A Chance Encounter
Setting out on safari is always exciting, and this time we were heading to a water source in the northern parts of the reserve on a peaceful afternoon drive. As we approached the dam, a flicking movement caught my eye. We moved closer to the dam wall and saw it... a male Lion lying close to the water, on the eastern side, flicking his ear in an attempt to get rid of a pesky fly. All my guests on the vehicle gasped in excitement! It's quite a sight when you find the 'King of the Jungle' as it's not always that easy to come across these large carnivores. We took a moment to admire the big cat whilst he was just lying lazily next to the water, having everything he needs in close proximity. Lions are related to our house cats and can sleep up to 20 hours in a day. A big male like this one can easily weigh up to about 230Kgs, so it's hard to believe that they would sleep that long and still be able to maintain themselves through hunting and eating, and also then do their rounds in marking territory almost on a daily basis.
This lazy cat was just starting to enjoy his nap when suddenly, on the western side of the dam, two White Rhinos, a mother and her calf, approached the dam. These gigantic mammals were obviously quite thirsty and were making their way to the water for an afternoon drink, oblivious to the fact that there is a male Lion sleeping next to their drink. The Lion was still unaware of their presence as yet, but we all sat in anticipation as to what might transpire between these two big five animals. This was a chance encounter of two of the most dangerous animals in the bush.
The Rhinos made their approach to the dam, but the mother was now a lot more cautious, as if she could smell trouble in the air. They must have picked up the scent of the Lion from where they were standing. Nevertheless the large herbivores came closer for a drink. The White Rhino can weigh up to about 2 tons and run up to 40kms/hour. This is the last thing the Lion would want, to be trampled by the Rhino. The Lion was now directly on the opposite side of the dam as the Rhino, and the mom and her calf had a drink of water. The cat was now lifting his head in an attempt to see what is around him. He spotted the Rhinos and stared at them.
After their drink the Rhinos walked to the dam wall and started moving across the dam towards the side of the Lion. As they got closer they noticed his presence. It's very seldom that Lions would try to take down a Rhino, even more so when it's just a male by himself, as it can be quite the task to bring down such a large mammal with a thick skin. But a baby might be an easier picking.
The Rhino immediately changed their stance and started snorting and warning each other that the Lion is nearby. Their tails were up and curled, a clear warning sign, and ears raised facing directly at the Lion. The mother took a defensive stance and started jogging towards the Lion in an attempt to deter him. It worked, the lazy male got quite the fright and got up, turned his head to look at the on-coming Rhino and flattened his ears, as if in submission to the large beast, and then he jogged off into the bush.
We were all in awe, and enjoyed every minute. The female Rhinoceros turned back to the calf, as if to comfort it saying 'Don't worry he's gone now', and they turned in the opposite direction, moved off and started grazing in the bush. What a wonderful experience it was to see these two beautiful beasts interact. It is quite a rare sighting to see two of the big 5 in one place at the same time and to see how they engage with one another.
