But it was like "she knew"...



...and yes, she IS staring straight at me, a very unusual feeling in itself !!!!!!!

Yep... right there next to me...



So we all sat there and watched each other for about 20 mins and then the big female moved back into the trees, the younger cats perceivably relaxed (as did we) when this happened...

I did think the Guinea Fowl were going to be in trouble (dumb dumb birds) and at one point he gave them a VERY long look !!!



The other two soon packed up and into the trees after mum, by this point that had been eyeing us off for over an hour.... !!!!

We settled a bit but left one of the camp staff watching the river (none of them wanted to move around at all as they were still a bit freaked, despite this being Africa and all that, this was the first time anyone here had seen these cats being so obvious about things, normally it was hearing them at night closer in or finding tracks (between the huts )in the mornings. We did go for a short walk behind the camp (180 degs from the river) in case they had crossed higher up and were moving in from behind.

A little later the guy watching the river called that they were out again, but further down stream...



.... it was also while they were here that we realised there were FOUR cats not the three we had seen, there was a second large female.

They then just hung around, they body language was totally different to what it had been when they were up close to us...







..... she wasted to be left alone but the young'n persisted till mum snarled and skulked away and into the middle of the river....