Lion Cubs of Busanga: A Rare and Unforgettable Safari Encounter
There are moments on safari that truly open your heart - moments that stay alive long after you’ve returned home. Whenever I’m having a difficult day, I close my eyes and return to this one.
Busanga is renowned for its excellent lion sightings. For lions leaping the meandering waterways and incomparable solitude. It's a truly exclusive wilderness experience with no other vehicles as far as the eye can see.
We had been tracking a lioness for several days, knowing she had tiny cubs that had been seen only once before. That morning we’d found the rest of her pride, but she was missing, so we decided to dedicate the afternoon to finding her. There are times in guiding when everything seems to align - when intuition, timing, and luck weave together seamlessly. Much of that magic was thanks to our guide, Isaac Kalio, whose deep knowledge of Busanga is almost instinctual. It also came down to our guests, Kathy and Lisa, whose open-hearted enthusiasm and willingness to follow wherever the day led, created the perfect conditions for something extraordinary to unfold.
Moments earlier, we had paused to admire a Bateleur Eagle perched close by. Through the binoculars, we took in the detail of its vivid red face - a small, quiet moment that unknowingly shifted the rhythm of our drive, placing us exactly where we needed to be.
As Isaac eased the vehicle forward again, a flicker of movement caught my eye - the lioness. She was moving through the grass towards a thicket with purpose. Our hearts leapt. Could this be where her cubs were hidden? Then, as if conjured by our collective hope, two tiny, one-month-old cubs trotted out from the undergrowth in response to her calls. Unperturbed by us, they followed her closely, their little legs working furiously to keep up as she led them past our vehicle.
Soon after a flock of vultures came flying over. This caused the lioness to slow, eyes to the sky, fully alert as she attempted to work out what the vulture activity was about. This many vultures likely meant they'd finished off a kill close by, which also meant there could be other predators in the area. Everything at this point was a threat to the cubs and she wanted to ensure she wasn't leading them into danger. This pause gave the cubs time to cavort and play and for us to soak up their innocent exploration of the world.
Once she had deemed the area safe she continued leading them towards the floodplain where she had last seen her sisters. It was a spectacular scene with hundreds of red lechwe forming a backdrop, alarming as the lioness and cubs made their way.
At the edge of a narrow channel, the lioness gathered herself and leapt across, her reflection briefly mirrored in the water below. On the opposite bank, the cubs stopped - bewildered by the gap between them and their mother. Their tiny cries were heart breaking as they paced the bank, summoning courage. We were surprised that she would force such small cubs to swim the channel but with these tributaries being part of the Busanga landscape, lions are required to do this from a young age in order to survive. After a tense minute of pacing, the braver cub plopped into the water, paddling determinedly to the other side. The second lingered, mewling, until eventually it also dropped into the water, emerging drenched on the other side.
With the sun setting we watched the trio moving south, the two little cubs wet and muddy behind their mother. We sat in reverent silence, hearts wide open, knowing we had witnessed something truly special.
Faces were brighter and conversation more meaningful that evening as we gathered around the fire. Those cubs and that moment in time had so gently opened our hearts and dropped us into a more beautiful frequency. There was something unmistakeably pristine and sacred about that time with them. Isaac, as if sensing the opening, shared his incredible life story, which in the same way as that sighting was medicine. It is quite something when the land, wildlife and people all drop into a deep resonance. As we flew over the Busanga Plains the following day I had tears in my eyes, knowing that those few hours would forever be stitched into my heart.
Written by Amy Attenborough
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Founder, Private Guide and Safari Planner
Being born the daughter of David Attenborough (it’s true but he’s probably not the one you’re thinking of) I don’t believe I ever really had much choice about what direction my life would take. I grew up in the city of Durban, South Africa but for as long as I can remember nature has called to me. Whenever I could I would escape to the forests around my home barefoot and in search of chameleons and red duiker to befriend.
And so in 2010, after completing my Journalism and Media Studies degree, I followed that calling to the wilds of Southern Africa to become a game ranger. I planned to stay for a year but it turned into ten. During that time, I worked at Phinda Private Game Reserve, Ngala Private Game Reserve and Londolozi Game Reserve, some of South Africa’s most prestigious lodges and immersed myself in the natural world. I learnt to track animals with Zulu and Shangaan trackers and spent as much time as I could on foot approaching animals with my guests. I also put my photojournalism degree to use by becoming a specialist photographic guide. I travelled to Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, India and throughout South America in search of wildlife. My greatest adventure was living in Gabon training local guides for the WWF and Smithsonian Institute, where we spent weeks at a time living like early nomads in the dense and remote coastal forests, fulfilling a life-long dream of tracking and habituating wild gorillas. Seeing how embodied and present animals are inspired me to begin practicing yoga. I am a qualified vinyasa and yin teacher and spent six months training under a Hatha master in Boulder, Colorado. I am also a certified Martha Beck life coach. With this mixture of knowledge, interests and skills, I started Wild Again to help others really experience the wild places I know and love so much. Through my specialised Wellness Safaris that incorporate yoga, meditation, mindfulness and personalised life coaching I continue to grow more conscious safaris that return people to nature and to themselves. As we re-wild ourselves we hear the earth, our common mother, again. It is only then that we can co-create with her healing.
Tell us if you’re keen to plan a safari or join a retreat. We’re ready to create your dream experience.
