5 best places to see African lions with Wilderness

When planning your life-changing journey it is important to know what you are looking for. And if lions are on that list, look no further. Here are some of the best Wilderness camps to see these feline wonders, and learn more about some of their conservation efforts, to ensure the African lion is around for many more generations to come.

If you thought Rwanda was all about gorillas, then think again! Situated in the north-east of this wonderful country, Wilderness Magashi is set in the heart of the diverse environment of Akagera National Park. Overlooking the scenic Lake Rwanyakazinga, the camp’s architecture and interiors pay homage to traditional Rwandan culture.

Arguably one of East Africa’s most picturesque parks, Akagera has healthy populations of the continent’s most charismatic savannah species.

Akagera National Park is a real success story for lion conservation. African Parks assumed management of the park in 2010 in partnership with the Rwandan Development Board. What ensued has been an inspiring tale of rehabilitation, with large-scale wildlife reintroductions, a significant drop in poaching activities, and the development of a vibrant tourism industry.

In 2015, park management took the bold step of reintroducing lions to Akagera. Once persecuted to extinction in Rwanda, the founder population has increased rapidly, certainly contributing significantly to the ecosystem, whilst providing another major attraction for our guests at Magashi.

Wilderness Shumba in Zambia’s Kafue National Park sits in the centre of the Busanga Plains, a natural wildlife haven known for its dynamic lion population. Guests of this magnificent camp are often treated to amazing sightings of “flying lions” – as they leap over the many small channels and streams in their territory – and regular daytime hunts of the vast herds of resident puku and red lechwe.

Over 5.5 million acres in extent, Kafue National Park forms the core of a 16 million acre complex of protected areas, a landscape almost 7.5 times larger than Yellowstone National Park. This giant wilderness is as beautiful as it is diverse, with vast miombo woodlands and seasonally inundated plains fed by three magnificent rivers. Kafue is reported to be the park in Africa with the highest antelope diversity and is a key stronghold for lions. However, wildlife in the landscape is severely threatened by bushmeat poaching, a major threat to lions, as it means they get caught in snares set for other species, and also suffer the effects of loss of their prey base. Critical anti-poaching and research work done by the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) in Kafue, funded in part by Wilderness, aims to mitigate this threat, thereby protecting lions, their habitats and the prey species on which they rely.

Luxurious Wilderness Vumbura Plains lies in an area that is a mix of water and dry land. The wildlife is diverse, so that both land and water activities on vehicles, mokoro and boats deliver an all-round African safari experience. The 14 tents, raised off the ground, are unique and contemporary in design, making extensive use of light, wood and space. Each includes a sunken lounge, sala, and plunge pool while the two family units have private decks linking the two separate tents.

Wilderness supports CLAWS (Communities Living Amongst Wildlife Sustainably) in the northern Okavango Delta of Botswana, through the Wilderness Trust, by encouraging our guests to visit their operations and donate, through the employment of three full-time lion monitors stationed at Vumbura Plains, and most recently, through the creation of a conservation economy for Certified wildlife-friendly beef. CLAWS works with local farmers to improve management of livestock to protect rangelands and also to reduce human-lion conflict in innovative ways. These efforts are designed to promote co-existence between people and lions and reduce the high levels of retaliatory killings that occurred prior to the onset of the project. These efforts are reducing conflict levels and improving tolerance for lions amongst local herders. Also part of their Pride in our Prides Project, livestock are protected in large communal herds in the surrounding villages. A community committee has created rotational grazing plans (to reverse impact of overgrazing) and certified herders monitor livestock health and protect herd against predators (thereby reducing lion conflict). An alert system has also been created, which notifies villagers when lions approach livestock areas.

The Wilderness Trust also provides ongoing support for human-lion conflict mitigation in Botswana (the Boteti and Chobe regions) through the Community Guardianship and Livestock Protection Programme under the Wildlife and Communities Action Trust (WildCAT), an affiliate of the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU).

Every year, Kenya co-hosts with Tanzania the cyclical Great Migration in which millions of wildebeest and other herbivores partake in one of the most astounding wildlife spectacles on Earth. Predators follow in their wake, including lion and cheetah.

A definitive East African safari camp, Wilderness Mara is ideally located in the Mara Triangle, inviting guests in to experience the best of this legendary reserve, with exceptional game viewing. Game drives could take you past large elephant, zebra and antelope herds, resident black rhino, rarer species like oribis and caracals, and your fair share of predator-prey faceoffs.

Here, The Mara Predator Conservation Programme protects vulnerable predator populations by promoting human-wildlife coexistence and empowering local communities to become environmental stewards. Focusing on lion, cheetah, and wild dog, the project has improved livestock security with the introduction of recycled plastic pole bomas, chain link fencing, predator-deterrent lights, and livestock-herder training sessions, creating a network of herders who report conflict and predator sightings to ‘Lion Ambassadors’. A collaring programme has been launched, as well as education programmes aimed at schools, communities and camp guides for better understanding of predator dynamics in the Mara.

Wilderness Linkwasha is situated in a private concession in one of the most productive locations in Hwange. It is found near the famed Ngamo Plains, where wildlife gathers in numbers during summer. To add to the year-round excellent viewing from the camp itself; Linkwasha overlooks a pan that is a magnet for game seeking to quench its thirst, including lions. The camp is an eclectic mix of contemporary interiors and Ndebele culture, its nine luxurious tents (eight twins and one family unit) overlooking a scenic plain. The main area includes various multi-level decks, amongst them a cosy library, fireplace, and shaded salas surrounding an inviting pool. The nearby romantic Star Bed looks onto a productive waterhole.

Hwange National Park has a high mortality rate of lion from accidental snaring, as evidence has shown that many wire snares are set for medium and large animals, including elephant and giraffe. The Scorpion Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU), run by Wilderness in partnership with Zimbabwe’s Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and Panthera, provides manpower and resources to help reduce levels of poaching within the boundary areas of Hwange National Park.

Covering thousands of kilometres on foot and vehicle patrols, the SAPU rangers have removed more than 3,000 snares since inception. Wilderness is proud to have directly supported SAPU since 2012, leading to us taking over all operations in 2015. Their anti-poaching operations remove fewer and fewer snares each year – testament to an improvement in local economies, effective educational efforts, and a successful partnership with the communities bordering the park.