This morning started as most morning drives have started, besides from the bit of misty rain coming down, wetting the tips of the grasses and providing a cool breeze out in the bush. I left the lodge not really knowing which direction to drive to start the morning. I moved into the Eastern sector of the reserve hoping to come across any tracks or signs of any predator that may have been moving about in the early hours of the morning. I had spotted two different herds of elephants and two different hyenas in the first hour. The bush was waking up! Little did I know what had been happening through the night...

I was driving through a relatively open area when suddenly, in the distance, two animals crossed the road. Quite quickly I might add. As I sped up to see what they were, I realized that they were the four male lions we had recently been seeing on the reserve.

“But why are they moving so quickly through the bush? Are they looking for the female that was seen with them recently?” I thought. I followed them as they cut through the bush following one another in a line. The males picked up on some scent in the road and were rolling around and lying in the road for some time.

Before we carry on with the story, I just want to put it out there that I have been waiting to photograph lions walking in a line together for years!!!

On with the story. As they moved swiftly through the bush, sometimes even running, I thought that they would be getting closer to something that they had heard or smelt. I then realised as we came out and into the open of a second clearing that they were actually being chased! Chased by two, much older, possibly stronger but definitely more dominant male lions!

The gap seemed to get closer and closer every couple of yards. The older males were catching the younger males. The older males, now much closer to the four boys, started roaring as if to say, “leave my territory!” All the while chasing them. This continued for quite a distance until the group of four males briefly split up, meaning that the two older males did too. One older male went after three younger males and the other older male went after the remaining younger male.

Now as the groups split up, there was a lot of roaring from both parties - back and forth, back and forth - with neither getting close enough to get into a fight where paws, claws and fur starts flying... The older males drove the group of younger males back to where they came from, asserting their dominance of the area and telling the younger group of lions that they may be older, but they can still put up a fight. With the older males now satisfied that they had shown the younger group that they mean business they called to each other to regroup. I followed one older male on his path to join his brother as he walked and roared, using his roars as a marker to the other brother. It was not long when, just over the horizon, I saw the other brother waiting for his partner to come back. As they met up, they rubbed heads (a sign of greeting and to reinforce bonds) and began to walk back in the direction of their territory. As they walked side by side, they picked up on the younger group of four males’ scent that they left as they passed the area. As the two older males smelt this, they immediately lay down on it, rolled and rubbed themselves onto of it and urinated on all of it just to make sure the younger group gets their message - this is all a sign of dominance.

It was not long before the sun shone through the clouds, heating up the ground and in turn, the air. This had an effect on the two older males, who were now tired and getting thirsty. As they walked down a game path, they came toward another road that had puddles of water on it. One male stopped and lay down as the other proceeded to the small puddle of water to drink. As the one finished drinking he moved off and lay down about 20 yards away. The other male, now at the back, got up and walked toward his brother. As he reached his brother, they once again rubbed heads and started to vocalize. One lay down roaring and the other stood up and roared - a final roar before they moved off into the bushes to rest in the shade.

This was all truly breath-taking and an unbelievably fast-paced experience I will never forget. Both groups live another day, maybe one group more fortunate than the other...”