Great stuff! When these big, tough, "scary" apex predators, engage in that affectionate behavior (the two lions who were licking one another) it always gets to me. Thanks for the awesome footage ❤🦁✌
Thank you for your video, found your 61 days videoseries but was curious about these ones also. Can I ask, what did you do during the day when the lions were at the campsite? Were you out of your cars and tents? It seems at the braai you were, would the fire keep them from coming close also when its dark. Was in Chitake (2) solo , with lions all around. Early evening a lion walkby (13m from were I was sitting next to the fire) and next day a lion growling sound. Decided to put my stuff back in the car in both cases and then sit in the rooftoptent. Wonder if I should have gone into the tent immediatly or could have stayed at the fireside.
To answer your question, I must start with a few disclaimers. What we did should not be seen as a recommendation and people should make up their own minds as to what is appropriate and safe. We try to follow a "risk management" approach and are willing to accept some risk. In this regard probably the most important point is to be aware of your surroundings and areas where potentially dangerous animals may remain unobserved. When we saw the lions moving in our direction on the pan we concluded that there is a chance that they may come right to our camp. We then moved our vehicles into the shade closest to our tents and the shelter to discourage the lions (should they come into the camp) from lying down in that shade which would have effectively blocked access to the tents. This worked in that the lions lied down under a tree a little distance away. When the lions went to sleep we took turns monitoring the lions and people not on monitoring duty could go to the bathroom, grab lunch etc. The vehicles then formed a bit of a barrier between us and the lions. If the lions approached closer we would have been able to enter the vehicles or tents from the side away from the lions. When the lions woke up later in the afternoon the person monitoring them informed everybody that the lions were waking up. The lions then approached the shower to have a drink from the run-off and all visits to the bathroom ceased! When we returned form a late afternoon game drive it was clear that the lions were fully awake and preparing to move off. There was a window of opportunity where we could start the fire before one of the lionesses returned to the camp. Eventually the lions moved off fully and we could start the braai, while continually monitoring the area. Some further comments: The risk of potentially dangerous animals like lions and leopards is much higher at night, because your ability to already see them at a distance is impaired and they are more active. So we are more careful at night. At night we will not go walking around unnecessarily and will scan the area with a spotlight before e.g. going to the bathroom and will only visit that if it is clear that no potentially dangerous animals are around. We've had lions, elephants etc in our campsites numerous times, and in my experience they do not really seem to be scared of fire. So I would not rely on a fire to keep them away. I think you were wise to go into your vehicle/tent once you became aware of the lion in your camp at night.
Thanks for a great video clip. What time of the year did you visit the park and what camp were the lions in, there was clearly no fence or gates there?
Thanks for the compliment! The visit was during April. The specific camp was Mpayathutlwa in the Mabuasehube area of the park. Having lions in your camp actually happens fairly frequently. We've had them at Polentswa (between Nossob and Grootkolk) and had lions in camp more often than not when camping at Rooiputs. None of the campsites on the Botswana side are fenced. On the South African side all the campsites are fenced, but there are "Wilderness camps" with chalets that are also unfenced. In these we've had lions at Gharagab, Grootkolk (Grootkolk is now semi-fenced), Urikaruus...
The in person experience was even more epic! The video does not do it justice. Stay tuned for the next episode, and consider subscribing so as not to miss it... 😉
Great video and an amazing experience with the lions so close in the camp. I will be on a camp safari in Botswana in October - not sure if I do or don't want to see lions in the camp!!!
Thank you for the encouragement! Have you subscribed? - there is nothing that encourages a UA-cam novice such as myself quite as much as getting a few extra likes and subscriptions... 😉
What a lovely video! Made very professional! I love everything: your correct pronunciation of names waterholes, how you cut the video, the music, the Africaan talking and titles in English... great work! I subscribed and will have a look on other videos :-) How did you make an animation on the map?
