Straining over the edge of the jeep, we all stared intently into the bushes, with hungry eyes, scanning the scene for any movement, desperate for a sighting of the elusive pride of lions we'd been tracking all morning. Between a clump of leaves we could just make out the tawny coloured mane of a lion. I sat back, resigning myself to the fact that this would be the best sighting we'd get, as the male seemed in no hurry to move. I heard the familiar sound of an engine as another jeep pulled up behind us.

In a flurry of dust, and with a roar, the young male charged forwards, coming within 5 ft of our vehicle before retreating back to the bushes. I just had time to grab my camera and grab a few shots of this extraordinary, if not a little scary encounter! The look in that young lion's eyes was an unforgettable sight. Everything about him exuded power and pure wildness. We were the intruders, daring to enter into his domain, and he was not afraid to let us know!

It's experiences like this which made Botswana the best country I visited in terms of wildlife volume and quality sightings.

The next morning we explored Chobe on solid ground, heading out into the park at dawn on a game drive. We saw a pride of female lions down by the river side, basking after a kill as well as the above mentioned exhilarating encounter with a lone male. I must admit it was a bit crazy as 10-15 vehicles all arrived on the scene, full of tourists, vying to get a glimpse of the lions. However, the rangers handled the situation well, allowing one vehicle to move up close to the pride, and then after a few minutes move away allowing a different vehicle priority viewing.

If mismanaged I imagine the whole process could be potentially quite stressful for the lions but they didn't bat an eyelid at us! In fact it was quite amusing as we all stared in adoration, gawking at the lionesses with our eyes and camera lenses, whilst the lead female closed her eyes, and proceeded to doze off, a picture of indifference to our stifled excitement and clicking of shutters.