Today we’re on research duty with Ray. The morning session we headed out and found the pride at the release site. Milo is a massive and impressive looking lion.
The lionesses get a bit upset and he comes running back to calm the group. They spend most of their time this morning laying down in the shade.
Before we head off we find Athena and her 3 cubs well hidden in a thicket and looking safe and well.
Our 2nd session of research is cancelled because we can’t get a vehicle so we end up at painting duty, without gloves, sunscreen or water and get covered in green paint and cobbler’s pegs.
Our 3rd session is cub-sitting Lewa and looking at the 2 P’s. Lewa is hungry and doesn’t seem to want to play much until I start dragging around her favourite mat. She soon livens up a bit and we take her out for a walk. She’s really not keen so we leave her like you’d leave a stubborn child and keep walking. Eventually she gets upset that she’s by herself and catches up to us.
We try to entice her into the water but she’s not interested. She just wants to hide under people’s legs. We start to head back and she’s much more cooperative and is head of the pack. We take a few more photos of the 2Ps and head off.
Last session we get to do more research. We go looking for Athena and Kenge to get GPS positions on their dens. We find a lonely zebra we think may be the last of the 6 added a few weeks ago and it’s heading towards the lionesses. We scoot around to see if the two will meet. We wait till after dark and give up and head back for food.