You don’t ALWAYS find lions behind EVERY bush, you know..?

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When we visited in September, there appeared to be a convention of Lions around Lower Sabie Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park. Whether you were following the river in an easterly or westerly direction from camp, you would have been very unlucky not to encounter at least one pride of lions within the first 4 kilometers of your drive.

Mating pair of lions on the bank of the Sabie River
Lioness on a sand bank in the Sabie River (photo by Joubert)
Lions lazing on the rocks at Lubyelubye
Lions lazing on the rocks at Lubyelubye
Lion cub at Lubyelubye (photo by Joubert)
Lion cub at Lubyelubye
Pride of lions on a sandbank near Lower Sabie
Lioness on a sand bank in the Sabie River
Two male lions, one considerable older than the other, sharing a rock that overlooks the Sabie River
Lioness on a sand bank in the Sabie River
Big male lion staking his claim to a sandbank on the Sabie River
Pride of lions on a sandbank near Lower Sabie
Pride of lions on a sandbank near Lower Sabie
Pride of lions on a sandbank near Lower Sabie
Mating pair of lions on the bank of the Sabie River

On one occasion we even saw two lions right in front of camp while we were taking an afternoon stroll on the lawns! They spooked a herd of fleet-footed impala, alerting us to their presence as well.

Male and female lion walking the river bed in front of Lower Sabie Rest Camp
Male and female lion walking the river bed in front of Lower Sabie Rest Camp

Finding Lions in Kruger is not always this easy. With the dry season now coming to an end, surface water is hard to come by, and the lions take advantage of this by ambushing herbivores coming to slake their thirst from the Sabie. We also found lions in other parts of the park while we were driving around, and in all instances they were close to or at a water source, lying in wait.

Lazy young lion on a hot day, just north of Crocodile Bridge
A pair of young lions waiting near Mac’s Pan for passing herds
A pair of young lions waiting near Mac’s Pan for passing herds
Lone male resting near Lower Sabie

40 thoughts on “You don’t ALWAYS find lions behind EVERY bush, you know..?”

  4. Pingback: Crocodile Bridge was calling | de Wets Wild

  8. Joanne Sisco

    An entire post of cats ❤️❤️❤️ What a wonderful way to start my day!! My favourite is the one towards the end lazing on his back. What a trip this must have been to be practically tripping over them at every turn!

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  9. Ted

    I enjoy visiting your site and the photos of wildlife. Where I live, about the wildest thing we see is a fox (usually around 3 am) and some common feathered friends. Lions? No. So this post is great and that they sort of appear on spec. Like they’re saying, “Here you are human, eat your heart out.”

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  11. Tannie Frannie

    Toe my Amerikaanse skoonseun in 2008 in Kruger was, het een enkele mannetjiesleeu uit die grasse opgestaan, laaank uitgerek en weer gaan lê – tot dusver, sy enigste ontmoeting met Koning Leeu. Ag, hy was so opgewonde…

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      2. de Wets Wild Post author

        Die Wildtuin het regtig iets vir elke seisoen! Einde van winter en begin lente is beslis die tyd om te gaan as jy hope roofdiere wil sien, maar vir my hou die vroeg somer die meeste bekoring in wanneer dit wemel van die baba rooibokkies.

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  14. Anne

    You have lived the average visitor’s dream 🙂 I remember a trip to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park that was similar: we saw lions and cheetah daily for ten days. Yet, on a different trip we saw neither hair not hide of either!

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    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      We’ve had a few of those trips too, Anne, where it seemed the predators all packed up and emigrated. Availability of water and the denseness of the vegetation can make or break your trip if you are only chasing lions, leopards and cheetahs – luckily we enjoy everything nature shows us.

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  17. H.J. for avian101

    You talk of the lions as casually as looking at little pet dos in the park here! My G-d, these big cats are natural killers and can easily harm you! You’re so used to see them it’s no problem at all, I figure… 🙂

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