Lion cubs playing, cheetah eating

Well, again, the morning drive was too much for one post.  So this will be the first half.  We started out with some very active and playful lion cubs!  Well, I mean, after stopping by the owl tree.  This is the picture that most clearly shows the baby owl in front, and the parent owl in the back, peeking over the baby.

African Wood Owl

And saying hello to Old Man Giraffe and family, on the other side of the fence.

Giraffe

Then it was time for lion cubs playing!  Here they are, playing with a stick.  It got more rambunctious from there.

Lions

Hahahaha, yeah, forget the stick and just go for it!

Lions

Siblings can be annoying.

Lions

Fly-by.

White-faced Duck

Off we go!

Lions

Only one of these lions is done playing.

Lions

Practicing a kill on Mom.

Lions

Leaving the lions, we paused briefly to look at these vultures warming up in the sun.  They will warm up and wait for a thermal, then begin their day of soaring and scavenging.

African White-backed Vultures

After leaving the lion cubs, we saw this zebra making her alarm call with gusto.  She was hoarse, so she had apparently been calling a long time.  The rest of the zebras and other grazers were calm, so we didn't really quite know what was going on.  It was a bit too far from the lions, so we just took a look around.........

Zebra

Ah, yes, that explains it.  It was a mother's grief.  The two male cheetahs (brothers) had just taken her baby.

Cheetah, Zebra

Bad new for the zebra, good news for the cheetahs.  It was hilarious listening to Sam tell the other cars on the radio about it, apparently it's quite unusual for cheetah to take a zebra, even a baby.  Also the 2 male brothers had been seen a ways off pretty recently, so they kept asking if he was sure.  Yes, we are sure, they definitely have a zebra!

Cheetah

Is this the face of a killer?   Uuuummmmmmmmmm........ yes.  Definitely.

Cheetah

Cheetah

Cheetah

Cheetah

Um, Sweetie, you have a little something on your nose..... Yes, it's right there....... Looks like a small zebra globule.......

Cheetah

The other brother is just as messy.

Cheetah

Fly-by geese.

Spur-winged Geese

 We left the cheetah to go get another guest who was joining us part-way through the drive.  It was a really special sighting and a great drive so far!  :-)