The past couple of days have been extremely interesting and 'action packed' - with clients' being able to witness the interaction of different species as a pair of lionesses, as well as some vultures, tried to get an easy meal by robbing the Wild Dogs of their kill.
The Wild dogs have been hunting up near the lodge these past few weeks, and I was fortunate to be on hand to witness a successful "kill". Wild Dogs are very skillful "pack" hunters, each member of the family working together as one unit. However during this particular late afternoon hunt, the alpha male became separated from the rest of the pack. He had an Impala in his sights and wasn't about to let this meal go, managing to take the buck down by himself, fortunately for us, in clear view along the main road. He wolfed down a few bites before heading off to find the rest of the pack, and within minutes all 6 dogs had arrived and a feeding frenzy began. Every so often one of the adults would stop feeding and listen, obviously concerned by the call of a lion that was to close for comfort. After a few minutes the male left his meal to investigate further, walking up the road (away from the noise of the others feeding). A split second later he turned around and came careering back down the road and into the bush. The others stopped to peer through the twilight, then they too scattered in all directions, as 2 lionesses came into view loping towards them. The dogs, no match for the much larger, stronger lions, all managed to escape unharmed. One of the lionesses followed the dogs for a short distance, but soon gave up, while the other one dragged the carcass down the road and into a thicket. They fed for a while then lay down and we left them to enjoy their rest and our own supper.
The following morning back at the site, the normally clear sky was "littered" with birds spiraling round in the thermals, all heading down towards the carcass, one after the other like planes at a busy airport. Unfortunately for them, none of the vultures managed to stay on the ground for long, as the Wild dogs had returned and kept chasing them away from what the lions had left of the Impala. The most common vulture was the White Backed Vulture, with a few Lappet Faced Vultures also present, sitting in nearby trees waiting for an opportunity to feed. The vultures spent the entire day waiting patiently for their turn at the carcass, but without success, as the dogs were not about to lose their food a second time. Their turn would come though.
In those two days so much excitement happened at that one spot, and the fact that it was on one of the main roads, meant that our guests at the time were all witness to some interesting and entertaining animal behavior. Again it was a case of "being in the right spot at the right time..."
The Wild dogs have been hunting up near the lodge these past few weeks, and I was fortunate to be on hand to witness a successful "kill". Wild Dogs are very skillful "pack" hunters, each member of the family working together as one unit. However during this particular late afternoon hunt, the alpha male became separated from the rest of the pack. He had an Impala in his sights and wasn't about to let this meal go, managing to take the buck down by himself, fortunately for us, in clear view along the main road. He wolfed down a few bites before heading off to find the rest of the pack, and within minutes all 6 dogs had arrived and a feeding frenzy began. Every so often one of the adults would stop feeding and listen, obviously concerned by the call of a lion that was to close for comfort. After a few minutes the male left his meal to investigate further, walking up the road (away from the noise of the others feeding). A split second later he turned around and came careering back down the road and into the bush. The others stopped to peer through the twilight, then they too scattered in all directions, as 2 lionesses came into view loping towards them. The dogs, no match for the much larger, stronger lions, all managed to escape unharmed. One of the lionesses followed the dogs for a short distance, but soon gave up, while the other one dragged the carcass down the road and into a thicket. They fed for a while then lay down and we left them to enjoy their rest and our own supper.
The following morning back at the site, the normally clear sky was "littered" with birds spiraling round in the thermals, all heading down towards the carcass, one after the other like planes at a busy airport. Unfortunately for them, none of the vultures managed to stay on the ground for long, as the Wild dogs had returned and kept chasing them away from what the lions had left of the Impala. The most common vulture was the White Backed Vulture, with a few Lappet Faced Vultures also present, sitting in nearby trees waiting for an opportunity to feed. The vultures spent the entire day waiting patiently for their turn at the carcass, but without success, as the dogs were not about to lose their food a second time. Their turn would come though.
In those two days so much excitement happened at that one spot, and the fact that it was on one of the main roads, meant that our guests at the time were all witness to some interesting and entertaining animal behavior. Again it was a case of "being in the right spot at the right time..."
Michelle Swemmer - Field Guide