Lion Cub

Day 27 South African Diaries

Our last game drive today and so delighted to see two lion cubs, 3 months old, run from the bush, stop and look at us, then chase each other back into the undergrowth. The light was awful but it did not matter, I was so emotional having seen these little bundles of energy. We could hear the mother and her sister "talking" in the background with low growls, on a kill, out of sight. Apparently the female cub almost died. We were then lucky enough to find the male cheetah again, on the move this time (see extra and thank you for placing him on the no. 1 Popular Page. 

Here is story of this cub's twin sister.... https://africageographic.com/blog/video-courageous-lion-cubs-battle-survival/

This afternoon we visited the Centre for Endangered Species where we saw 5 young, white rhino that had been rescued after their mothers were killed by poachers. I am so glad that we went to see these as our fleeting glimpse of rhino the other evening was so brief. The centre is also home to twin male lions (in extras) that were accidentally born at the centre when the contraceptive medication of a rescued female did not work. Sadly they have slightly deformed back legs because of the contraceptive drug and will not be able to be released into the wild.

Releasing their rehabilitated animals into the relative wild of private game reserves, or into the the Greater Kruger National Park, is the aim of the centre. They also have a breeding programme for cheetahs which have an infant mortality rate of 80% in the wild! So my last extra is of a cheetah cub, three weeks old and very cute.

These two visits were definitely a high point to end our trip. Tomorrow we walk the Panorama Route to get some exercise before taking the long plane journeys home.