The Pregnant Lionesses, Ngorongoro Crater

The beauty of Africa is enchanting, to say the least. To be able to witness it and be a part of the mystical cycle of life is captivating, and is something that is the highlight of my year, every year! In July 2013, during a visit to the Ngorongo Crater, Tanzania, I had what is perhaps my closest and most thrilling encounter with two lionesses.

It was a scorching summer afternoon, with the sun blazing overhead, around 2 pm, when I made my way into the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater. Armed with my photography equipment, lenses, and a heart full of barely-contained excitement, I felt an electric anticipation in the air. The crater is known for its unparalleled beauty and is home to one of the densest populations of lions in the world, making it a dream location for any wildlife photographer. I was confident that I would capture some incredible moments, images that would do justice to the stories I had heard about this place. However, what unfolded that day was far beyond anything I could have planned for—an experience so unexpected and extraordinary, it would be etched into my memory forever.

Upon going a little further up the game trails, I spotted two heavily pregnant lionesses, sitting under a leafless tree, quite a distance away. At this time, my jeep was the only one that had arrived at the spot. Given the heat of the day, with the lack of shade not helping at all, the lionesses were a bit restless, looking for some shade that they could rest under.

Their discomfort apparent, they didn’t move for about an hour or so, despite my prayers to the contrary! It was quite amusing to see one of them scratch at the tree, almost as if trying to adjust the branches a bit so she could get some more shade out of it! I couldn’t help but hope that they would move, and enable me to capture these two beauties at their best. At long last, I did get a bit of movement to shoot. With the heat growing by the minute, the two lionesses kept changing their positions, with one of them even climbing up the dilapidated tree a little and lying down on a fork in the trunk!

It was a little afterwards when it seemed like I had finally caught the lioness’s attention, as she looked directly at me.

She then got up, and decided to have a drink at the small pool beside the tree. Another beautiful shot in the bag, as she looks back at me!

I was now immensely pleased that at least one of them was done with her afternoon siesta, and after a bit of stretching, our lioness starting walking directly towards my jeep.

As she inched closer and closer to her unsuspecting prey, my excitement grew with every silent step she took, each one bringing her nearer to the moment I had been waiting for. I was completely engrossed, almost holding my breath, focused on capturing the lioness in the most powerful and authentic way possible through my lens. Every detail mattered—balancing focus, adjusting to the shifting light, and finding the right angle became a dance of instinct. I didn’t want to miss even a second of this breathtaking scene unfolding before me. The intensity in her eyes, the grace in her movements, the quiet confidence in her stride—it all came together to create a visual masterpiece, and I was determined to do justice to her beauty, strength, and wild elegance.

I couldn’t help but notice that the lioness wasn’t just intrigued by me or my jeep, but rather saw the ample shade the side of the vehicle could give her, and she walked closer and closer, I was finding it more difficult to keep her within my camera sights, so much so that within a few minutes, she was sitting right below the side of the jeep, my nose angled perfectly above her!

Not long afterwards, having seen her companion’s rather bold but effective choice, the other lioness too walked over and laid down next to the jeep! With all my other lenses out of their depth in such close proximity, it was time for the wide-angle to take center stage! As I went about clicking incessantly, barely able to keep my hands from trembling, given the lionesses’ proximity, one of them looked at me and growled at me, almost as if telling me, “Hey! I’m going to rest here in the shade now, so don’t bother me, and I’ll keep out of your way too!”

By this time, quite a few jeeps had gathered around, all trying to get a better view of the scene. The lionesses moved calmly between them, unbothered by the growing crowd. They seemed to be searching for a spot that offered the most shade and comfort, occasionally pausing before shifting again, trying to find the perfect place to rest.

Immediately aware that any sudden movements could lead to catastrophic consequences, I slowly moved back, giving her the space she needed. This was surely the closest I had ever gotten to any big cat, and I was thrilled and ecstatic, with adrenaline flowing through my veins and my heart threatening to break out of my chest!

As I mentioned earlier, the only way I could capture a full frame was using the wide angle lens, and as I took shots of her, she looked up at me, staring into my lens. Wildlife is my passion, but what I was witnessing was mesmerizing, to the point that I forgot that I was using a wide angle lens, and not a zoom lens. The result was that I was inching closer and closer to the lioness, oblivious to the growing proximity. It took a couple of gasps from the tourists around me, with one “Oh my god!” to alert me to this! I looked up at the tourist who said this, wondering what had freaked him out so much, and it was then that I realized, as I moved the camera aside, that I was staring at the lioness less than two feet away! A stretch of my hand and I would have touched this beauty, it was that close!

I have always said that Africa never fails to disappoint the enthusiast, and this was the epitome of human-animal interactions. A truly magical experience, to say the least! Hala Africa!