Thank you so much for the encouragement! I really appreciate your compliments and the fact that you subscribed. I made the map animation using the Fusion page in DaVinci Resolve. Here is a link to a video that explains how to do it: ua-cam.com/video/hs9G6w5sTiA/v-deo.html
Is this the male lion moved to sabi sands that still roars for his Kalahari pride?? Someone please let me know also the female lioness that has a collar on her ? Is she from the Kalahari
Wonderful experience. I just returned from Kgalagadi after spending 20 nights at different camps. Mabua is on my list. Which month did you travel to Mabua?
Hi, this trip was in April last year. Here is a link to one in March this year ua-cam.com/video/ZgCindk12yU/v-deo.html. And October last year ua-cam.com/video/_XED-8Ob3LU/v-deo.html Which camps did you stay at?
@@falanajerido875 I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean. I do actually read up quite a lot on my subjects, including the work of Dr Gus Mills who did his PhD on Kalahari animals (I think the PhD was about brown hyenas but he also did work on lions) and went on to a multi-year study of cheetahs in the Kalahari; the work of Dr Philip Stander on the Desert Lions of Namibia, some stuff from Prof Fritz Eloff who did the original study on Kgalagadi Lions, etc. Also I never miss an opportunity for a discussion with rangers, field guides and trackers. I do understand that one should exercise caution in applying anthropological terms such as "lazy" to wild animals as it is strictly speaking not correct to call a lion lazy just because it sleeps 20 hours out of 24. But then the same goes for sloths and koala bears which people would generally describe as lazy - to the extent that "sloth" has become a general term for laziness! So I agree that my use of the term "lazy" is unscientific, but not unusual. Also there is a nuance in the original Afrikaans text that is absent from the English. In my home language of Afrikaans a leopard is called a "luiperd" which literally means "lazy horse". So in the Afrikaans video I used "lui luiperd" because the repetition appealed to me, but it does lose its effect when translated to "lazy leopard".
Wonderful footage… I can’t believe how close these lions get to the campsite… is this not risky? Especially when you’re asleep at night? I know that lions do normally leave humans alone but still the risk is always there…..
It's probably not entirely risk free, but as long as you do not do anything stupid the risks are manageable. Animals treat a tent as a solid structure - a fact which is used in modern game capture techniques using canvas "curtains" to direct their movements. So as long as you do not leave your tent door open at night there should not be a problem. Lions wandering through your campsite is fairly common on the Botswana side of Kgalagadi and I'm not aware of any lion related incidents. What contributes to lion activity at Mpayathutlwa campsites is that they use the runoff from the shower as a water source - otherwise they have to walk several kilometers to the nearest waterhole (and lions can be quite lazy...)
Humans are everywhere soon the poor lion species won't have any place to go, I hope you humans didn't eat in front of them in the next episode? BEAUTIFUL LIONS 🦁 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾💗
![Kgalagadi: What are the wilderness trails like? [Kgalagadi Ep 2]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dnhl0VFEf-g/mqdefault.jpg)
![Kgalagadi - the Dusty Season [Episode 2]](/img/n.gif)
Thanks, beautifull, lovely lions 😇😇🤗🤗💕💕🙏🙏🙏 blessings
Thanks, you too.
Great stuff! When these big, tough, "scary" apex predators, engage in that affectionate behavior (the two lions who were licking one another) it always gets to me. Thanks for the awesome footage ❤🦁✌
Yes, it is amazing to observe the interaction between them!
I do African village vlogs, but I love your adventure
Thank you! Yes, it really was an adventure. Do consider subscribing :-) ...
Fantastic video,clear and lovely.thanks for sharing
Thank you, much appreciated
Thank you for your video, found your 61 days videoseries but was curious about these ones also.
Can I ask, what did you do during the day when the lions were at the campsite? Were you out of your cars and tents?
It seems at the braai you were, would the fire keep them from coming close also when its dark.
Was in Chitake (2) solo , with lions all around. Early evening a lion walkby (13m from were I was sitting next to the fire) and next day a lion growling sound. Decided to put my stuff back in the car in both cases and then sit in the rooftoptent. Wonder if I should have gone into the tent immediatly or could have stayed at the fireside.
