Off The Beat: Up close and personal with the king of beasts in Tanzania

Get up close and personal with Africa’s revered predators – the lions – in Tanzania. These animals face myriad threats that put their very existence at risk. Photos: The Star/Wong Chun Wai

It's hot and dusty in the sprawling plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania. The dry season has gone into overdrive at this time of year, but August is also the best time to be on the safari trail.

This is when the greatest animal spectacle on Earth begins as wildebeest herds begin their massive migration across the crocodile-infested Mara river in search of water and greener pastures in Kenya.