Sighting of the Quarter: Following Terrace Male

2/6/2014

The Kunene River marks the boundary between the countries of Namibia and Angola. During the 1980s the tracks of a Namibian male lion were observed on several occasions at the mouth of the Kunene River, suggesting that this lion was spending time in Angola, but he disappeared after 1990. On August 1st of this year a lion named "Terrace Male" was observed swimming across the Kunene River and venturing into Angola, marking the return of lions to the area after an absence of 23 years. In addition, it is remarkable that a "desert lion", with no experience of perennial rivers or any body of water larger that the pools found at small springs in the desert, swam across 250 feet of fast-flowing and crocodile-infested water.

Terrace Male remained in Angola for 15 days and travelled 204 miles (average 15 miles/day). At 1:00am on August 16th he re-crossed the Kunene River and returned to Namibia, near Serra Cafema Camp. Oblivious to the political boundary between countries, we hope that Terrace Male will continue to safely navigate between the two countries and that other lions will follow into the area.