Big Cat Country

He has been feared and admired in equal measures since ancient times – panthera leo, the lion. His impressive stature and mane command respect among animals and humans alike and rightfully so. The king of the beasts is the apex predator in his habitat hunting prey as large as buffalo or giraffe. Much of the lion’s success in hunting is owed to the social organisation of the pride, a unique feature among felines. Lions are a major drawcard of national parks in Southern and Eastern Africa, but they are most impressive in the open plains of the Masai Mara and Serengeti National Parks.

The Lions of the Masai Mara and Serengeti

The great migration of wildebeest across the borders of Tanzania and Kenya provides plenty of hunting opportunities for the lions in the area. The lions are an integral part of this eco-system ridding the area of weak and sick animals. Lions are inactive for an impressive 20 hours per day and hunt between dusk and the cool of the early morning. A pride consists of several related females and their cubs as well as one and in some cases two males. The hunting however is done mainly by the lionesses, who stalk their prey as a collective. As lions lack endurance, the lioness will sneak up on the prey and then hunt in down in a burst of speed. With other lionesses attacking from the flanks, the pride can even take down the heavy Cape buffalo. The kill is shared among the pride with the hunters and the alpha male having prior claim.

Every year the Masai Mara and the Serengeti provide the stage for one of nature’s great spectacles – the great wildebeest migration. More than one million wildebeest along with zebra and Thompson’s gazelle follow the rains in this area with lions and hyena in hot pursuit. It is one of the most dramatic sights in nature when lions spear into the large herds, driving them apart and isolating their prey. The vast plains of Kenya and Tanzania are among the best places to see a lion take down the unfortunate ungulate and suffocate it with a bite to the throat. It is a frightening and fascinating experience!

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