We have seen a lot of news articles recently about lions, well, one lion in particular, but today is not for mourning Cecil, but it is for remembering him and celebrating the existence of lions all over the world – present and past. Today is World Lion Day – the first global campaign to recognise the importance of the lion worldwide.
The future of lions is slowly moving towards extinction across Africa and India. Humans have lived alongside the King of the Jungle for thousands of years and today, there have never been a more pressing need to embrace the conservation of these magnificent creatures, to help them continue to remain in our lives for the foreseeable future. Lion conservation, raising awareness and education is paramount to their continued existence.
As a visitor to Africa, going on safari and being able to see lions in the wild is a magical experience. To watch them interact with each other in their pride, to understand and learn about their behaviour from your qualified ranger or field guide, to hear their gutteral roaring at night and to see them hunt together is an experience that most people will never forget. If seeing lion in the wild has always been on your bucket list, there are a number of places that you can visit to realise this dream. Here are our Top 5 destinations.
Masai Mara – Kenya
Home to the Big Cat Diary, the grassy plains of the Masai Mara, baked golden by the African sun have always been a firm favourite for lion lovers. The ready supply of antelope, zebra, and wildebeest means a constant supply of food for the resident prides – especially during the months of July through to September/October, when the Great Migration arrives from the drier Serengeti Plains into the Mara in search of the green grass here.
Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve – South Africa
Sabi Sands is the most famous of the private reserves adjoining the Kruger National Park. Covering over 65,000 hectares of wild bushland, it offers possibly some of the best lion viewing opportunities to be found on the continent, and provide an unforgettable experience. The land is privately owned, so the game viewing vehicles are not restricted to the road network and it is therefore possible for the experienced guides to follow the prides through the bush and to get extremely close to the animals as they go about their daily way of life.
Botswana
Botswana is now one of only 7 countries left with a lion population over 1,000 making it imperative to conserve the species in this country. In particular, you have the famous lions living in Savute who are known to specialise in preying on elephants, and a pride in Linyanti who hunt hippo. Visitors to the Okavango Delta may seen lions crossing the waterways from island to island in order to hunt.
Ruaha National Park – Tanzania
The Ruaha National Park is renowned for its undisturbed wildlife and stunning, rugged scenery, as well as it’s flourishing lion population. It is estimated that Ruhaha is home to the 2nd largest lion population in Africa – so about 10% of all lions left in the world.
South Luangwa National Park – Zambia
The Luangwa Valley has a healthy population of lion, and prides of up to 30 lions are common here. The birthplace too of the ‘walking safari’ you also can have the opportunity to approach prides on foot – of course, from a VERY safe distance!
