Surrounded by a Pride of Lions
The lion is most handsome when looking for food. —Rumi
The truck came to a grinding, abrupt stop, part of its underbelly hung up on a rock. It was the end of the day on safari on the Maasai Mara. Nathan, our guide and driver, asked, “Do you want to meet a new pride of lions?” We nodded eagerly and a mad dash ensued across the savannah with our companions in hot pursuit in three other trucks. The drive took longer than anticipated. When we finally pulled up, I mean, were stopped by that rock, the sun was low on the horizon. As I searched the edge of the bushes, I spotted several pairs of flickering tawny ears. Nathan tried to shift the Land Cruiser off the rock. No luck. He turned off the engine and I began to count how many lions I could see—five, six, seven… “There’s a big male with this pride,” he whispered. “He must be hiding in the bushes.”
The three other trucks pulled up nearby. One chose another stony outcrop just like ours, the grinding of metal on rock causing a few more heads to pop up above the grass. Eleven, twelve, thirteen…
A lioness got up and strolled to the back of a truck, settling down at the bumper as if to say, “I’ve got this corner.” I noticed a couple of youngsters, close to a year old, curled up a few feet from me. I hunkered down lowering my camera hoping one might look up. Lions! Kenya! On safari! My happy place. A lioness got up and strolled to the back of a truck, settling down at the bumper as if to say, “I’ve got this corner.” I noticed a couple of cubs, close to a year old, lying in the grass a few feet from me. I hunkered down lowering my camera hoping one might look up. Lions! Kenya! On safari! My happy place.
The universal sound of crickets heralded evening as the sun neared the horizon. Nathan shifted forward and reverse, trying to find purchase. The wheels spun helplessly in the air. The reliable and tough Toyota Land Cruiser is the vehicle of choice on safari. It handles rough terrain, slick mud, flooded creeks, and shallow rivers. It’s open sided, with 3 rows of tiered seating so everyone has a good view, which is essential for photographers. The canvas roof can be opened for top viewing or closed for shade. It has zippered windows that roll down in case you’re caught in a rainstorm. If you’re really stuck, it has locking hubs that are activated by turning a switch on the end of the axle giving you 4WD and added traction. The only disadvantage is you have to get out of the vehicle to activate the hubs. Nathan scanned the area surrounding our truck. The pride of lions was scattered along my side, the far side. He wrapped his hand around the door handle and squeezed slowly, there was a loud CLICK! More heads popped up including the cub. I got the shot. Nathan changed his mind about getting out.
Meanwhile, the other stuck truck managed to drive off its rocky perch. The remaining two trucks jockeyed into place behind us, ready to give us a push. Nathan made one final attempt and the truck jerked off the rock with an unnerving sound of something breaking. Our convoy of 4 headed towards home, pausing for a necessary pee break once we were on clear open ground that had been grazed down to the earth. We clambered out to relieve ourselves at various discrete corners of the vehicles. “That was amazing!” I said. “That was terrifying,” replied my husband. Ever the protector, watching from another truck his mind was focused on how we’d get out of the predicament. As he said to me later, “You were thinking about being there. I was thinking about getting out of there. You were delighted, I was frighted.”
He’s right. I was completely focused on observing the lions and getting as many shots as possible in the fading light. I loved being so close I could see the details of their markings—the black triangles on their ears suggesting they had eyes in the back of their heads, the beautiful subtle spotted pattern on the bodies of the younger lions.
This is not to say that I wouldn’t be terrified if Nathan asked me to turn the hubs on our truck. It’s just that it never crossed my mind—I was too absorbed watching the lions to think of anything else. And there was the King somewhere in the bushes—I needed to be ready in case he made an appearance.
Thank you for reading. Support conservation efforts by purchasing a face mask designed from my lion photo, or a special print from this photo of the Mara sunset. Every purchase of a wildlife-inspired piece in my full store helps charitable organizations doing valuable conservation work across the planet.