After watching the lions’ all-you-can-eat buffet on Sunday evening, we retreated to our tent for the night. And yes, it was an actual tent—not some glamping fantasy like we’d been in before. We’re talking canvas walls, canvas floor, and a zippered door that probably wouldn’t stop a determined squirrel, let alone a lion. It sat on a wooden platform, which felt reassuringly solid—until you remembered lions can jump. Thankfully, there was a bathroom attached at the back. Lions in the camp and peeing in the bush didn’t seem like a smart combo.

As darkness fell, the night erupted in a cacophony of sounds. Hyenas whooped and cackled, circling for a chance at the Cape buffalo carcass. Lions roared and bellowed their warning, staking their claim and keeping the scavengers at bay. Even the hippos grunted from the riverbank, adding their voices to the wild chorus.

After breakfast Monday morning, we set off on our early game drive—though “drive” might be a stretch. We barely rolled out of the parking area before the action began. The carcass, after all, was sprawled just 50 yards from the main lodge

After 30 hours of feasting on their kill, the lions were finally getting close to licking the plate clean.

As we left camp, a pair of dejected hyenas slunk off in the same direction. Their midnight heist had failed, and it was time to cut their losses and sniff out the next opportunity.

Early morning and late afternoon are prime times for spotting big cats—and that’s exactly what our guide, Dima, had in his sights. We crossed the aptly named OMG (“Oh My God”) bridge and picked up the trail of a large male.

After two hours of scanning the bush for the elusive lion, we hadn’t seen so much as a twitching tail. So we pulled over by the riverbank for a well-earned mid-morning break—complete with coffee, tea, snacks, and hippos.

I’d only met Dima 24 hours earlier, but it already felt like we’d known each other for much longer. In our first conversation, he told me they always saved the best guide for last—meaning him, of course. I loved his confidence. He could laugh at himself just as easily, and his laugh was the kind that made everyone else join in.

I could sense Dima’s frustration as he quietly discussed plans with our other guide, Smarts. Reports had come in about a mating pair of lions spotted in another area, so the group agreed to take it easy for the rest of the morning—and go all in on finding that pair during our afternoon drive.

The afternoon drive started no better than the morning. Three jeeps fanned out, scanning the area for any sign of the earlier lion sighting. Still no luck. Dima’s frustration was easy to read—he knew the lions were close.

Then, he spotted a mane low in the grass on the far side of the water. Without hesitation, we bounced across the bush in that direction—an area we’d already visited a couple of times that afternoon.

Jackpot!

WARNING: This video contains graphic, albeit brief, sexual content.

Talk about ending the day with a bang.

We have one more day on safari. Nothing could possibly top that… right? But what if I told you the final day was even better? I wouldn’t have believed it either—except I was there.

Hakuna matata!

Just Pete

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