Chaos and Cubs

I good reason never to mess with a Buffalo, even if you're a Lion.

Pride Rock?

Amazing

Must have run out of energy.

These wonderful photos are courtesy of Deji and Sian Davis who came to Lamai Serengeti on their honeymoon. There was no 'Lie in'  for them one morning as they headed out on their morning game drive. Just below the camp they came across some lions feeding on a carcass, after a short while a Male and Female Lion began to fight over the carcass, this alerted the attention of a herd of Cape Buffalo, they came charging down the hill and got a hold of the Female Lion and tossed her in the air, she fell and played dead while the Buffalo surrounded her. The other lions stood around watching, helpless, after a while the female managed to escape her captors.

After that their guide Anaphy managed to find them some two month old lion cubs that there mother was helping cross an open area.

What a day at Lamai Serengeti.

A very big thanks to Deji and Sian Davies for sharing these photos with us.

You don't often 'ear of this

A beautiful start to a new day in the Serengeti

Female Black Rhino  

Mother and Calf appear very relaxed despite our  presence 

Nap time! 

The calf's older brother showing off his well formed ears 

Posing for the camera

This lovely trio of rhinos have been seen frequently over the last month. With there said to be only 8 rhinos in the whole of the Serengeti it is a very rare and special sighting to see three at once.
What makes the sighting of these rhinos even more unusual is the fact that the young calf was born with no ears. According to a blog by Africa Geographic there have been numerous records of black rhinos without ears and is common in some particular populations. The cause of this abnormality is still uncertain but is speculated to be due to genetic deformity from inbreeding effects. Other times rhinos loose their ears to predators, diseases or parasitic deformities. This calf though has been earless since birth so the genetic deformity seems to be the cause in this case.

There is very little information of what effect the earlessness has on the rhino but due to rhinos being heavily dependent on their hearing and sense of smell due to being shortsighted. Luckily for this little calf previous records have shown that the earless black rhinos have lived to over 30 years, which is normal life span for a black rhino, and be able to breed.