Africa - Kruger National Park - Cats/Lions

This just had to be one animal day!  At the time of my writing this and getting it into the queue while I had internet, we’d not seen a leopard.  I’m still putting them on my daily wish list.  

We have however, seen lions, and I had previously posted a photo one. the cheetah images were ok, but the cats were several hundred meters away.

I was lucky to spot a group of 3 early one morning.  

This group was just settling down for the morning, on alert, but not really wary, grooming then finally choosing a spot for a nap.

Later the same day we came upon a group of 12 laying in a field of grass.  We only saw 8 or 9, but the car ahead of us confirmed a pride of 12 females of varying ages.

There are 12 lions out in this grass..... all nicely hidden.  Makes us wonder just how many others we've driven right past.

The routine with this group was similar.  One female watched the area for a while the others groomed and then lay down for naps. 

The one chosen as the sentry stayed alert for almost an hour after everyone else succumbed to the afternoon sun. 

Finally, this one laid her head down also.  Since they could be there for hours, and there was a fair distance back to the gate before it closed, we had to press on.