Lions Lion Safari Vultures Animals

Of course one of the things that most people want to see on safari in Africa is lions. The good news is that lions are surprisingly common within most of Tanzania's national parks and your chances of seeing them on safari are very good, provided you're not in a major hurry.

Places like the Serengeti National Park are particularly well known for having large populations of lion (seeing 20 or so in a day isn't uncommon) but it's by no means the only place to see them. Lesser known parks like Katavi National Park and Ruaha National Park also have thriving lion populations and these are also places where their major prey animal is buffalo, so there are some interesting interactions. For further information on where are the best places to see lion on safari, have a look at Tanzania Highlights - Lions

Take your time From many years experience safari guiding in East Africa, the one thing that we have noticed is that those people who are fixated on seeing just one animal invariably set themselves up for disappointment - if you're only looking for lions (or any other animal) the danger is that you don't really see, or pay attention to, anything else. If you don't find it, the day can feel like a disappointment.

How to find lions In our experience, the time when you most see things is when you stop, so the more you stop, and the more you look, the greater the chance of seeing everything. Of course this doesn't mean you need to stop and study every plant and insect you see (although it's not a bad idea) but when the vehicle is stopped, your other senses - hearing and even smell - are also given a chance. You might hear an impala alarm call (very loud and often directed at lions) and you might even smell a kill. Animals will also often react to a vehicle that stops (a lion may stick it's head up to see what's going on) whereas a vehicle that drives past may not merit the effort.

Tell tale signs There are a few clear indications that a carnivore is around. The first is to look out for vultures. Don't be fooled by circling vultures though - if they're circling, it means they're looking for thermals, which means they're going up and that means the meal's over. Vultures in trees is a good indication. Vultures in trees in the middle of the day is the best indication (vultures have to wait for thermals before they can fly, so before about 9 am they could just be roosting).

Watch other animals Other animals are probably the best indicator that a lion is around. On safari, watch out for particularly herd animals (impala, zebra, buffalo etc) all staring in one direction (and often snorting at the same time) the chances are that they will be looking at lions. For more information on lions, have a look at How Lions Hunt

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Will I see Lions on safari?