The Kingdom of Lions...

Third day in the Serengeti
On the wings of the wind...Surprise! When we got back to camp the night before, my husband found out we’d have the pleasure of waking up at 4 a.m.... all for a good cause, since it was for a hot-air balloon ride, and we had a 1.5-hour drive from our camp to get there.
We’d already done a hot-air balloon ride in Myanmar, and we loved it. This time, I hesitated because of the cost—given how unpredictable things can be, it makes you think! What tipped the scales was realizing that, animals or not, it would let us experience these stunning landscapes in a whole new way. Plus, after a year and a half of COVID, we’d ended up saving money, so...
Sure enough, we didn’t fly over any huge herds! The winds didn’t take us where the great migration was just starting to show its snouts. But we still soaked in plenty of breathtaking sights, especially when we flew over a small mountainous and forested area completely off our itinerary for this trip.
So here’s the start of our day—no commentary needed, since the pictures speak for themselves.
We’d love for it to last longer, but we’ve got to get back to the antelope’s floor...Throughout the flight, the pilot varied the altitude so much that we almost thought we’d touch those hippos, only to be soaring over those mountain ranges a quarter of an hour later, beyond which we landed.

Day 3 in the Serengeti, continued
After a smooth landing and a really good brunch in the wild, we’re dropped off at Seronera where we meet up with Bacary and Marcus to head back to camp... taking our time.
Look, an acrobatic lioness...A little further on, we follow a small river and scan the treetops along its banks. But it’s Bacary who spots it first—a young leopard. Yet, it’s not even hiding!We explore the area a bit, thinking the mother might be nearby, but we don’t find her…
So we head off to new discoveries.Just before camp, several cars are stopped by a tree. Let’s check it out… yep, it’s a beautiful adult leopard. We don’t stay long—it’s sleeping (plus, we’ve realized Bacary loves finding things on his own and isn’t a fan of car clusters, and neither are we!)

end of the 3rd dayRoars in the twilight...Since we got back late for lunch, we left later than usual and didn’t have time to go very far. Bacary suggested we go back to see the big lion family from the day before—we were definitely up for it.Unfortunately, there were "only" five lionesses lying in the grass, and Bacary was determined to give us a beautiful sunset... Tonight, the savanna was deserted. So we stopped in a pretty spot where we could get out of the jeep (with all the usual precautions) and simply admire the setting sun over the savanna.We had just gotten out of the jeep, drinks in hand, chatting quietly, when Marcus shushed us: he’d heard a lion roar, not too far away, to our right. Then, as if in echo, another roar—this time right in front of us. Apparently, our two big males were calling to each other to reunite after splitting up.
Before we knew it, we packed up our little get-together in a flash and hopped back in the car to witness the reunion... The light was fading fast, and we kept hearing short, raspy roars now and then. I thought to myself that if I were alone in the savanna, I’d be seriously freaked out!!!Finally, one came into view—he was heading toward us, roaring in bursts, his tone growing rougher and more cavernous...
(the photos below get blurrier and blurrier as it gets darker)It was too dark by then—night falls quickly! But the second lion wasn’t far off; they wouldn’t be long in reuniting.
Time to head back, with even more beautiful images in our heads! !

Amazing encounter at dusk with these lions 😊 Their roars must be pretty impressive—I can just imagine you had to retreat quickly 😆

Your photos are amazing, Fabienne! Animals everywhere and magical landscapes.Your husband must’ve really loved the surprise—lucky guy!

Hi
Fabhyène,
Your photos are still stunning, and the moments you describe are amazing—the hot-air balloon ride, the leopards, that encounter with the two roaring lions... it feels like we're right there with you!

4 days in the Serengeti... This is our last full day, since we’ll be flying to Arusha tomorrow late morning.Safari regulars know this—one day you see tons of animals, and the next, nothing at all... This morning, the savanna is packed! Even the roads are jammed!But what’s Bison Futé up to???
A word of caution for the more prudish among you: you’re about to witness a thigh reveal like you’ve maybe never seen before…Shocked? I did warn you, but yeah, the erotic charge is intense…To lower the blood pressure, let’s admire these beautiful landscapes…It’s true we’re super focused on the animals, but the landscapes—and especially the trees—deserve just as much attention. If you look closely at the photo below, you’ll spot a little crocodile patrolling around this hippo. Circular economy at work: it feeds on the small fish that thrive on the hippo’s generous droppings.Is this really an African jabiru, from the stork family?To be continued: some gore

