Ten Lions in our camp [Kgalagadi Episode 1]

In this episode we make our way from Twee Rivieren via Rooiputs and Nossob to the Mabuasehube area the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, where we end up hosting 10 lions in our campsite for most of a day - and then they returned that night... The lions (and a leopard) used the run-off water from our shower as water hole.
Along the way we saw Cheetah, Leopard, Bat-eared foxes and lots of general game. During our trip we saw or heard lions virtually every day.
In the next episode we drive the Mosomane and Polentswa Wilderness Trails, camp in an unfenced campsite 90km from the nearest humans, and even witness a cheetah kill - although very far away.
Bookmarks
0:22 Cheetah cubs
0:58 Lazy leopard
1:17 Marie se Gat
1:52 Nossob to Mabuasehube
3:53 Lions in the morning
5:43 Lions arrive in our campsite
7:01 Lions visit the shower
Link to channel
/ @overlandersa
Music used
Cinematic Epic Motivational Music | FILM by Alex-Productions | onsound.eu/
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Carol Of The Bells (Celtic Version) by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsou...
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Pirates Of The Quarantine by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsou...
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Ethereal by Punch Deck | / punch-deck
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Additional sounds and music from Zapsplat.com

[@Mr09260]

Best lions in Kalahari Lions

[@overlandersa]

Yes, indeed!

[@xneapolisx]

Great stuff! When these big, tough, "scary" apex predators, engage in that affectionate behavior (the two lions who were licking one another) it always gets to me. Thanks for the awesome footage ❤🦁✌

[@overlandersa]

Yes, it is amazing to observe the interaction between them!

[@SwanSycorax]

Great video and an amazing experience with the lions so close in the camp. I will be on a camp safari in Botswana in October - not sure if I do or don't want to see lions in the camp!!!

[@overlandersa]

I think you do! It's an experience like no other.😳

[@SoftCampingSouthAfrica]

Still THE place I’ve ever visited for the ultimate lion experiences. Planning to go back there.

[@overlandersa]

Yes, we're booked to go again next April. It's just so difficult to get availability these days.

[@SoftCampingSouthAfrica]

@@overlandersa Covid got many people camping now. Even at Kruger, it’s getting difficult to just get up and go. You gotta plan in advanced.

[@overlandersa]

@@SoftCampingSouthAfrica Yep

[@shaunmoller2997]

Wow epic episode

[@overlandersa]

The in person experience was even more epic! The video does not do it justice. Stay tuned for the next episode, and consider subscribing so as not to miss it... 😉

[@ebmurphy8744]

lovely stuff. keep it coming. Mpls, Mn USA

[@overlandersa]

Thank you for the encouragement! Have you subscribed? - there is nothing that encourages a KZbin novice such as myself quite as much as getting a few extra likes and subscriptions... 😉

[@emancipatedlionm9215]

Magnificently Awesone👍🏾 closeness 😯great experience 💯💥

[@overlandersa]

Absolutely - it was an amazing experience!

[@christophelesseliers462]

great lion sighting I would skip the braai

[@overlandersa]

We're South African - skipping a braai is simply not done! We just postponed it a bit😀

[@terrikietzmann3684]

Wow, love cats , so majestic!

[@overlandersa]

I fully agree

[@jennydean-brown5748]

Thanks for a great video clip. What time of the year did you visit the park and what camp were the lions in, there was clearly no fence or gates there?

[@overlandersa]

Thanks for the compliment! The visit was during April. The specific camp was Mpayathutlwa in the Mabuasehube area of the park. Having lions in your camp actually happens fairly frequently. We've had them at Polentswa (between Nossob and Grootkolk) and had lions in camp more often than not when camping at Rooiputs. None of the campsites on the Botswana side are fenced. On the South African side all the campsites are fenced, but there are "Wilderness camps" with chalets that are also unfenced. In these we've had lions at Gharagab, Grootkolk (Grootkolk is now semi-fenced), Urikaruus...

[@marie-francelemee8730]

WAOUH ! : rien que 8 lionnes à côté du camp !!! Dommage qu'il n'y a pas de cubbies , non ?

[@overlandersa]

Yes, unfortunately no cubs. But there are cubs in this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYmodWBuhMdmgrc

[@helenestrada1913]

Humans are everywhere soon the poor lion species won't have any place to go, I hope you humans didn't eat in front of them in the next episode? BEAUTIFUL LIONS 🦁 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾💗

[@overlandersa]

I guess you'll have to watch that episode to see... :-) No, we didn't eat where the lions could see us.

[@alidapretorius5890]

F A N T A S T I C ! ! !

[@overlandersa]

Yes, it always is an amazing experience to have lions in the camp. At Rooiputs we once witnessed a lion kill right in the camp!

[@falanajerido875]

Leopard are never lazy

[@overlandersa]

Well, at least not as lazy as lions...

