The last day of the year perfectly summarized what a super fantastic year we had here at Mhondoro. We were spoiled with excellent wildlife sightings all year, and it all culminated in a spectacular finale for 2023.
An Early Morning Encounter with Lions
Eager to get the game drive going, we departed from the lodge just before sunrise. Barely five minutes down the road, we spotted two sub-adult lions climbing and playing in the trees, with their mom close by. The playtime ended abruptly as the lioness started walking away, and the cubs dutifully followed. Observing them closely, I noticed that the lioness wasn’t in a playful mood; they walked right past a rhino and her calf, whom they might have chased for fun on any other day.
The Hunt Begins
The lioness kept a fast pace, and when the two youngsters tried to pass her playfully, she snapped at them. They quickly obeyed and retreated, and that’s when I realized—the hunt was on. Driving parallel to them, I scouted the plains and spotted a herd of wildebeest in the distance. I suggested to my guests that we position ourselves close to the wildebeest, hoping the lions would approach to stalk them.
The Thrilling Chase and the Kill
It wasn’t long before we noticed the lions’ heads popping out of the long grass. With perfect morning light, we watched as the lions got closer. At this point, the dominant male wildebeest started chasing young males around, causing the herd to trot away—directly toward the lions. The lioness ducked down, hiding in the grass, and waited. One wildebeest frontrunner ran right up to her, and by the time it noticed her yellow eyes staring from the grass, it was too late. She was only seven meters away and pounced on its back, bringing it down right in front of our vehicles.
A Learning Experience for the Young Lions
The lioness waited for the two young males to join and get their weight on the wildebeest before moving away to lie down a short distance away. She gave the inexperienced youngsters the opportunity to finish the kill—a process that took about 45 minutes. All of this unfolded barely four meters away from us, and all before 7 a.m. on the last day of the year…