continuation of the 4th day in the Serengeti...I’d warned you it’d get gory, but it starts off gently...
It’s late morning, and we’re about to head back to camp when we spot a silhouette on that rock over there.It’s a lioness, all alone, looking tired. After watching her, Bacary tells us she’ll probably give birth very soon—maybe even here in a day or two. She must’ve chosen this spot to have her cubs. We watch her for a while, then leave her in peace.On our way back, we run into one of the lions we’d seen over the past few days. It’s one of the two big males, but not the dominant one. Bacary points out fresh scratches on his muzzle—things must’ve gotten pretty rough...We think we see another lion lying in a nearby thicket, so we get closer... and we weren’t expecting this gruesome discovery: it’s a young lion, half-eaten, likely by the one we just saw.
Bacary tells us the victim is a very young lion, close to adulthood but too young to be independent. He wasn’t part of the clan, probably got lost and wandered into the wrong territory. He should’ve been able to escape if he’d been chased, unless he was caught by surprise, and the two big males teamed up to corner him.Okay, I’ll post the photo, but it’s gory!Bon appétit...
Anyway, we decide to head back to camp for lunch—just to check if this killed our appetite... And at the same time, we’ve seen plenty of wildebeest, buffalo, and antelope carcasses, and we weren’t as bothered...
To be continued...

Continuing from the 4th daySo, is anyone in the jeep fed up with felines? If so, I’d advise them to stay at camp this afternoon...Here we go again for our last afternoon in the Serengeti.First, another encounter with a serval! It’s hunting in the low brush. It has such a cute face. Everything about this animal is beautiful, even the back of its ears!We follow it for a bit—it leaps to catch small animals we can’t see, like rodents. But we leave it be; we wouldn’t want to ruin all its efforts!Info swap: We stop when we cross paths with another jeep, and the guides exchange a few words. This time, it’s a great tip—three cheetahs have settled in a spot Bacary knows well. It’s a bit far, so the jeep picks up speed.Once we arrive, the grass is tall, so we scan the area until we spot the three cheetahs, well hidden in the dry grass...The shadows grow longer, and the light turns more golden.One of them moves on, soon followed by the other two.But it’s not over yet!!!

The grand finale of the 4th day! An unforgettable sunset.The sun starts to set… But Bacary just got another tip on the radio, and we’re leaving the cheetahs behind as the jeep speeds off! Hang on tight…The sun plays hide-and-seek with the clouds, creating fantastic lights worthy of *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*.No matter where we’re going, we’d better get there fast… A big rock comes into view, and from a distance, we spot lions.
And then I can’t hold back—I realize there are several cubs! It’s magical.
The fading light still lets us take some beautiful photos, with a slightly grainy quality.I’m on cloud nine.

Hi Fabienne,You were spoiled with those wildlife encounters

This morning, it’s our last game drive before catching our flight to Arusha! A little pang in the heart, but we already feel incredibly lucky!
And just after leaving the camp and crossing a small river, we come across a beautiful pride of lions.This time, there are 16 of them in total. Some young ones, but no cubs, and two magnificent males with stunning manes blowing in the wind! They remind me of Laurent Delahousse A quick stop by the river to quench their thirst, then back to lounging, but this time in the shade.But we have to leave this beautiful family!

Return to the scene of yesterday’s carnage
Our route to the airport takes us near the spot where we found the young lion half-eaten yesterday.
Bacary scans the savanna carefully. Suddenly, the jeep veers off the path—we approach a young lion lying in the grass.Bacary explains that he’s too young to be alone. He thinks this is the brother of the one killed yesterday, and that the mother must be nearby.
Sure enough, we’re really close to the fateful thicket… We head over to see what’s happening. Where the body was, there’s nothing left. Just a piece of a paw.
We go downhill, and what do we find? The dominant male. He’s with a lioness.Bacary pieces together the story: he believes the lioness and her two cubs are from another clan, and that by mistake, while hunting, they wandered where they shouldn’t have. The two lions attacked them, drove them off, but managed to kill one of the cubs.
The dominant male caught up with the mother. That’s her there, with him. The surviving cub won’t be able to fend for itself. Its only option is to wait for the big male to leave so it can rejoin its mother… provided it isn’t found and killed in the meantime.
We now have to head back to the airport.
Further on, we see this handsome crocodile. Then many buffalo, and a large elephant family.Darn… here we are at the airport. It’s time to say goodbye to Marcus and Bacary, whom we thank warmly. He was an excellent guide, and we appreciated his calm demeanor, his light humor, his determination, and the love he has for his job.
The plane rising into the sky closes this wonderful chapter that was the Serengeti.