Following in their footsteps
Early morning is the time for finding lions, when the air is sharp and prints show up clearly as you drive against the light. Each hollow footfall fills with shadow, like blue flowers blossoming in the soft Kalahari sand. Perched on the bonnet in his jump seat, your tracker can interpret the criss-cross calligraphy of the bush as easily as you and I might peruse the pages of Travel Africa. But even a beginner can soon recognise a lion’s footprint, each one as big as your outstretched hand, with its distinctive triple ripple at the heel — the unmistakable signature of a big cat that never fails to produce that adrenaline rush of excitement. BRIAN JACKMAN