The 6 Best Places to See Lions in Africa:

Posted on March 30th, 2020 by Overland Africa

Best Places to See Lions in Africa:

Best Places to See Lions: Lions are the undeniable kings of the African bush and one of the most sought-after sightings on a safari. Thanks to their reassuringly feline name Panthera leo we know we are technically dealing with ‘cats’ but lions are startlingly huge, almost bear-sized. Their muscular, barrel-chested bodies and jutting chins let everyone know who the boss is – and it’s not the 2-legged creatures wearing sunglasses!

Lions are Africa’s top predators and prey on big animals such as zebra, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and even young elephants. If you catch lionesses on the hunt, it’s heart-in-mouth stuff and their entourage of hyenas, jackals and vultures always makes a fascinating sideshow. The same colour as the savannah they live on, lions are as much part of the African landscape as its flat-topped acacia trees and red, crumbly earth. Regal not only in stature, hearing their booming roars ring out at dusk as they gather to hunt is a never-to-be-forgotten experience. Their calls are also a spine-tingling reminder that the wilderness still belongs to them.

Best Places to See Lions:

1) South Africa – Best For: Diversity of Lions – Kruger National Park

Home to most of the country’s wild lions, the Kruger National Park has always been South Africa’s premier destination for a lion safari. But Kruger is the size of Wales, and the distribution of its 2 000 lions is at the mercy of geography and climate. Areas of richer, grassier soils and higher rainfall support more animals to prey on, and so lion densities there are higher. Hot and dry northern Kruger is home to around five to six lions per 100km² (39 square miles), but the wetter and greener southern Kruger has more than twice that number.

2) Namibia – Best For: Desert-adapted Lions

The lions of northern Namibia are some of the most captivating on Earth, surviving in an unyielding landscape where vegetation and prey are few and far between. The lions that roam the Namib Desert have adapted amazingly to this barren environment and are known as ‘desert-adapted’ or ‘desert lions.’

Okavango Delta

Everyone knows that cats don’t like water, but the lions of Delta Plains in the northern Okavango Delta have learnt to prosper in it for good reason: nutritious grasses and permanent water make the area perfect habitat for buffalo. And lions just love buffalo. Thanks to the constant workout they get running through shallow water and wrestling with enraged buffaloes, the lions here are around 15 percent larger than normal. They’ve also adapted to hunting during the day (usually prides hunt at night and sleep during the day) when the buffalo herds are grazing on the exposed floodplains, which translates into epic game viewing for safari travellers.

Savuti

Chobe National Park’s Savuti region is the famous stage upon which lion prides regularly clash with hyena clans for food and territory. This remote area is also known for its well-documented, powerful lions that take down Africa’s biggest mammals like buffalo, giraffe and even elephants. One of the best places in Africa to witness the most dramatic predator action, Savuti will appeal to all wildlife enthusiast.

4) Zambia – Best For: Tracking Lions on Walking Safaris

South Luangwa National Park

Zambia’s huge reserves are home to a significant proportion of Africa’s lions and most of them live in the Luangwa Valley, a wildlife haven and home to the South Luangwa National Park. It was here that walking safaris were founded. Animals crowd the banks and oxbow lakes, becoming easy targets for Luangwa’s lions.

5) Tanzania – Best For: Lions Hunting during the Wildebeest Migration

Ruaha National Park

Chances are that you’ll have lion sightings completely to yourself at Ruaha. Hidden away in southern Tanzania, Ruaha National Park sees fewer than 6 000 visitors a year – or about 16 a day – which makes it one of Africa’s hidden treasures. Its wildly beautiful scenery and impressive biodiversity is home to 10% of the world’s remaining lion population – In fact, it’s second only to the Serengeti in terms of absolute numbers.

Serengeti National Park

Look at it from a lion’s perspective: if your survival depends on the availability of suitable food, how does a million wildebeest sound? Joined by tens of thousands of zebra and gazelle, that’s how many wildebeest grunt and gallop their way around the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, a circular migration so magnificent it spans two countries and takes most of the year to complete. The Grumeti Game Reserve in the west and the central Seronera region are some of the best spots in the Serengeti National Park to see lions.

Ngorongoro Crater

If you’re looking for some of the easiest and most rewarding game viewing in East Africa, then head down onto the floor of the world’s largest inactive volcanic caldera. Home to about 30 000 animals – including powerful lions – the Ngorongoro Crater delivers an incredible Big 5 safari experience in an extraordinary setting.

6) Kenya – Best For: Abundant Lion Sightings

Masai Mara National Reserve

In Kenya’s Masai Mara, the lions are so prolific that they once had their own BBC nature documentary series, Big Cat Diary. From about July every year, two million wildebeest cross the Mara River into the Masai Mara National Reserve to feast on fresh and succulent grass – under the watchful eyes of hungry lions. A bonus of the Mara’s flat, wide and open plains is that cheetah are perfectly adapted to it and this a great place to watch these lightning-quick cats chase down their prey.

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