It was an exciting day in camp today, with a lion choosing to spend the day by the waterhole. She clearly had a very sore foot, but it seemed to improve throughout the day and by supper time she was putting weight on it again.  She didn’t have any lion-friends nearby, but instead had her own pet Yellow Mongoose who stayed with her for most of the afternoon. When her head was down, the mongoose was down. When her head was raised, the mongoose stood up too. I would love to have known what was going on in either of their minds, but it was a most privileged thing to watch.

The Lion and her Mongoose

The lion attracted a huge audience at dusk when three Gemsbok came to drink, but being alone and with her sore foot, the Gemsbok were never in any real danger and they seemed to know it. It didn’t stop the lion (and her mongoose) from looking very interested indeed.

The Gemsbok who didn’t get eaten