My Serengeti Chronicles

Unforgettable Encounters with Tree-Climbing Lions and Wildlife Wonders

The lions in the Serengeti sometimes climb trees to get a vantage point for hunting. One lion, in particular, captivated me.

We were focused on a pride of about 20 lions near a marsh, with one lion close to the road. We maneuvered our safari jeep into a tight space among other jeeps, trying to get a better view. However, we still couldn’t get very good photos, so we moved a few meters ahead to an open spot where we could capture images of some other lions resting lazily on a rock. We took many shots, but the lions were a bit far, and the photos didn’t turn out quite as we’d hoped.

Then, suddenly, a large male lion emerged from the thicket. Roberto Salamanca tried to photograph him, but he was facing away, which was frustrating. We hadn’t seen a male lion since arriving in the Serengeti, so we were eager for this one. Frustration grew as he began to move in the opposite direction, giving us only a view of his back as he seemingly ran from us. We drove a little further ahead, hoping he’d reappear from the bushes, but we lost him.

Disappointed, we started heading back. But as we passed the other vehicles, we looked to our left—and there she was, on top of a tree. She looked absolutely stunning, as relaxed as a housecat basking in the sun. Amazingly, we were the only ones witnessing this rare sighting. We spent about 20 precious minutes with her, watching as she posed confidently, raising and lowering her head, as if lost in tranquil thought about her next meal but seemingly in no hurry for it.

After others eventually joined us, we moved on, grateful for those quiet moments we had alone with her.