fbpx
Home Animals Amazing Sight: 20 Lions Line River Bank To Take A Drink

Amazing Sight: 20 Lions Line River Bank To Take A Drink

Share this incredible sighting with your friends:While the founder and CEO of Latest Sightings, Nadav Ossendryver has personally seen many impressive sightings, he recently witnessed the ‘miraculous’, when 20 lions lined up shoulder to shoulder to drink from a river in the MalaMala Game Reserve. A slow start to a final day on safari Nadav…

Heather Djunga
Share this incredible sighting with your friends:

While the founder and CEO of Latest Sightings, Nadav Ossendryver has personally seen many impressive sightings, he recently witnessed the ‘miraculous’, when 20 lions lined up shoulder to shoulder to drink from a river in the MalaMala Game Reserve.

A slow start to a final day on safari

Nadav explained that it had been their final morning out on safari at the famous MalaMala Game Reserve, and the morning had started off rather slowly. “We had been searching for the elusive leopard, but had no luck in doing so.”

However, while he and his fellow travelers might have felt disappointed at having spotted nothing considered rare or noteworthy on their drive, all of this was about to change!

The same heat of the day which kept the animals hidden from view as they sheltered in the shade of trees and long grass, was about to work in their favour. Hot weather means thirsty animals, and as chance would have it, they were about to stop their vehicle by the Sand River.

‘Something unexpected’ happens

They stopped their vehicle by the Sand River to watch a family of elephants bathing in the river. While this was a common sight on a safari, Nadav explained: “It was our last drive and we needed to make the most of it.”

And make the most of it they did! Two ears soon appeared behind the elephants and Nadav said they immediately recognised the ears as being those of a lion! “That lion came down the ridge and started drinking right in front of us.”

Prayers answered as lions emerge for a drink

However, the lioness wasn’t alone! While she crouched down to get a drink of water, more lions emerged. They came down towards the water, one after the next.

It was a splendid sight and it would seem the final day of their game viewing was about to become the most memorable of them all.

The lions belonged to a local pride known as the Kambula Lion Pride and Nadav explained their presence was answered prayer.

“We looked up back on to the sandbank, and suddenly another lion popped out, and another, and another! This was the Kambula Lion Pride that we had found. We began hoping that they would all come down to drink in a line, as lions do on rare occasions. Our prayers were answered!”

As far as lion prides go, this is a rather big one. A lion pride typically includes two or three males, five to ten females, and their offspring. Some prides have been known to grow as large as 40 members.

Entire pride lines up for a drink

More and more lions made their way to the river to squeeze in shoulder to shoulder for a drink of cool water on the sun-scorched day.

“It was all so perfect in the end. 20 lions lined up perfectly in front of us. Drinking from the pool of water that was in the river bed. Because we had chosen to park right in front of the pool of water, we had the best seats in the house. But also, we later realized, the worst seats as well.”

Nadav explained that the thick and wet river sand that they had parked on to get a better view of the drinking lions had caused their vehicle to get stuck.

Get our Best Sightings as they Come in

Enter your email address

They only realised this when the lions started to move off, and they tried to start their car to follow. The car wouldn’t budge! “The rest of the guides found it pretty funny. A group of tourists stuck in the mud, surrounded by 20 lions!”

He said the the camp manager had eventually sent for help, to get them out of the sticky situation.

A moment to remember

However, in spite of their brief mud predicament, little can eclipse the wonder of the moment they experienced. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience and Nadav has the photos to prove he was there to witness the miraculous!

Had Nadav and his fellow travelers not learned to appreciate both common and rare sightings, and animals in all their size, glory and diversity; they might never have stopped to enjoy the elephants.

It was in stopping their car to make the most of the beautiful scenery and wildlife by the Sand River that led to this spectacular sighting. His account is a reminder that there is no sighting too common to be enjoyed and savoured; and that it is in savouring and appreciating the bushveld that one comes across the most impressive sightings of them all.

Watch the sighting:


Share this incredible sighting with your friends: