Bud and Trina Pate are repeat Bushtracks travelers to Africa who went on a Bushtracks photo safari with Russell Gammon to the Serengeti, Masai Mara, and Ruaha in summer 2016. Here are some stunning photos taken by Trina on what she describes as “just your average morning on a Bushtracks safari.” The photos are a credit to the photographer, and to their specialist guide, whose ability to position the vehicle and observe the unfolding lion drama resulted in some exceptional images.
“On this particular morning, we saw three lion fights and a lion pride chase another lion off its home turf…
A lioness hissing at an intruder lion who was interested in her.
A lioness & lion chasing away a pride who wanted to take over their territory.
A maned and a non-maned lion in a huge fight.
The two lions above are a dominant older male, and a younger, non-maned male. The younger lion was an intruder who tried to share a wildebeest kill with two lionesses from the older male’s pride. They fought again about an hour later, when the younger male returned and threatend the older male’s cub.
Young male leopard stuck in a tree.
There was also a young male leopard stuck in a tree while this was happening. He’d been separated from his mom, and while looking for her, wandered too close to the agitated lion pride. He stayed in the tree, undetected by the lions, for almost two hours. He finally made his escape after the lions fell asleep. He never took his eyes off the lions. When he came down the tree, he turned his body around so his head was up — in case he had to climb back up. A pretty smart leopard!
All of this happened before lunch – just your average morning on a Bushtracks safari!!!”
