The River Pride’s new additions

The River pride has been spending a lot of time on our eastern side of the Chiredzi River, and in the past year they’ve expanded both their territory and numbers. The clearest sighting of them in January was of five lionesses, six juveniles and three four-month-old cubs. In addition to this there are three territorial males accepted by the females, which brings the total pride number to 17.

Spotting a nugget of gold in the emerald grasslands at the crack of dawn turned into a very lucky sighting indeed. My binoculars confirmed it was two lionesses and a scamper of something else. Off-roading in an arc to their spot I came across a pan filled with rainwater where the lionesses had been lying. They’d moved off into thicker vegetation and settled there – along with the “scampers”.

In due course a little face appeared from between the grass spears, then slunk away. Then the aunt lioness came to assess us, and see if we were worthy of her discerning tolerance.