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Head of the Beast

Lions of the Bushveld

By Rachel Tobias

March 18^th, 2018

It was the size of the lion’s head that nearly stopped my heart.

Yes, a lion's teeth are monstrously large; her tongue barbed in reptilian fashion; her paws more powerful than I hope to ever know. But it was her head that truly took me by surprise.

Darkness is a chilling time to encounter a lion. And though I am confident in my safety in the vehicle, my lungs take it upon themselves to cower breathlessly in fear. I feel myself grabbing onto the edge of the vehicle, trying to camouflage myself into the back of the chair, as two mighty females walk by, cool, collected, reigning. My cool is nowhere to be found, and all I can do is stare, without a breath, at this great animal’s enormous head.

We watch cartoons and read storybooks, and we create this idea over which we feel ownership and control. But in this moment, when I meet my first lion, I realize how truly small I am, and how very little I know about this planet. These lions can swallowed my head whole; but of course, they do not. They have bigger fish to fry on this crisp, winter evening. Or, antelope rather.

The more lions I encounter, the more a healthy respect replaces base fear. While I haven't yet been fortunate enough to witness a kill, I do have the incredible opportunity to follow a small pride of lions displaying fascinating mating behavior. The two males, one presumably dominant, the other quite young, are taking turns covering one of the female lions. It is apparent, however, that the males are close, touching heads, partaking in the others’ moments of courtship. Yet another reminder of how much I have to learn about this incredible environment.