This incredible scene was filmed by CEO and founder of Latest Sightings, Nadav Ossendryver in the Kruger National Park.
Nadav recalls how the lioness had gotten up in the heat of the day to stretch her legs. Her presence suitably impressed motorists.
However, soon after getting up, she let out a call and six of the cutest lions cubs emerged. Loyal to mom, they were determined to keep up with her and what followed was some beautiful and memorable viewing.
App alerts game viewers to the presence of lioness and cubs
Nadav explains how after a slow morning drive, he had decided to head back to the Skukuza camp for lunch. He was with some family and friends who had never been to the park before.
He says that at around 1pm, he had started to get a hunch. “I normally head back to camp in the late morning, until about 2 PM, but day, something told me I needed to be out there.”
Following this gut feeling, he and the group headed out. They made their way to the S114.
“This is one of my favourite roads in the park,” says Nadav. He adds that they had also seen on the Latest Sightings app that a lioness with her cubs had been seen in the region in the morning.
He and his fellow travelers used the app to track the lioness’ last known location, however, they were left disappointed when they found no sign of lions in the area. They continued driving for about 2km, slowly scanning each bush.
This was when Nadav spotted a lion’s head!
“I just managed to see her head in the far distance and we all got super-excited,” he says.
He says that within five minutes of spotting her, the lioness got up and headed right toward them!
Lioness’ call heralds in rare and memorable viewing moment
Around this time, things got even more exciting. As the lioness walked, she started calling. “I knew that she was last seen with cubs, so when I heard the calls, I had no doubt that these were contact calls,” says Nadav.
Lionesses use a low-pitched humming or moaning sound, often described as a ‘contact call,’ to let theirl ittle ones know it’s time to move.
The anticipation was killing Nadav and the group. They knew what the calls were for, however, they couldn’t see anything yet.
Then, amazingly, six of the cutest little lion cubs came marching out of the bush.
They came out one by one, walking with clumsy gaits towards their mother, who was out on the open road.
“We couldn’t believe what we were seeing! It was so exciting and unexpected!” says Nadav. “You never really see this during the heat of the day. On top of it, we were the only car there at this point.”
The cubs and the lioness all started walking up and down and zigzagging across the road. “I’m not sure what they were doing, but to us, it almost seemed as if she was showing off her cubs!”
Lioness and cubs captivate hearts of spectators
Nadav says that the lions eventually stopped to relax right next to the road, where lots of other people got to see them too. “This lasted for well over an hour, and we stayed with them until eventually they moved off, out into the bush.”
He recalls the incredible moment: “This was so unexpected and there was genuinely something special about this sighting, making it one of the best that I’ve ever had.”
