Botswana - Okavango Delta - Monachira Camp

A New Addition

After giving birth in a hidden den, lionesses spend the first few weeks of their cubs' lives away from the pride to keep them safe from predators and rival male lions. When the cubs are old enough, the mother lets out gentle contact calls to make their way back to the pride.

We caught up with a new mother and her little one right after the retrieval call stage and saw the moment when the cub was introduced to its pride for the very first time. We had wondered where the mother was for the past two months. Little did we know she was preparing one of the most adorable surprises ever!

Big Cats

Lions are some of the heaviest big cats in the world. Their size and strength are virtually unmatched in Southern Africa, but their speed and agility leave something to be desired, especially compared to leopards. So you would think that climbing trees is not on their list of priorities.

However, lions routinely climb on small and fallen trees. We found two sub-adult males and a female resting on top of a fallen tree trunk, scanning the plains for their next target.

Suckling Cubs

Towards mid-month, we spotted a female lion with three beautiful little cubs. We were so excited to see the small family relaxing together. The cubs were still weaning, so we were treated to the sight of them suckling from their mother.

Sound Of The Wild

During one of our game drives, one of our guests spotted a male lion resting not too far from our vehicle. We stopped to see what he would do when we heard a lion call in the distance. The one we were watching responded. His low, rumbling call echoed across the plains, the sheer volume shocking us.

September was an amazing month for lion sightings. We can’t wait to tell you what October has in store!

Until next time,
Steven Mavromatis
Monachira Camp