Howdy Everyone (Another newbie)
Great article Pete!
I have been on a few safaris now and while I have never seen an 'actual' kill I have have been there shortly after. I agree that its not a pleasant thing to watch, but I can also sympathise with the detachment aspect when viewing from the lens. I have some shots from my first experience but I am in no hurry to add to them. Having said this though there is certainly something to seeing lions do what they do best; Hunt. The best example being one day we were in an open land rover in Mala Mala (South Africa) and were in a dry creek bed in a slight ravine. Moments later 2 lioness came charging through the bush very close to us. We were the last straw for them and they gave up the chase but you could almost see their adrenalin pumping. The intense gazes, twitching nose, muscles rippling. It made a stark contrast to the usual languid daytime lions we had been viewing. It was a very primal moment. This then brings up the other side of the argument. In this case the lioness looked in good condition but what about the energy levels expended by Cheetah to capture their prey. A female with cubs misses a few missed meals and they can be in serious trouble. There are 2 sides to every story, both with tragic, unsettling endings. Its a personal decision as to whether you take the shot though.