Surprise Meal

A bunch of sleepy lions hanging around the waterhole. I'm sitting in my car, looking around, reading a bit, keeping an eye on the lions, the afternoon moves on without any excitement.  All of a sudden I hear a flapping sound.  Looking up I see a Ring-necked Dove frantically flapping its wings and desperately trying to get out of the waterhole.  Out of the corner of my right eye I catch a movement.  One of the sleepy lion youngsters spots the struggling dove, gives chase and catches it.  Hurriedly I grab my lens, drop it on the beanbag.  As the youngster lifts its head out of the water I'm ready to shoot. The lion youngster looks straight at me, water drips from its face.  To the youngsters and my own amazement two victims are hanging out of its mouth: not only the dove but a Marsh Terrapin, too. The terrapin caught the dove and the lion both. I have a split second to capture the moment, before the lion turns and runs away with its surprise snack.  He quickly gobbles up the dove.  Because of its armoured body the terrapin survives and doesn't meet the same fate as the dove

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa.

A bunch of sleepy lions hanging around the waterhole. I'm sitting in my car, looking around, reading a bit, keeping an eye on the lions, the afternoon moves on without any excitement.  All of a sudden I hear a flapping sound.  Looking up I see a Ring-necked Dove frantically flapping its wings and desperately trying to get out of the waterhole.  Out of the corner of my right eye I catch a movement.  One of the sleepy lion youngsters spots the struggling dove, gives chase and catches it.  Hurriedly I grab my lens, drop it on the beanbag.  As the youngster lifts its head out of the water I'm ready to shoot. The lion youngster looks straight at me, water drips from its face.  To the youngsters and my own amazement two victims are hanging out of its mouth: not only the dove but a Marsh Terrapin, too. The terrapin caught the dove and the lion both. I have a split second to capture the moment, before the lion turns and runs away with its surprise snack.  He quickly gobbles up the dove.  Because of its armoured body the terrapin survives and doesn't meet the same fate as the dove

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa.

A bunch of sleepy lions hanging around the waterhole. I'm sitting in my car, looking around, reading a bit, keeping an eye on the lions, the afternoon moves on without any excitement.  All of a sudden I hear a flapping sound.  Looking up I see a Ring-necked Dove frantically flapping its wings and desperately trying to get out of the waterhole.  Out of the corner of my right eye I catch a movement.  One of the sleepy lion youngsters spots the struggling dove, gives chase and catches it.  Hurriedly I grab my lens, drop it on the beanbag.  As the youngster lifts its head out of the water I'm ready to shoot. The lion youngster looks straight at me, water drips from its face.  To the youngsters and my own amazement two victims are hanging out of its mouth: not only the dove but a Marsh Terrapin, too. The terrapin caught the dove and the lion both. I have a split second to capture the moment, before the lion turns and runs away with its surprise snack.  He quickly gobbles up the dove.  Because of its armoured body the terrapin survives and doesn't meet the same fate as the dove

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa.

A bunch of sleepy lions hanging around the waterhole. I'm sitting in my car, looking around, reading a bit, keeping an eye on the lions, the afternoon moves on without any excitement.  All of a sudden I hear a flapping sound.  Looking up I see a Ring-necked Dove frantically flapping its wings and desperately trying to get out of the waterhole.  Out of the corner of my right eye I catch a movement.  One of the sleepy lion youngsters spots the struggling dove, gives chase and catches it.  Hurriedly I grab my lens, drop it on the beanbag.  As the youngster lifts its head out of the water I'm ready to shoot. The lion youngster looks straight at me, water drips from its face.  To the youngsters and my own amazement two victims are hanging out of its mouth: not only the dove but a Marsh Terrapin, too. The terrapin caught the dove and the lion both. I have a split second to capture the moment, before the lion turns and runs away with its surprise snack.  He quickly gobbles up the dove.  Because of its armoured body the terrapin survives and doesn't meet the same fate as the dove

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa.

A bunch of sleepy lions hanging around the waterhole. I'm sitting in my car, looking around, reading a bit, keeping an eye on the lions, the afternoon moves on without any excitement.  All of a sudden I hear a flapping sound.  Looking up I see a Ring-necked Dove frantically flapping its wings and desperately trying to get out of the waterhole.  Out of the corner of my right eye I catch a movement.  One of the sleepy lion youngsters spots the struggling dove, gives chase and catches it.  Hurriedly I grab my lens, drop it on the beanbag.  As the youngster lifts its head out of the water I'm ready to shoot. The lion youngster looks straight at me, water drips from its face.  To the youngsters and my own amazement two victims are hanging out of its mouth: not only the dove but a Marsh Terrapin, too. The terrapin caught the dove and the lion both. I have a split second to capture the moment, before the lion turns and runs away with its surprise snack.  He quickly gobbles up the dove.  Because of its armoured body the terrapin survives and doesn't meet the same fate as the dove

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa.

A bunch of sleepy lions hanging around the waterhole. I'm sitting in my car, looking around, reading a bit, keeping an eye on the lions, the afternoon moves on without any excitement.  All of a sudden I hear a flapping sound.  Looking up I see a Ring-necked Dove frantically flapping its wings and desperately trying to get out of the waterhole.  Out of the corner of my right eye I catch a movement.  One of the sleepy lion youngsters spots the struggling dove, gives chase and catches it.  Hurriedly I grab my lens, drop it on the beanbag.  As the youngster lifts its head out of the water I'm ready to shoot. The lion youngster looks straight at me, water drips from its face.  To the youngsters and my own amazement two victims are hanging out of its mouth: not only the dove but a Marsh Terrapin, too. The terrapin caught the dove and the lion both. I have a split second to capture the moment, before the lion turns and runs away with its surprise snack.  He quickly gobbles up the dove.  Because of its armoured body the terrapin survives and doesn't meet the same fate as the dove

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa.