Sunday is rest day at leo and after a lie in i updated the blog for last few days then went on a walk with koos the project director.

We walked down to the gate hoping we wouldn't be eaten & then entered the area between selati & the main road. This is a safe area for people to walk & also for animals to breed - eg eland (large hooved animal) hve their babies before other species & if left to nature the lions/leopards/hyenas would probably eat them all so this area is fenced off to allow the littles ones to grow up

And it turned out we werent just going for a walk to look at the elands, we were digging bolsters - speed bump type mounds across the roads to divert water & stop them eroding! It was one way of building an appetite before lunch!

It was soon time for afternoon drive so we wrapped up warm (the temperature was now down to about 12oC with windchill taking it down to 8oC - a difference of 30 off degrees in 30 odd hours! I now have 5 layers on! It is actually warmer in the UK!!) & were on our way. after hearing that those who had gone to Kruger park for the wknd had seen 22 lions in a single day I was hoping I'd get the chance to see just one of ours!

I'd been promised the opportunity of 'walking the lions' where the project director would escort 2 of us into the bush to get a visual of selati the eldest (& laziest) of the lions so we set off in search of her & her sister mica. The signal bounced us all over the place & eventually we heard over the radio that selati, mica, Matumi & mbhurri had been located - they were on the hunt which explained why the signal kept moving - but also meant there would be no chance of walking into the bush with four hungry lions on the prowl - we were to stay on the truck!

It was amazing to see though - they literally stalked us in a pincer movement - one behind, one ahead, one either side taking small steps before crouching down ready to pounce. Was a little scary as wild animals can be unpredictable!!

After realising we weren't as tasty as an impala or waterbuck they passed us by. We followed them for about an hour, stalking but also play fighting (&flirting) - there was one bit where selati & mica couldn't find eachother but then when they did catch up with eachother they literally hugged eachother!! Soooooo cute!!

But we were ruining their fun & so we left them to hunt down their dinner & returned to base for ours