Mozambique lion lodge (8 photos + 1 video)

When people abandoned this safari lodge, lions took over and populated it.





Located in the Great Rift Valley of central Mozambique, the Gorongosa region is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. Efforts to preserve its amazing ecosystems have been underway since the 1920s. By 1940, the reserve had become so popular that a safari lodge was built to accommodate tourists. Unfortunately, it was built right in the floodplain of a river.



Every year during the rainy season, the Mussikadzi River flooded the building, and the house was abandoned before it was even fully completed. But one man's trash is another man's great treasure. The abandoned house was quickly taken over by wild cats. And a pride of cats settled inside.





The empty structure was named the "Lion House" (or "Casa dos Leis", since Portuguese is the official language of Mozambique), and the lions have occupied it as their rightful owners ever since. In 1960, Gorongosa became a national park, and today the regal beasts and their unexpected settlement in the abandoned building are a striking landmark of Gorongosa National Park.



For several generations now, lions have returned to this home and even guarded it as their personal territory - unusual behavior for a wild animal.



Some lions - the park estimates there are between 30 and 50 of them - use it as a refuge for their cubs and a place to escape the elements. The royal beasts climb onto the roof of the structure to get a better vantage point and spend hours watching their prey, carefully selecting the best warthog or antelope for their meal. And, of course, they use the structure to do what cats do best: lie around in a state of idleness and sweet slumber. In their case, being at the top of the food chain has its own significant advantages.