These lions were so close that this photo was taken at 6:28 AM with my Canon R5 body and a RF100-500mm lens at 300mm. Being early morning and winter in the northwestern South Africa this was at ISO 12800 as I needed 1/2000 to freeze the action, and there was a lot of action. You can see the dirt flying and the flies in the background, a very dynamic and evolving scene.
At 6:00 AM we were the second vehicle out the Mata Mata Rest Camp gate that morning. Not too much further the lead vehicle stopped to view an animal or bird and we were now the lead vehicle and no-one has been on the road since the rest camp gates closed at 6:00 PM last night. This is always a prime position to be in as you could be the first on an incredible animal/bird sighting.
At 6:20 AM we came across two male and two female lions that had killed a baby Gemsbok less than 4 hours earlier as there was still quite a bit of the carcass left. We had this sighting all to ourselves for about 10 minutes before the next vehicle arrived.
At times all four would be preying on the carcass but at other times the males would push the females off the carcass. Here one of the females came sneaking back. The male first growled at her and then lashed out violently. Here she rolled on her back but also lashed out at the same time, hooking her nail under his upper lip.
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