The Lion Queen
We were well on our way towards a dam on the western side of the Reserve to see if we could find any animals coming for an evening drink as the sun started to set. It was a quiet afternoon and I had just finished speaking to the guests on board the safari vehicle about the Lion tracks that Phanuel, our tracker, had found on the road going across. I was explaining the sheer size of the tracks and the paws not having claw marks visible on the footprints, as lions have retractable claws. We established the direction the lions were going by looking at the front paws and back pad and decided to follow the tracks.
We quickly realised that the Lions were heading to the same dam we were making our way to. There was suddenly a great sense of excitement as everyone was anxious to see what we would find. As we came around a corner on the road leading to the dam we found two lions lying in the middle of the road. It was a male and female. These two large carnivores appeared to be on honeymoon; they were alone and separated from the rest of the pride. This normally happens with lions showing courtship behaviour. It was an extraordinary setting and we were all watching in awe as the big male lion decided to get up and was heading towards his queen.
Everyone started making presumptions of what might happen next as the male greeted the lady lion with a head rub. This typical behaviour of these big cats is what makes them the most sociable in the cat family. After greeting and sniffing around a bit, the male then decided to mount the female, and we were witnessing the mating display. Within seconds it was over, and the female made it very clear that, even though many people consider a male lion as the king of the jungle, a queen can be even more ferocious if she is not treated appropriately. She reacted affirmatively and quite aggressively to the male and just reminded him that she's got some power. (Click on the link below to view a video)
When this exceptional phenomenon had come to an abrupt halt, both lions started roaring to express themselves and announce their presence. This breathtaking roar of a lion can leave you sitting with goose bumps and is almost deafening when hearing it from so close, as a lion's roar can be heard from up to 8kms away.
After the intense communication session, both lions started moving off into the bush, and we carried on towards the dam. It was an unbelievable situation we had just witnessed and we were very privileged to have experienced such a memorable event. Seeing a female lion reprimanding the king of the jungle demands respect, and lets one realise who the real boss is; The Lion Queen.
