Morning safari

It was a pleasant morning with mild weather conditions. We began our adventure along the Sand River, heading in an easterly direction, feeling the early morning sun on our faces as we passed the rocky outcrops east of Boulders Lodge.

There had been reports of lions vocalizing along the river the previous night. As we drove past, branches and lush grass appeared to be moving, creating an illusion of animals hidden among them. Rocks and termite mounds looked strangely animal-like as we tried to distinguish between objects and actual creatures - an experience that is always part of the excitement of the bush.

We had enjoyed productive game drives over the past few days, so the idea for this morning was simply to relax, take in the sights, and learn as much as we could. The mood was laid-back, and whatever came our way was a bonus.

Then, things took an interesting turn. A lioness was spotted sitting next to the road, southwest of Taylor's Crossing. We identified her as the Tsalala female. She was on the younger side and had recently lost her three cubs, making her journey all the more difficult as the last surviving member of her pride.

But the real excitement began when Howard, our tracker, spotted a mother cheetah with her six-month-old cubs being chased by multiple hyenas. The mother stood her ground against the aggressive scavengers, buying enough time for her cubs to escape. However, one of the cubs took refuge in a dead marula tree, only to find itself cornered. The mother led the other cubs to safety, but our focus shifted to the stranded cub in the tree. It was at high risk of being caught by the hyenas, and it seemed almost inevitable that it wouldn’t make it.

The hyenas, hoping for a kill, remained near the scene. But seeing that there was no kill to be had, they eventually moved on. The young cub descended the tree and disappeared into the bush, reuniting with the rest of its family. This was a relief for all of us, and we could finally breathe easy, knowing the cub had escaped.