LIONS AT THE HIPPO CARCASS: A RARE ENCOUNTER IN THE MASAI MARA
LIONS AT THE HIPPO CARCASS: A RARE ENCOUNTER IN THE MASAI MARA
Deep within a forested area in the northern Masai Mara, the remains of a hippopotamus created the setting for one of the most unusual photographic encounters of Untamed Photo Safaris’ Ultimate Kenya Photo Safari of 2026.
The hippo had been found dead in the forest, with its injuries suggesting that it may have been involved in a confrontation with another hippo. Although the exact cause of death could not be confirmed, the carcass had clearly been there for some time. Its body was heavily bloated, the smell carried through the forest, and clouds of flies covered the exposed areas.
Photographing lions at the hippo carcass in the Masai Mara was a raw and unforgiving experience, but also an important reminder that nothing is wasted in the African wilderness.
The carcass lay within the territory of the Marsh Pride, a well-known lion pride that included three young cubs. By the time the Untamed group arrived, the lions were already aware of the hippo and appeared to have been feeding from it periodically.
The encounter took place during the Masai Mara section of the Ultimate Kenya Photo Safari. The group was travelling in two customised photographic vehicles, led by professional photographers and photo hosts Mark A. Fernley and Jaren A. Fernley. With a maximum of three guests in each vehicle, every photographer had an unobstructed row and enough space to work comfortably as the scene began to unfold.
Masai Mara Lions, Hippo Carcass - Untamed Photo Safaris 
Lone lion cub, masai mara - Untamed Photo Safaris
WAITING FOR THE LIONS
When the vehicles first approached the area that evening, the lions were resting in the grass outside the forest and away from the carcass.
Rather than rushing directly towards them, the vehicles approached slowly and settled into suitable positions. The lions appeared relaxed, but there was initially little activity. To an inexperienced observer, it may have looked as though the pride would remain asleep for the rest of the evening.
Mark and Jaren recognised that the situation was likely to change as the temperature dropped and the light began to fade. Lions are often inactive during the heat of the day, conserving their energy until the cooler hours of the evening. They believed the adult male would eventually rise and return to the carcass.
The group remained patient.
Wildlife photography frequently involves long periods of watching and waiting. Understanding an animal’s behaviour can be just as important as understanding the camera. By anticipating what the male lion might do, the vehicles could be positioned without disturbing the pride or reacting hurriedly once the movement began.
As the sun moved lower, the quality of the light changed rapidly. The open grasslands outside the forest began to darken, while the dense vegetation surrounding the carcass became even more shadowed.
Then, as anticipated, the male lifted his head.
After resting for so long, he finally stood and began walking towards the forest. We hastily went ahead and set both Untamed Cars twenty meters away from the caracass and the pride slowly made its way there. The guests followed his movement through their viewfinders as he approached the dead hippo and began to feed.
The scene was intense. The smell from the decomposing carcass was overpowering, and flies filled the air around the lion’s face. This was not the polished or romantic image of the Masai Mara often shown in travel brochures. It was nature in its most direct and uncompromising form.
Before long, the lioness arrived and joined the male at the carcass. The three cubs then followed her into the forest.
Masai Mara Photo Safaris - Untamed Photo Safaris 
Masai Mara Photographic Safaris
THE CUBS CLIMB ONTO THE CARCASS
The arrival of the cubs transformed the encounter.
Still young and inexperienced, they climbed across the enormous body of the hippo, investigated the exposed flesh and played around the carcass. At times, they appeared almost too small for the scene surrounding them. Their curiosity contrasted sharply with the dark forest, the decaying hippo and the feeding adults.
The cubs began attempting to feed, observing the adults and exploring the carcass for themselves. These early experiences form part of how young lions learn to recognise and consume available food. The adults may already have opened parts of the carcass that would otherwise have been inaccessible to the cubs, giving them an opportunity to begin feeding from it.
For the photographers, the challenge was to capture the cubs’ behaviour without losing the atmosphere of the scene.
The light was extremely limited beneath the forest canopy. The photographers needed enough shutter speed to freeze the cubs as they climbed, played and moved across the carcass, but raising the shutter speed meant allowing less light to reach the camera’s sensor.
Mark and Jaren guided the guests through the changing conditions, helping them balance shutter speed, aperture and ISO while remaining prepared for sudden interactions.
