We were awake when the tea arrived at 6am. I quickly had a hot shower and we away on our drive by 6.30am on a leopard and lion hunt ...success .....we saw 15 lions, 3 females, a male and female mating, one female wanting to be the next mate and who was
obviously coming into season - but he wasn't currently interested, a mother and 3 cubs, a mother and two, week old, cubs, their eyes were still shut and they were difficult to photograph as she was in a bush (today's photo).
We then saw the biggest leopard I have ever seen up a tree, however he wouldn't let us get close and ran down the tree and off into the bush- we looked for him but in vain. It was now very hot so we headed back for lunch arriving at 1.45pm . Another late finish to lunch at 2.30 so we opted not to go out again until 4.30 which gave us time to rest and recoup. At tea we had to swop Steve for 2 Sams, one a Masai warrior the other a very nice older Kenyan who did the driving. Steve was a very good birder and as they had some slightly cantankerous British guests just in whose sole interest was birds it was a wise move on their part - we would see him again in 4 days when we moved to the next camp as he would take us and stay with us.
Our first sighting with the Sams was of a big male elephant -approx 40 yrs old, with, very large tusks - he actually had a collar on him so hopefully they can protect him and his tusks. We also saw a new impala baby, mum giving birth before the normal November but feeling it was safe to do with the first rains, we also saw a warthog actually in his den - a first - you could just see his tusks and part of his head. Although it was raining we stopped for sundowners or rain downers!
Dinner was at its normal 2000hours but we went off to bed at 2130 - sleep called.