To answer your question, I must start with a few disclaimers. What we did should not be seen as a recommendation and people should make up their own minds as to what is appropriate and safe. We try to follow a "risk management" approach and are willing to accept some risk. In this regard probably the most important point is to be aware of your surroundings and areas where potentially dangerous animals may remain unobserved. When we saw the lions moving in our direction on the pan we concluded that there is a chance that they may come right to our camp. We then moved our vehicles into the shade closest to our tents and the shelter to discourage the lions (should they come into the camp) from lying down in that shade which would have effectively blocked access to the tents. This worked in that the lions lied down under a tree a little distance away. When the lions went to sleep we took turns monitoring the lions and people not on monitoring duty could go to the bathroom, grab lunch etc. The vehicles then formed a bit of a barrier between us and the lions. If the lions approached closer we would have been able to enter the vehicles or tents from the side away from the lions. When the lions woke up later in the afternoon the person monitoring them informed everybody that the lions were waking up. The lions then approached the shower to have a drink from the run-off and all visits to the bathroom ceased! When we returned form a late afternoon game drive it was clear that the lions were fully awake and preparing to move off. There was a window of opportunity where we could start the fire before one of the lionesses returned to the camp. Eventually the lions moved off fully and we could start the braai, while continually monitoring the area.
Some further comments:
The risk of potentially dangerous animals like lions and leopards is much higher at night, because your ability to already see them at a distance is impaired and they are more active. So we are more careful at night. At night we will not go walking around unnecessarily and will scan the area with a spotlight before e.g. going to the bathroom and will only visit that if it is clear that no potentially dangerous animals are around.
We've had lions, elephants etc in our campsites numerous times, and in my experience they do not really seem to be scared of fire. So I would not rely on a fire to keep them away. I think you were wise to go into your vehicle/tent once you became aware of the lion in your camp at night.
Still THE place I’ve ever visited for the ultimate lion experiences. Planning to go back there.
Yes, we're booked to go again next April. It's just so difficult to get availability these days.
@@overlandersa Covid got many people camping now. Even at Kruger, it’s getting difficult to just get up and go. You gotta plan in advanced.
@@SoftCampingSouthAfrica Yep
Thanks for a great video clip. What time of the year did you visit the park and what camp were the lions in, there was clearly no fence or gates there?
Thanks for the compliment! The visit was during April. The specific camp was Mpayathutlwa in the Mabuasehube area of the park. Having lions in your camp actually happens fairly frequently. We've had them at Polentswa (between Nossob and Grootkolk) and had lions in camp more often than not when camping at Rooiputs. None of the campsites on the Botswana side are fenced. On the South African side all the campsites are fenced, but there are "Wilderness camps" with chalets that are also unfenced. In these we've had lions at Gharagab, Grootkolk (Grootkolk is now semi-fenced), Urikaruus...
Wow epic episode
The in person experience was even more epic! The video does not do it justice. Stay tuned for the next episode, and consider subscribing so as not to miss it... 😉
Best lions in Kalahari Lions
Yes, indeed!
Great video and an amazing experience with the lions so close in the camp. I will be on a camp safari in Botswana in October - not sure if I do or don't want to see lions in the camp!!!
I think you do! It's an experience like no other.😳
Magnificently Awesone👍🏾 closeness 😯great experience 💯💥
Absolutely - it was an amazing experience!
Lions are beautiful Nice video
Thank you - we were really blessed to have such an experience.
What an awesome experience, the Kgalagadi never ceases to deliver 👌
Yes, I cannot remember ever returning from Kgalagadi disappointed (only disappointed that it was over!)
lovely stuff. keep it coming. Mpls, Mn USA
Thank you for the encouragement! Have you subscribed? - there is nothing that encourages a UA-cam novice such as myself quite as much as getting a few extra likes and subscriptions... 😉
Wow, love cats , so majestic!
I fully agree
Think they checking you out !
The were indeed!
Great research for our June ‘23 trip. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Do consider subscribing 😊
What a lovely video! Made very professional! I love everything: your correct pronunciation of names waterholes, how you cut the video, the music, the Africaan talking and titles in English... great work! I subscribed and will have a look on other videos :-) How did you make an animation on the map?
