This morning, JP had heard about a couple of male lions near a watering hole, so we drove off to see what we could see.
They had their drink, crossed the stream without getting their paws muddy, and wandered off.
There wasn’t much happening at the watering hole, so we drove around – visited another hyena den, watched some birds. We paused for coffee and (they guys) played who could spit Impala poop furthest.
Then, JP heard there were some elephants heading towards the watering hole, so we drove back. It was an amazing series of sightings.
First thing was a herd of elephants. A couple took a bath, most just took turns drinking water. There were some rhinos hanging out. A herd of Cape Buffalo wandered in. The zebra wandered around. We didn’t know which way to look.
So: elephant, lion, cape buffalo, rhino. The only thing missing from the “big five” list was a leopard. As we headed back to the lodge, JT suddenly turned down a road and met up with another guide. He pointed to the hillside. I didn’t see anything for awhile.
They were almost impossible to spot (the only reason the other guide had seen them is because they had been moving earlier), but then the got up and walked across the hillside and disappeared.
I have mixed feelings about the “big five” as a safari goal – the list is based on hunting trophies, and if you get too focused on the list, you can see amazing animals, but still feel disappointed if you miss even one.