Early into the third morning of our latest visit to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, we happened upon a pride of lions on the bank of the Hluhluwe River at a spot called Sitezi. Most members of the pride quickly walked past, but at the rear of the family were three teenage males with boundless energy! They had great fun, and so were we watching them with cameras clicking away.
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
Playful lions along the Hluhluwe River (photo by Joubert)
de Wets Wild 
Ongelooflik dat julle die kon afneem Dries!
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Dankbaar dat ons op die regte plek op die regte tyd was, Aletta!
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😊
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Coincidentally, this week I watched “The Old Man and the Sea”, a movie released in 1958 with Spencer Tracy. In the movie, it depicts the old man’s dreams of Africa and the lions playing. The images in the movie are not unlike the images in your photos here.
A quote from Hemingway’s book: ”He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy.”
One discrepancy, the lions in the movie, like in your photos, were not on the beach.
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I wonder if anywhere in Africa still has lions walking down to the sea, certainly not here in South Africa. That would be an inspiring sight though!
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Great shots of the playful lions. Well done, Joubert. 👏🏻
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Thank you very much, Sylvia!
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Just amazing to see these creatures so close to you and so playful. Great shots, Joubert!
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Thanks very much, Carol! We could never tire of experiences like this.
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What fun! Who needs Netflix, eh?!
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Our thoughts exactly, Kathy. There’s so much to see and learn, and even to be entertained by, in nature.
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Pragtige foto’s … ja-nee, daardie lyk na ‘n lekker spelery! En ek hou van jou opskrif vir die foto’s 😉.
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Baie dankie, Corna! Ons het die spelery baie geniet – al sou ons nie graag deel daarvan wou wees nie! 😀
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Lions are so much more interesting to see when they are actually doing something other than lying belly-up in the grass. This looks like a fun interaction between them.
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So very true, Anne, and we’re lucky we arrived on the scene when we did. The golden light of the early morning was just beautiful and the cats still up and alert. Later in the morning we found them again and they were just lying in the reeds, almost invisible.
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we LOVE lions.
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As do we, Gavin!
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They enjoy their youth and to think that they will eventually become powerful creatures. Thanks so much, D. and Joubert. 🙂
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While these boys are still young at heart they’ve definitely got a considerable weight advantage already and would do serious harm to prey – and people – if they jumped onto it like this!
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Boys will be boys and you’re not lyin’, even if they are. 🙂 Reminds me of my s-i-l’s Ridgebacks playing and that’s ironic as RRs were bred to hunt lions. Happy Friday!
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Those Ridgebacks are renowned for their courage! It would take a dog that brave to go and look for wounded lions.
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