[@falanajerido875]

@@overlandersa lions are not lazy the reserve energy because most of them are night hunters

[@falanajerido875]

@@overlandersa i disagree with your concept about wild animals you need to read on your subjects and get a better understanding of them

[@overlandersa]

@@falanajerido875 I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean. I do actually read up quite a lot on my subjects, including the work of Dr Gus Mills who did his PhD on Kalahari animals (I think the PhD was about brown hyenas but he also did work on lions) and went on to a multi-year study of cheetahs in the Kalahari; the work of Dr Philip Stander on the Desert Lions of Namibia, some stuff from Prof Fritz Eloff who did the original study on Kgalagadi Lions, etc. Also I never miss an opportunity for a discussion with rangers, field guides and trackers. I do understand that one should exercise caution in applying anthropological terms such as "lazy" to wild animals as it is strictly speaking not correct to call a lion lazy just because it sleeps 20 hours out of 24. But then the same goes for sloths and koala bears which people would generally describe as lazy - to the extent that "sloth" has become a general term for laziness! So I agree that my use of the term "lazy" is unscientific, but not unusual. Also there is a nuance in the original Afrikaans text that is absent from the English. In my home language of Afrikaans a leopard is called a "luiperd" which literally means "lazy horse". So in the Afrikaans video I used "lui luiperd" because the repetition appealed to me, but it does lose its effect when translated to "lazy leopard".

[@doreenliebenberg3517]

Thanks, beautifull, lovely lions 😇😇🤗🤗💕💕🙏🙏🙏 blessings

[@overlandersa]

Thanks, you too.

[@terrikietzmann3684]

Think they checking you out !

[@overlandersa]

The were indeed!

[@milanagel]

Was the prophetic words the lions coming to visit you in camp or the flirtation? 😂

[@overlandersa]

😂 Both!

[@ElenaHanak]

What a lovely video! Made very professional! I love everything: your correct pronunciation of names waterholes, how you cut the video, the music, the Africaan talking and titles in English... great work! I subscribed and will have a look on other videos :-) How did you make an animation on the map?

[@overlandersa]

Thank you so much for the encouragement! I really appreciate your compliments and the fact that you subscribed. I made the map animation using the Fusion page in DaVinci Resolve. Here is a link to a video that explains how to do it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqSceGmtatiHn6M

[@dawneparker1862]

Is this the male lion moved to sabi sands that still roars for his Kalahari pride?? Someone please let me know also the female lioness that has a collar on her ? Is she from the Kalahari

[@overlandersa]

I don't know for sure, but I doubt that it was this lion that was moved. Does anybody else know for sure?

[@Tara_P_Rose]

I don’t know but it’d be great to know as well…

[@falanajerido875]

Lions are beautiful Nice video

[@overlandersa]

Thank you - we were really blessed to have such an experience.

[@Kangela]

What an awesome experience, the Kgalagadi never ceases to deliver 👌

[@overlandersa]

Yes, I cannot remember ever returning from Kgalagadi disappointed (only disappointed that it was over!)

[@subratseet6836]

Wonderful experience. I just returned from Kgalagadi after spending 20 nights at different camps. Mabua is on my list. Which month did you travel to Mabua?

[@overlandersa]

Hi, this trip was in April last year. Here is a link to one in March this year kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJimmqGaoJZlr7c. And October last year kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYmodWBuhMdmgrc Which camps did you stay at?

[@subratseet6836]

@@overlandersa ok. I stayed at various camps starting with Urikarrus, mata mata, grootkolk, Nossob and last at twee.

[@overlandersa]

@@subratseet6836 Urikaruus is our absolute favourite, with Grootkolk second

[@findingian001]

I do African village vlogs, but I love your adventure

[@overlandersa]

Thank you! Yes, it really was an adventure. Do consider subscribing :-) ...

[@farmtotablebangalore7861]

Fantastic video,clear and lovely.thanks for sharing

[@overlandersa]

Thank you, much appreciated

[@Tara_P_Rose]

Wonderful footage… I can’t believe how close these lions get to the campsite… is this not risky? Especially when you’re asleep at night? I know that lions do normally leave humans alone but still the risk is always there…..

[@overlandersa]

It's probably not entirely risk free, but as long as you do not do anything stupid the risks are manageable. Animals treat a tent as a solid structure - a fact which is used in modern game capture techniques using canvas "curtains" to direct their movements. So as long as you do not leave your tent door open at night there should not be a problem. Lions wandering through your campsite is fairly common on the Botswana side of Kgalagadi and I'm not aware of any lion related incidents. What contributes to lion activity at Mpayathutlwa campsites is that they use the runoff from the shower as a water source - otherwise they have to walk several kilometers to the nearest waterhole (and lions can be quite lazy...)

[@ianlevy8765]

Great research for our June ‘23 trip. Thanks!

[@overlandersa]

Glad it was helpful! Do consider subscribing 😊