Thank you so much for the encouragement! I really appreciate your compliments and the fact that you subscribed. I made the map animation using the Fusion page in DaVinci Resolve. Here is a link to a video that explains how to do it: ua-cam.com/video/hs9G6w5sTiA/v-deo.html
great lion sighting
I would skip the braai
We're South African - skipping a braai is simply not done! We just postponed it a bit😀
F A N T A S T I C ! ! !
Yes, it always is an amazing experience to have lions in the camp. At Rooiputs we once witnessed a lion kill right in the camp!
WAOUH ! : rien que 8 lionnes à côté du camp !!! Dommage qu'il n'y a pas de cubbies , non ?
Yes, unfortunately no cubs. But there are cubs in this one ua-cam.com/video/_XED-8Ob3LU/v-deo.html
Is this the male lion moved to sabi sands that still roars for his Kalahari pride?? Someone please let me know also the female lioness that has a collar on her ? Is she from the Kalahari
I don't know for sure, but I doubt that it was this lion that was moved. Does anybody else know for sure?
I don’t know but it’d be great to know as well…
Wonderful experience. I just returned from Kgalagadi after spending 20 nights at different camps. Mabua is on my list. Which month did you travel to Mabua?
Hi, this trip was in April last year. Here is a link to one in March this year ua-cam.com/video/ZgCindk12yU/v-deo.html. And October last year ua-cam.com/video/_XED-8Ob3LU/v-deo.html
Which camps did you stay at?
@@overlandersa ok. I stayed at various camps starting with Urikarrus, mata mata, grootkolk, Nossob and last at twee.
@@subratseet6836 Urikaruus is our absolute favourite, with Grootkolk second
Leopard are never lazy
Well, at least not as lazy as lions...
@@overlandersa lions are not lazy the reserve energy because most of them are night hunters
@@overlandersa i disagree with your concept about wild animals you need to read on your subjects and get a better understanding of them
@@falanajerido875 I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean. I do actually read up quite a lot on my subjects, including the work of Dr Gus Mills who did his PhD on Kalahari animals (I think the PhD was about brown hyenas but he also did work on lions) and went on to a multi-year study of cheetahs in the Kalahari; the work of Dr Philip Stander on the Desert Lions of Namibia, some stuff from Prof Fritz Eloff who did the original study on Kgalagadi Lions, etc. Also I never miss an opportunity for a discussion with rangers, field guides and trackers. I do understand that one should exercise caution in applying anthropological terms such as "lazy" to wild animals as it is strictly speaking not correct to call a lion lazy just because it sleeps 20 hours out of 24. But then the same goes for sloths and koala bears which people would generally describe as lazy - to the extent that "sloth" has become a general term for laziness! So I agree that my use of the term "lazy" is unscientific, but not unusual. Also there is a nuance in the original Afrikaans text that is absent from the English. In my home language of Afrikaans a leopard is called a "luiperd" which literally means "lazy horse". So in the Afrikaans video I used "lui luiperd" because the repetition appealed to me, but it does lose its effect when translated to "lazy leopard".
Wonderful footage… I can’t believe how close these lions get to the campsite… is this not risky? Especially when you’re asleep at night? I know that lions do normally leave humans alone but still the risk is always there…..
It's probably not entirely risk free, but as long as you do not do anything stupid the risks are manageable. Animals treat a tent as a solid structure - a fact which is used in modern game capture techniques using canvas "curtains" to direct their movements. So as long as you do not leave your tent door open at night there should not be a problem. Lions wandering through your campsite is fairly common on the Botswana side of Kgalagadi and I'm not aware of any lion related incidents. What contributes to lion activity at Mpayathutlwa campsites is that they use the runoff from the shower as a water source - otherwise they have to walk several kilometers to the nearest waterhole (and lions can be quite lazy...)
Humans are everywhere soon the poor lion species won't have any place to go, I hope you humans didn't eat in front of them in the next episode? BEAUTIFUL LIONS 🦁 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾💗
I guess you'll have to watch that episode to see... :-) No, we didn't eat where the lions could see us.
Was the prophetic words the lions coming to visit you in camp or the flirtation? 😂
😂 Both!