Grumpy 6/8/2011

Some lions you will never forget.
We heard roaring from mbuyu ya tobo, so we drove straight down and we
found a female with three cubs on the bank and a big male with a
another female close by the road. Probably at the beginning of a
mating session.
We approached the two and as we were still more then 15 mtrs far the
male stood up, his face full of blood from several wounds on his face,
the worst just below the left eye, that was swollen and completely
closed.
The big boy did not think twice and as we were still moving charged me
straight, I immediately stopped the car and shouted him but he kept
coming... it was a mighty vision, a lion growling and running towards
me, the teeth bared, tone eye wide open and the other dripping blood.
I started banging the car's dor with my hand and he stopped, less then
two meters from the car. It kept looking at me, I was talking him
off , he went on snarling for good ten seconds before our vocal
session was over and he went back.
MAN-O-MAN, it was scary.
Guests behaved very well and after the fear faded they where excited
and chatty.
We moved a bit further circling around the couple to have a safe view
but as soon as we switched off the car again he came again, same
treatment just this time I managed to make him veering off before.
But again... that thing is scary.
I think the mix of being wounded, having a pounding pain in the head
and mating made his comfort zone way too big.
Eventually he calmed down and we could have a good view. Steven came,
I wared him abou the lion's attitude and he asked me if I could drive
him with his car to the cat to film him and his wounds, so with the
permission of the guests I left them with Saidi and drove him there.
The cat did not budge and charged us twice again... Steve's hands were
shaking when we went back and he was describing to my guests how that
mean beast scared him. In the end we all had a good laugh of relief.
As we left. the guests were already talking of the lion like it was an
old friend... they named it Grumpy and so we will.
Going on with the drive we had a good look at the lioness with the
three cubs and then enjoyed a big herd of buffs coming down. Trailing
behind there were some huge bulls, one of them was really impressive
and with a big and strange set of horns.
We crossed and Festo's and we went on the other side. We stopped
looking at ant lions and tracks and moved on just to find a cheetah
going towards the river.
It stalked impalas in the river bed, chased them all the way the other
side with no other result then making the baboons angry. The monkeys
stormed out of the bank chasing the cheetah back all the way. The cat
had to run for its life now but was loosing grip in the sand and the
baboons arrived closer then one meter before the cheetah got again
onto solid ground and bolted away.
All morning drive, seven hours drive, we never went further then 4 km
from camp!