We all love the thrill of an amazing kill, but it is not often that the kill is the least of the action! Rodney Nombekana, a self-employed safari guide in Pilanesberg Game Reserve, was able to catch this exciting take-down and confrontational lion encounter on video.
Rodney told us at LatestSightings.com all about the eventful details: “A day after my Kruger National Park safari, I had to take five clients out on a Pilanesberg Safari. 16 August 2017 is one of the days I will never forget. I entered Bakubung gate with my guests and decided to drive to the centre of the park. As we descended from Kubu, one of the main roads, I noticed some cars standing still. I decided to investigate and upon arrival, we were treated to a beautiful sighting of two young lions just as the morning sun was breaking. My guests were overjoyed and could not believe their luck. Unfortunately, the sighting was taking place on the busiest road in Pilanesberg, and it was only a matter of time before it became crowded. I decided to leave the sighting and drive off to look for other animals.
As I pulled out, I met a friend, Joel, who told me that there were more lions on Mankwe Way Plains, another beautiful spot in the park. I, however, decided to search Thlware Motlobo road first, and, as luck would have it, something caught my attention behind the bushes. It was light in colour and as I looked closer I noticed it was a young male leopard sleeping a mere 10m from the road. My guests could not believe their luck again and we couldn’t imagine the day getting any better.
We spent a good 15 minutes with him before the first car drove past us. It was a Mankwe Game Tracker car, and as they passed us without noticing what we were looking at, I stopped them and pointed towards the leopard. I decided to leave the leopard and go back to see the lions on Mankwe Way. Unfortunately, they had moved deeper into the tree line as it was getting hotter. I thought to myself I would come back in the afternoon on my way out as they would probably come out into the plains.
The rest of the day was fairly quiet considering how well we started. My last route of the afternoon would be Mankwe Way again, to check on the lions. As I approached the Mankwe Plains, I hoped to see the lions but couldn’t spot them anywhere. Getting ready to leave, I noticed a limping zebra coming towards us. I was very excited because I knew that if the lions spotted it they would go for it.
I took out my binoculars and scanned the plains and yes, two familiar shapes popped out from behind the bushes far down by the trees. They were watching the limping zebra intently. What happened next blew our minds.
The lionesses were very far away from the zebra, and only one decided to stalk it. She went around the tree line as the zebra moved slowly along on its way. We soon lost sight of her and when she reappeared again she was less than 80m away from the zebra. One on my guests actually spotted her and within a minute she had stalked the unsuspecting zebra and was on top of it. The kill was done and dusted within moments, and the whole pride appeared to join in on the feeding frenzy.
There were two young males within the pride, and these young males were at the age where they need to be ousted from the pride. This is probably why they were attacked. It seemed as this was the moment of them being ousted, something that is almost never seen in person!
What an incredible day for my guests who were on safari for the first time. No amount of words can describe such a sighting. You just have to be there to experience it. As it was already time for gates to close, we had to leave the sighting just after the kill and before they all started settling down to eat.
—WATCH—
This was only my second time watching a full hunt & kill in my guiding career.
When mother nature bestows such an opportunity, embrace it and be present, for some people will never ever see something like this in their lifetime – so join me on safari in Pilanesberg and Kruger National Park”.