Park ranger Richard Sowry was out on patrol on April 15 when he snapped a pride sleeping on a road that would normally be busy with tourists. But Kruger, like other wildlife parks, has been shut since March 25 as part of the coronavirus lockdown.
As a ranger in one of Africa’s largest game reserves, Sowry performs an essential service and continues to work during the lockdown, checking on the wildlife and guarding against poachers.
While driving near Orpen Rest Camp on the 15th afternoon, he spotted the lions on the road ahead and pulled up just five meters away to look at the unusual phenomenon. As he took photos with his mobile phone, the lions did not seem bothered, most of them apparently fast asleep. Big cats would usually only be seen by rangers on the roads by night.