We had been looking for lions all morning, without success. When we stopped for our coffee break, we admitted defeat and were far in the North of the Park. As we started pouring the drinks, we looked across the river and, on the bank, were 4 lionesses with cubs eating a small baby hippo.
We packed up immediately, and drove to the point opposite them. At this stage, a puku came to drink. Two lionesses immediately left their meal to stalk the unsuspecting antelope. At that point, a fight broke up in the hippo pod in the river and a young male got chased on land by the dominant bull. He started running on land, which spooked the puku. He then ran in front of one of the lionesses who out of pure instinct, starting chasing the hippo, without real intent. I took the shot at that point, using my 500mm lens on a monopod. The Egyptian goose was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The hippo reentered the water and the lioness went back to her meal.
Date: 16/10/2008
Location: South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
Photographer: Arnaud Germain
