Lions on the rocks in Serengeti

Last week, I spent 6 days in South Serengeti, following up on the calving wildebeest. We arrived when the active calving had ended. The wildebeests had moved from Ndutu area to the plains around Naabi hill. We encountered eh herds around here and we spent most of the time in this location. However, once we were “wildebeestsed-out” we shifted to looking four cats, especially lions and cheetahs.

The following 3 days was spent among these rock-loving prides of lions. We followed two different prides, who would go hunting at night but in the morning comes back to the same kopje or an adjacent one in same territory. We were rewarded with a great sighting of them on rocks posing nicely for us in different light conditions and event some, mating on the rock (this was not on our shopping list!)

I have come to like this location in Serengeti, for such photo opportunities. I visit Serengeti almost 15 times a year, but I usually do not go to this particular spot due to tight program and limited time. You need amble time to access this place. I have been to this location before, in 1998, but I must have come a little too late that day, as the lions had come down the rocks. But this time round my guests and I had plenty of hours to burn scouring the area, and patiently sitting, waiting for photo opportunity.

One afternoon we realized a photo opportunity. We wanted to take a shot of the moon and a lion on the rock in perfect light. But this was a photo that was never to be. Our subject, the lion on the rock kept its head down until we lost the moon! However, it was worth the wait, otherwise, we would have thought we missed the opportunity. That is the game in photography.

I will be camping again next year in the same location to cover the calving wildebeests and visit my cats once more. If you are interested in joining a safari I will lead the please get in touch not eh following link;

http://www.paulkirui-photography.com/contact-me/

This was a picture that was never to be. We spent one hour in this location, hoping to get a lion that was lying on the rock to sit up or at least raise its head so that we could frame him with the rising moon