Lion Encounter in Namibia’s Ongava Reserve

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It was the first day of my Namibian safari to Etosha National Park and Damaraland with Wilderness Safaris. We had checked into our first camp, Andersson’s Camp in the private Ongava Game Reserve adjacent to Etosha, a few hours earlier and were out for our first game drive. Ongava is known for its resident populations of both black and white rhinos, but it was rich in other wildlife species as well – and our guide, Festus Mbinga, knew just where to look. We pulled up at this waterhole and we were treated to an incredible encounter with this lone male lion enjoying a drink.

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Festus told us the lion was five or six years old, one of a pair of brothers that usually roam together. There are approximately 30 to 40 lions in the Ongava Reserve, which encompasses about 30,000 hectares.

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The lion was cautious of our presence but not intimidated. After he finished drinking he strolled right in front of our vehicle….

IMG_0338…and then stood in the road displaying his lazy power.

IMG_0353-001Finally, he lay down in the road for a little post-drink rest, while we continued on down the road to more wildlife adventures.

IMG_0393-001See more photos from the Ongava Game Reserve in “The View from Andersson’s Camp”

This trip was hosted by Wilderness Safaris as part of the 2013 Adventure Travel World Summit.

2 thoughts on “Lion Encounter in Namibia’s Ongava Reserve”

  1. Robert White-Harvey

    Annika

    The shots of that lion are fantastic. Well done. Great lighting. I’m jealous.

    What lens did you use?

    Rob

    1. Thanks, Rob. I used a Canon EOS Rebel T5i camera with a Tamron SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD lens. Both were brand new for my Namibia trip, and I was very happy with the way my photos turned out throughout the trip (more to come on the blog). In the case of the lion I also benefited from the fact that it was late afternoon, one of the best times of day for photography.

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