March 21, 2025
Did you know lions can climb trees? Or, have you seen a lion climbing a tree? Well, lions are quite heavy cats that have been known to be strictly grown dwellers. However, in the Masai Mara of Kenya, lions have been seen climbing trees which is a unique sighting of the king of the jungle.
The Mara, as is popularly called, is the dream destination for safari in Africa because it offers arguably the best wildlife adventure, with great views of many animals, including the lion which is top on the list of animals to see for many tourists during the amazing Masai Mara safari trip.
The vast open plains of the Mara reveal plenty of animals and thus sightings of most animals are easy during the game drives. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, antelopes, wildebeests, hyenas, and lions among other big game can easily be seen strolling the open plains. The scattered trees are often checked for the leopards, and may be birds for the birdwatchers. It is however becoming common to see safari cars crammed around trees with faces focused up into the tree not looking at a bird or monkey but lions on tree branches!
This phenomenon of lions climbing trees was thought to be unique to Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park but looks like lions in many places are learning to climb trees. What has compelled the lions to start climbing the trees is still a subject of speculation, but it is now of one of the highlights to look forward to during your safari in Masai Mara.
Where to see the tree climbing lions in the Mara
So far, from experience, sightings have been more common in the Mara Triangle.
One of the clues to know where there lions in a tree are is where you see lots of cars crammed around a tree. It can only mean a special wildlife sighting, that can be either lions or a leopard in the tree. So just join the crowd.
The lions have been fond of the sausage tree. So been keen on sausage trees when scanning them. The sausage tree is relatively short and has big branches that are somehow horizontal which make suitable for lions to lie on.
Best time of the of the day to find the tree climbing lions
The lions have been seen climbing the trees in the afternoon especially on warmer days. After successful hunt in the morning the lions may climb the trees to relax away the afternoon in the trees and enjoy the view of the plains.
Be safe when seeing the lions…
Because of the crowd that forms when the lions are spotted everyone is looking for the best view and this tempts tour drivers to get to risky positions directly under the lions. The lions always look uncomfortable with so many cars directly under them. Nature being nature, you never know when the lions will feel too uncomfortable that they could attack. Therefore, keep a safe distance and avoid being directly under the branch on which the lions are.
