dry gulch of an ephemeral river that floods the land in the rainy season. Parched land covered in long but dessicated grass lies all around, an occasional thorn bush breaking the local monotony. This is where we found the lions that morning. I say "we" found the lions, rather our amazing guide/driver Alfred the Great, he of the lucky belt (more of which in a later Feature) had found the lions after a careful study of tracks and patches of flattened grass. Standing up in the Land Cruiser, scouring the landscape, my wife and I saw nothing until Alfred whispered, "There, in the gulch - a paw!" Carefully manoeu
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Comments: 7

ScarabsCorner [2015-12-07 22:15:37 +0000 UTC]

Awww look at those little darlings~!! I see moms pretty tired

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Okavanga In reply to ScarabsCorner [2015-12-08 07:15:35 +0000 UTC]

Indeed - the Sun is up, approaching Noon, heat rising and lions like to conserve their energy.

Many Thanks, Katey.

David

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ScarabsCorner In reply to Okavanga [2015-12-08 19:51:04 +0000 UTC]

your welcome

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LindArtz [2015-11-24 16:40:57 +0000 UTC]

  

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Okavanga In reply to LindArtz [2015-11-25 07:43:29 +0000 UTC]

Eventually, the Sun and heat, and the need to conserve energy starts to take over, and lions need their rest!

Many Thanks, Linda.

David

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LindArtz In reply to Okavanga [2015-11-25 17:45:45 +0000 UTC]

I just hope she wouldn't go to sleep with that leopard still in the tree....Seems like a selfish contradiction of her love...and proof of that 'love' being mostly instinct?

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Okavanga In reply to LindArtz [2015-11-26 07:59:15 +0000 UTC]

Balance of competing drives, Linda. All big cats, and especially lions find the heat and the Sun very tiring, so they rest up during the day, and are most active at night when it is cooler. So, the need for rest becomes paramount. OTOH, the cubs are to be protected. We didn't stay to see what actually happened (not a lot as it turns out), but maybe the lioness cat-napped - a doze followed by a waking spell.

David

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