I am a relatively new guide on the Sabi Sabi team, and in the past few months I have been blown away by the amazing sightings and animal interactions I have been privileged enough to see.

The area plays host to an array of habitats and as a result, there is a great diversity of animals and birds in the region. With fences between different reserves absent, there is a constant flow of animals moving in and out of the area which means we can never take for granted what we may see in a day. This makes it so much more rewarding when you do find something common, and even more so when you see something more special.

So with this in mind, it was very special when making our way to a sighting of two male lions, I assumed that I would be seeing a pair of males that had been seen in the area quite often in the weeks prior. These were two young males, with scruffy manes and a lot of growing to still do, but regardless of this it is always exciting to see a lion, as they are not always around. So, imagine our surprise when we came around a corner, to be greeted by the view of two much older males. Not only that but being greeted by the calls of two very confident older males. A sound that I have not been lucky enough to hear for a long time, a powerful sound, one that resonates through your body that you can feel all the way to your bones. There are many special experiences to be had in the African Bushveld and being so close to a chorus of male lion is definitely one of the most exhilarating.

On this day I realised how easy it is to assume that you may know which animals move around your area, because more often than not, you will be surprised and there is always more to learn and there is always something unexpected to see... that's what keeps people coming back.