Page 15 - 2017 ZAMBIA

The lions were hyper-aware of our "pride of 9" but they really seemed

totally unconcerned with our presence. The big male kept his eyes right
on us but he didn't even flick an ear. Some of the females groomed one

another, one stretched her length up against a nearby tree, no doubt
sharpening her claws case they were needed.

What an amazing experience! I never thought to be out of a safari
wagon and standing in front of lions with nothing but air between us.
We walked off slowly and quietly, back to the protection of the wagon

and no one followed us. Though I can't say I was frightened and no one
else seemed to be either, all of us were just as tensely aware as that

alpha male lion. Who could ask for anything more from an African safari
ride/walk?

Among the many animals seen in Kakuli were: lions, leopards, impala,
kudu, warthogs, elephants, hippos, cape buffalo, crocodiles, waterbuck,

baboons, and monkeys, spotted hyenas. We were also fortunate
enough to see some animals new to us: an antelope called a Puku
(small and delicate), 4 species of mongoose, scrub hares, a female

leopard and her teenaged cub, elephant shrews, spotted genets, African
civets bushbuck, Cookson's gnu, and two new owls: Pearl Spotted Owl

and Verreaux's White Owl.

A little side note about the wonderful civet. Someone, whether a wag
or misguided capitalist or something more bizarre, decided once upon a

time to farm civets! Now for their beautiful coats or to make sure they
didn't become extinct! No, he wanted to collect their "poop" to make a
coffee drink! Ugh, you say, and we all agreed. Why did he pick civet

poop over some other critter's scat—no one knows. But he really did try
to sell the stuff. Alas, his product was a market failure. We can only

hope he released the poor captive civets back in the wild where their
poop could become part of Mother Nature's cycles of life.

The four birders were very well rewarded on this trip because there

were many species to be seen. Even on the drive into Kakuli, these