On safari with John Mwange, a guide from Lewa Wilderness, Rose Hipwood, founder of The Luxury Safari Company came across two lionesses waiting under a tree. These two lionesses had previously survived against the odds when their mother was killed protecting them from a male lion. At 11 months old these two sisters defied the odds and learnt how to hunt warthog by waiting on top of their burrows. Eventually they went on to have seven cubs of their own, which are now sub adults - this leaves them with a total of nine large lions to feed including themselves.

It was obvious to John Mwange that they had not eaten for a while and were looking to hunt - a rain storm soon came in and we sat patiently in the car waiting for the cats to move - they began slinking through the grass, low to the ground and menacing. A herd of endangered grevy zebra had their backs to the rain, and when they began eating the lioness saw her chance, and after a long and laborious stalk rushed forward. She missed the zebra by mere centimetres and gave up exhausted.

Both lionesses then slunk off, whereupon the cubs rushed out from a nearby kopje, the meeting was affectionate and touching, as the cubs mewed their disappointment that their mothers hadn't caught anything. These lions were hungry.

The lionesses eventually moved off into another part of the reserve, and began stalking a lone eland - these are Africa's largest antelope and are hard to bring down, but with seven sub adult cubs behind them they needed a large kill - one lioness waited in ambush, whilst the lead lioness stalked closer and closer to the grazing animal, eventually she was just a few yards away and she allowed the animal to walk past her, before bursting out from behind and jumping onto the back of the eland - one big buck and the eland freed itself before making off followed by the two lionesses and the cubs - she got away.

The lions were starting to become tired, it was hot and they were hungry. They settled in to stalk a large breeding herd of grevy zebra - but this hunt too was eventually foiled by one of the cubs rushing out and spooking the herd. Sadly they were not to eat that day, and they settled down on some hot rocks to absorb the end of the evening sun.

Rose Hipwood, Founder of The Luxury Safari Company said, “This was the best 'lion' day I have ever experienced in Africa - John Mwange is an excellent guide and we were the only vehicle at both hunts - this made it even more special”

Lewa Wilderness from £2,000 pp for three nights all inclusive including flights. To book, contact www.theluxurysafaricompany.com