Lion Cub on Hippo Carcass - Untamed Photo Safaris 
Lion Cub on Hippo Carcass - Untamed Photo Safaris
A shutter speed of approximately 1/800 - 1/600 second was used to control movement. Apertures generally ranged from f/4 to f/5.6, occasionally reaching f/6.3 depending on the lens, composition and number of animals within the frame. With so little available light, ISO levels rose to approximately 4,000 to 5,000.
These were demanding conditions, but the behaviour mattered more than obtaining a technically perfect, noise-free file. A rare moment cannot be recreated simply because the light was difficult. The priority was to secure the images while the interaction was happening.
Every guest managed to photograph the cubs on the hippo carcass, including moments of them climbing, playing and beginning to feed. It was an unusual encounter, even by Masai Mara standards, and one that few photographers would expect to witness.
The guests watched with a mixture of amazement and disbelief. It was graphic, fascinating and difficult to look away from. For many, it became one of the most memorable photographic experiences of the entire safari.
RETURNING AT FIRST LIGHT
The group left the lions as darkness settled across the forest, knowing that the scene could look entirely different by morning.
They returned to the carcass early the following day.
This time, the male was no longer present. The lioness remained with the three cubs, which were once again gathered around the hippo. Their continued interest offered the guests a second opportunity to photograph the behaviour, but under gradually improving light.
At the beginning of the morning session, the forest was still extremely dark. High ISO settings were again necessary, but as the sun rose, more light began to filter through the trees.
The improvement was gradual but significant. ISO levels could be reduced as the morning progressed, producing files with less visible noise and greater detail. The guests were able to refine their compositions and concentrate on the smaller interactions between the lioness, the cubs and the carcass.
Having already photographed the scene the previous evening also helped them respond more confidently. They understood the environment, knew how quickly the cubs could move and had a clearer idea of the photographs they wanted to create.
Some images concentrated on the wider scene, showing the scale of the hippo and the darkness of the surrounding forest. Others focused closely on the cubs, recording their expressions, paws and tentative attempts to feed.
Together, the two sessions created a far more complete photographic story than either encounter could have provided alone. The evening photographs carried the tension of the male approaching and the entire family arriving at the carcass. The morning produced clearer details, quieter interactions and an opportunity to work as the light slowly improved.
EDITING FOR THE ATMOSPHERE
During post-processing, the photographs were intentionally edited with a darker overall appearance.
The objective was not to make the images dramatic for the sake of it, but to preserve the way the encounter felt in the field. Brightening the forest too much would have removed its natural atmosphere and weakened the sense of place.
The deep shadows, restrained colour and darker tones reflect the conditions in which the photographs were created. The carcass lay beneath a dense canopy, surrounded by vegetation and low light. The smell, the flies, the decomposing hippo and the sight of young cubs learning to feed gave the encounter a distinctly raw character.
The final edits were therefore designed to express that mood.
Noise reduction could help manage files photographed at ISO 4,000 or 5,000, but it was important not to remove so much texture that the lions appeared unnatural. Shadow detail was treated carefully, and attention was kept on the cubs and the strongest areas of the scene.
The resulting images are intentionally dark because the experience itself was dark. They show more than lions feeding. They convey the atmosphere of the forest and the uneasy contrast between death, survival and the playful curiosity of three young cubs.
Lion Cub and Hippo Carcass - Masai Mara 
Lion Cub and Mother Feed on a
A PHOTOGRAPHIC ENCOUNTER TO REMEMBER
Wildlife photography is at its most powerful when it reveals something real.
This encounter was not predictable, comfortable or conventionally beautiful. It was a glimpse into the realities of life in the Masai Mara, where the death of one animal can sustain an entire lion family and where young predators begin learning the behaviours they will depend upon throughout their lives.
For the guests travelling with Untamed Photo Safaris, it was also an example of the value of patience, behavioural understanding and thoughtful photographic guidance.
By waiting for the male to rise, remaining with the pride as the light faded and returning to the carcass the following morning, the group was able to document the story across two very different sessions. Every photographer came away with images of a rare interaction and a deeper understanding of how to work in difficult light.
The photographs are not meant to soften what happened. Their darker treatment preserves the honesty of the experience: the dense forest, the fading light, the decaying hippo and the young lions beginning to understand their place within the wilderness.
It was confronting, extraordinary and completely unforgettable.
For everyone who witnessed it, the encounter became far more than another lion sighting. It became one of those rare moments in wildlife photography when behaviour, atmosphere and opportunity came together, resulting in a series of images that tell the story of the Masai Mara in its rawest form.
