Tanzania – Serengeti lions on the hunt 坦桑尼亚 – 塞伦盖地狮群捕猎 11/2018 Stop 7 站

15-18/11/2018. Early the next morning, we set off for the central Serengeti. The guides wanted to show us how the animals prepare their breakfast. A few lions lazed around. Suddenly, they moved, and more and more lions appeared from nowhere, heading for the river. There was no drumbeat, no trumpet, but what a show of force and overwhelming power! We held our breaths as they swirled around and past us. Meanwhile, less than 200 meters away, a throng of zebras, elephants, and buffaloes (all vegetarians) walked toward the river almost single file, partially obscured by the trees and parched brown grass, totally unaware of their non-vegetarian neighbors looking for a carvery.

This was another hot day, and I could imagine the menagerie was heading to the river for a cold beer. The lions, however, were building up to an attack position, spreading out, crouching, waiting, moving stealthily forward. Eventually, a few feeble buffaloes were not keeping up at the end of the line. We knew the lions were ready to pounce, picking on those weaker ones. We all cheered for the lions: Kill them! Kill them! We were more bloodthirsty than they were. Sure enough, we heard a tremendous commotion at the far side, as giraffes with their long bodies and short legs ran in the opposite direction, the elephants, buffaloes, and zebras joining the melee. It was hilarious and entertaining for us while they ran for their lives. The lions launched an attack. My fellow passenger saw through his binoculars a lion sank its teeth into a buffalo. They finally got their steak. We enjoyed the blood sports.

They were too far away for us to see how they eventually divided their spoils. We felt sufficiently compensated for our patience and troubles, but let down for not seeing those adorable creatures shredded to pieces, our pound of flesh dripping with blood. I regretted not having one of those long telescopic lenses so I could bring you more gory details. Someone needs their pint of beer while others their steak. I started thinking about the years the kids and I grew up together, dancing while watching the video The Lion King, and I started humming, “It’s the circle of life…”

15-18/11/2018 隔天一早朝塞伦盖地中原跑， 一帮狮子在懒睡，忽然起身朝我们方向走来，紧接着无数狮子从丛中冒出来，在十多辆吉普车旁若无其事的前进， 霸气进军，看来是要开工了。一到两百米远处，虽然视线受草木所阻，还是可见一群斑马， 水牛， 大象等排队往河边走。大热天，兄弟们一起畅饮，另一帮邻居则要吃烧烤， 个别要求太自然不过了。接着狮群都散开来，四处布阵，各就各位，如卧虎藏龙，箭在弦上。过一阵几头水牛在长长队伍的尾端好像气喘嘘嘘赶不上了，我们这帮狗仔就知好戏要上演了。大家都暗中为狮群打气，加油!加油! 没看到血腥我们是不甘心的。接着, 高头大马的长颈鹿拔足反向逃跑， 斑马水牛也抱头逃命，狮子终于发动袭击了。最后同车朋友望远镜看到一只狮子咬住头牛。这血斗往林中深处拖， 脱离我们视线。这惊心动魄一剧使我们无比兴奋， 只是没看到动物被解体和血淋淋的暴力好像美中不足。野兽为食物而杀， 我们以残暴为快， 我们还自豪为万物灵。