A guide at the Mala Mala game reserve has captured the hilarious site of a troop of baboons avoiding lions on the hunt. A safe way for guests to cross the Sand River in the wet season, the West Street Bridge gives guests great alternative angles for photos and so it was for Mike Botes.
“We had been out on a game drive, following the Kambula pride of lions along with their pride males, the Ndhzenga males. We thought they were headed for the Sand River, perhaps in search of a drink. But it soon became apparent that they did not actually want to drink but rather wanted to cross the Sand River. They were heading straight for the West Street Bridge,” Botes explains.
The bridge is a great spot for baboons who love the view it affords and on that morning as the lions crossed the river they were greeted by a troop revelling in the early morning sunshine.
“Unfortunately for them, the warm sun was just so good that they lost focus and did not see the lions approaching. I instantly saw what was happening and decided to veer off to the side and watch from down below,” Botes told Latest Sightings adding, “The lions strolled onto the bridge with not a care in the world. As for the baboons, it was too late. They let out screeches and alarm calls, alerting every mammal and bird in the vicinity. The baboons scrambled, and it was havoc. Unfortunately, surrounded and unable to outrun the lions, the baboons had to think on their feet to survive.”
He then tells how the baboons used their biggest advantage against lions, their ability to climb, to their advantage.
