黒いたてがみの王を探し求めて

　ネコ科の中で特徴的なたてがみを持つライオンは、その姿が彫刻や絵画だけではなく、王家の紋章や世界各国の国旗にも見られるように、百獣の王として人類が昔から憧れを抱いてきました。フランス南部で見つかった世界最古とされる3万年前のショーヴェ洞窟の壁画にもライオンが描かれていることから、かつてはヨーロッパ大陸にも生息していたと考えられています。しかし、現在の生息域は、アフリカ大陸からアジアの一部に狭まり、個体数も減少しています。

　ライオンは生息場所によって少しずつ形態が異なり、黒いたてがみを持つ亜種が存在します。アフリカ南部のボツワナとナミビア、南アフリカに広がるカラハリ砂漠に生息するカラハリライオン（Panthera leo vernayi）がそれで、勇悍（ゆうかん）な姿はドキュメンタリー映画『カラハリのライオン』で広く知られることになりました。

　野生動物の中でも特に大型のネコ科を追い続ける旅の筆者は今回、この黒いたてがみのライオンに会うため、南アフリカとボツワナの国境に広がるカラハリ・トランスフロンティア公園に向かいます。この公園は、国境など関係なく広大な大地を移動する野生動物を保護するため、南アフリカ政府とボツワナ政府が協力し、別々に管理されていた国立公園をひとつに合わせたものです。乾燥した気候のため、いわゆる「アフリカ的」なゾウやカバなどは見当たりません。代わりに目立つのが、アラゲジリスとミーアキャット。アラゲジリスは北米のプレーリードッグの仲間で、ミーアキャットはマングースの仲間です。

　また、ライオン以外の肉食動物も数多く生息しており、筆者はヒョウやチーター、ハイエナ、リビアヤマネコなどの姿をとらえます。でも、求めるのは黒いたてがみの王。幸運にも出会えたライオンは、他の地域のライオンと、たてがみの色の他にも違いがあったのでした。（の）

　As the sun goes down, the red sand dunes of the Kgalagadi desert explode in a blaze of color. Soon I was gazing upon a cosmic ceiling of stars glittering in the African heavens -- the air was dry, the dunes seemed infinite.

　My quest to photograph the legendary black mane lions of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park had brought me to this desolate region. I quickly erected my tent at the Matamata campsite near the South Africa-Namibia border and prepared for my adventure.

　It had been an arduous 20-hour flight from Japan followed by an 11-hour drive from Cape Town in a rented 4-wheel-drive vehicle to get here.

　My exhaustion gave way to excitement. The reality of being in the African wilderness where lions roamed made me alert and cheerful.

　Lying in my tent, the night was not silent at all; rather it was an orchestra of geckos, owls, jackals and hyenas collaborating in a raucous desert symphony.

　My night at the Kgalagadi Opera was suddenly interrupted when I heard a menacing growl that made my spine tingle. A lion, my prey and purpose, had found me.

　Characterized by its black mane, the lions of the Kgalagadi are larger than the lions in East Africa and also scarcer. Observing lions in some national parks in East Africa is an easy task, but in the Kgalagadi, it is a different story.

　The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park officially opened in May 2000 after an agreement between the South African and Botswana governments to create and jointly manage a single park formed from South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and the Botswana Gemsbok National Park.

　The park totals roughly 38,000 square kilometers, of which 28,400 square km are located in Botswana. The rest is in South Africa.

　The first transfrontier park in Africa, it takes its name from the Kgalagadi tribe, who were the first humans to settle in the Kalahari, a word derived from the Kgalagadi dialect meaning "great thirstland."

乾いた大地

　This lack of water has resulted in the absence of some well-known African animals including elephants, hippopotamuses and buffaloes. Due to limited water and little vegetation, the number of herbivores occupying the region is far fewer than that of the savanna. To cope, the lions in Kgalagadi have had to enlarge their range to find enough food to survive.

　The scarcity of water in the park is actually a blessing in disguise. The dearth of vegetation and concentration of animals in the dry riverbeds of the Auob and Nossob rivers makes it a premium mammal-viewing destination. Two of the Kgalagadi's more prominent species are the ground squirrel and the meerkat. However, this region is notable for its large predators.

　There are not many lions in the park. The few I observed, were young females -- not the regally huge black mane lions. Due to this low density of lions, cheetahs have flourished. These majestic cats avoid lion territory. Leopards also abound, and I was lucky enough to spot them twice.

砂嵐の夜が明けて

　My ninth night in the park saw a spectacular sandstorm. The sound of the wind battering my tent made it difficult to sleep. However, the next morning brought silence, serenity and clear skies.

　Morning in the desert is quite chilly. I headed out to the red sand dunes and soon found footprints of a lion family along the road. Some of them were the size of cubs, however, some were huge.

　These must be from the black mane lion I was looking for. The tracks were fresh and luckily, they followed the road allowing me to follow with excitement and great tension.

　After about 5 km, I came upon some brown creatures lying in the sand. Of course, they were the lions I was seeking. But something seemed strange.

　I knew that lions were social animals with large families -- on average a few males and about 10 females make up a typical pride. It is well documented that while males eat first, they do not do the actual hunting, leaving that chore to the females. These behaviors made me think of male lions as rather haughty.

　The lion group I encountered, however, comprised only one male, one female and three cubs. I assumed that the harsh environment of the Kgalagadi made it difficult for the lions to sustain a large pride.

　As I observed the large male from a safe distance through my telephoto lens, I noted that despite his daunting appearance he seemed gentle and affectionate toward his mate. His eyes were fierce but kind. It was as if he were saying that only overcoming difficulties together could they cultivate a true and deep love.