We found two lionesses with the five cubs on a buffalo kill right next to the road. It was however getting dark but we did watch them for a while. The cubs were playing on the carcass, pulling the ears and biting the nose and watched the raw power of a lioness as one of the adults pulled the carcass away from the road.
The lions showed two extremes of Africa, the cuteness of young animals at play and the cycle of life and death. The two were entwined when the cubs were playing with the carcass.
The boat edged closer to the pod of hippo and the engine was cut. We drifted up against the bank a safe distance away and watched for a while before drinks were passed around. It was the perfect evening in Africa with the sounds of sunset serenading us.....
I was watching one of the hippo as it circled the boat and then went under the water, coming up about twenty meters from us. It then went under the water again and came up a little further away, but it was restless. We decided to move away but as the motor came to life the hippo charged and we beat a hasty retreat - with the hippo in pursuit.
The hippo chased the boat for about fifty meters before turning back to the rest of the pod.
By Leigh Kemp