Lions swimming the channel

Timing is everything in the bush and every now and then it is perfect. Last Sunday morning, I found Maditedu’s group just off Malapo road on our morning drive. Our female lion Maditedu has a mane, I have only seen this in Botswana at Mombo. Our guide TJ, named her Maditedu, which means the female lion with a beard. Me and Marian went for a drive one evening and looked for them where we had seen them in the morning, but they were gone.

There is a beautiful channel Marian and I often spend time at when we go out for a drive, which is classic Okavango and not too far away. I told Marian I could not resist taking a look down the channel, so off we went and as we came around the last corner, we saw the lions in perfect evening light. From their behaviour, I could see they were preparing to cross the channel. I knew I would not be ready in time to video it, so Marian got her iPhone ready and I got my cameras ready to shoot the action as stills. It didn’t take long, the group interacted on the bank of the channel trying to build up the courage.

All our delta lions have to be able to swim to survive, but they know that crossing deep water is dangerous because of the crocodiles. The oldest female set off for the crossing and tested the water with her paw, slowly making her way into deeper water. She hissed once or twice looking left and right and then the other two followed, swimming closely. They crossed as quickly as they could and soon they were safely on the other side. Marian’s video is wonderful and shows the whole event perfectly. Here are a few still images of this wonderful moment: