My Incredible Lion Encounter at Shamwari Game Reserve, South Africa

Imagine an encounter with a lion, sitting in the middle of a pride as they feast on their recent zebra kill.

Sounds incredible. My family and I had this experience during a morning game drive at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.

In this post, you can read about my encounter with lions and why coming face-to-face with a pride of feeding lions is one of the most amazing experiences ever!

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You may like to read my other South Africa Blog Posts, which contain road trip itineraries, must-visit places and travel tips to help you plan a perfect trip.

The heart-stopping moment we found the Lion Pride

Our ranger had heard over the radio that there were sightings of a kill. Three female lions had killed a zebra and dragged it to a feeding spot.

With both excitement and trepidation, we made our way to the bush area where the lions had gathered.

Shamwari has a strict policy that only one vehicle at a time can come into contact with any animal sightings, which meant we were the first to reach the kill site and witness this fantastic lion encounter.

Two females ripped the zebra carcass apart while another looked on.

We were in the middle of them and could hear the crunching of razor-sharp teeth on bones, while panting and growling came from the lions as they fed. It was a surreal experience, and I felt like I was in a David Attenborough documentary!

Is a human as tasty as a zebra?

The lions weren’t bothered that we were within almost touching distance of them, but we were pretty scared.

Female lions are the pride's primary hunters and are smaller and more agile than males.

They use teamwork to bring down an animal, then share the prize. We hoped we wouldn't be on their radar today!

I realised I had a zebra-patterned blanket across my knees for warmth, and thought they might view me as another dining course.

Our ranger reassured us that while the lions were feeding, they were not bothered by our presence.

They would regard our jeep as a large unit rather than us as individual bodies, and would not be interested in the effort it would take to attack us.

And why would they want our meagre bodies when they had two meaty zebras to devour?

Another female lion looked over the pride's seven lion cubs.

The cubs frolicked with her in the thicket, playfully jumping on her back and nipping her while she attempted to calm them down.

Like human children, they didn't understand that Mum wanted peace before dinner.

After about 30 minutes watching the lions, we returned to our Safari Camp in the Amakhala Game Reserve. 

After our early morning start, we had lunch and then relaxed. When our ranger popped by our tent and asked us if we would like to return to observe the lions at night, of course, we jumped at the chance; who in their right mind would refuse this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

A moonlight feast (for the lions)

Returning in the moonlight was an even more terrifying but exhilarating experience.

Unbelievably, the lions were still munching on the kill, but there was noticeably less of it.

With the beam of the jeep, we could see their stomachs were now entirely distended, having gorged on so much zebra! Again, they glanced up at us but were unimpressed by our presence.

The average lion kills every three to four days and must eat 5kg - 7kg of meat daily.

This fact explains why they were still feeding when we returned at night. Our ranger told us they would probably sleep up to 20 hours after feeding!

Alone in the darkness with the pride

Our ranger told us to get ready, then switched off the jeep's lights. We sat alone in the darkness.

We could only hear the lions' contented sounds and the occasional crunch of bone.

Unfortunately, we didn't see the male lion, but we did hear his roar in the distance. He was patrolling his territory and calling to his females.

We eventually asked our ranger if we could leave. Even though it was a magical experience, it was unnerving not to be able to see where the lions were from the Jeep.

The headlights lit up the thicket, and our ranger asked whether it was safe to reverse. The answer was no - a lion was sprawled across the grass behind the jeep.

Luckily, with a few gentle revs of the engine, our lioness decided to move, and we were free to depart this incredible setting.

I never thought we would get this chance to be up so close to these magnificent animals.

We all put all our faith in our ranger to keep us safe – and alive. She did a great job; although we later found out she had only been armed with a torch and a zoom lens camera, not a weapon!

For us, this was an utterly magical experience in Africa. Oh, and did I mention this was our first safari? We must have had luck on our side that day!

Interesting facts about lions

• A pride of lions can be up to 30 members strong if there are enough food and water supplies for them all to survive.
• A lion's call or roar can be heard by its pride up to eight kilometres away.
• Lions mark their territory by urinating in the area.  Other lions then know not to invade that space.
• Lions are the second-largest cat species in the world. The first is a tiger.
• Lions can see six times better in the dark than humans.
• Lions are the only members of the cat family to live in a group or pride.

What to wear on safari

Even in the height of summer, early morning and late evening game drives can be surprisingly chilly (remember I had that zebra print blanket over me!) due to the wind chill in an open-topped 4x4.

The secret to a comfortable safari is layering. Pack lightweight, neutral-colored clothing (khaki, beige, or olive green) to blend into the environment, but don't forget a lightweight warm jacket, a warm hat, and a scarf for those sunrise trips.

How to capture the perfect lion photo

My photos were taken with a Sony camera: it's so old but still comes up trumps, and we were extremely close to the lions. If you want to get the real National Geographic shots that a professional would be proud of, you'll need a high-quality zoom lens. That being said, the rangers know how to position the vehicles so you get the best vantage points for your shots. With technology advancing so quickly, I would imagine one of the newer iPhones could zoom in enough to capture a high-quality image without being as close as we were.

How to travel to Shamwari from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)

Port Elizabeth has a national airport, making it easy to travel to and from the reserve. Shamwari is located 50 minutes from Port Elizabeth and is the perfect place to go on safari if, like us, you are on a Garden Route Road Trip.

Shamwari is one of South Africa's premier luxury safari camps with facilities and accommodations to match.

The International Born Free Foundation has two big cat sanctuaries in Shamwari Game Reserve for rescued captive lions and leopards. The cats are in vast enclosures, giving them space and privacy. The lions we encountered were in the wild within the reserve and, thankfully, had not had to be rescued from terrible conditions.

While I had my lion encounter at Shamwari, I stayed at Quatermain's Camp in the Amakhala Game Reserve, which is next door.

Is Shamwari a Malaria-Free Safari?

One of the biggest advantages of visiting Shamwari Private Game Reserve is that it is located in a malaria-free region of South Africa. For me, this completely outweighs the experience of more famous northern parks like Kruger, because it removes the stress and side effects of antimalarial medication.

This makes it the best choice for families with young children, like ours or pregnant travellers, and those with medical sensitivities who want a world-class "Big Five" experience without the health risks.

Choosing a non-malarial safari allowed us to focus on our trip, not the pesky mosquitoes, making sure our African adventure was as relaxing as it was thrilling.