Dramatic Encounter: Lions Feast on Dead Hippo
Amidst the sounds of the African Bush, where the lions’ roars and hyenas’ calls become the nighttime chorus, we enjoyed another surprisingly peaceful night’s sleep. Our morning began just like the previous day, with a 5:00 am wake-up call, followed by a quick wash in the hot water provided by the camp crew followed by breakfast. Then off we went on our first game drive of the day. This time, we switched vehicles to give some of our group the chance to join Nelson, while Stanley became our guide and driver for the day.
Our morning drive started with the close encounter of a pair of hyenas, checking out for possibly prey at one of the many waterholes to be found in the area. But what truly stood out during this drive was the moment when a pride of eight lions engaged with a hippo carcass surrounded by crocodiles.
The Dead Hippo
As we first saw the carcass, which had drifted quite a distance from where we saw it yesterday, we noticed crocodiles snapping at one of the hippo’s bloated legs. As we watched we spotted movement in the tall grass. It turned out to be eight lions – four lionesses and four young male lions.
The scent of the decaying flesh had obviously piqued their curiosity, and they were drawn towards the scene. While the adult lionesses relaxed in the shade, the young males stealthily approached the riverbank. Two of them eventually venturing into the water, despite the snapping jaws of the crocodiles. Their goal seemed to be to bring the hippo carcass closer to the bank. However, the river’s flow and the crocodiles’ efforts caused the carcass to drift back into the water. Realizing that this spectacle might continue for a while, we decided to explore further and search for a leopard that was reportedly resting nearby, with plans to return later.
The Elusive Leopard
Our luck kept with us as we found the elusive leopard. We were fortunate in getting good views of the leopard as it decided to make a move to a new area where we were able to follow it as it walked through the Bush. Providing the opportunity to capture some excellent close up images of what appeared to be quite a young male leopard. After bidding farewell to the leopard, we returned to the hippo carcass scene.
Lions of the Khwai river
The lionesses were still lounging in the shade, and the four young males seemed even more determined to claim the carcass. One of the males managed to climb atop the hippo, while the others attempted to bite into its flesh. Unfortunately, their efforts caused the carcass to roll and sent the male lion tumbling into the river. This sudden event prompted the crocodiles to emerge from the water, snapping menacingly.
Amidst the excitement of taking photographs and witnessing these incredible animal interactions our time on the drive was running out so unfortunately we needed to leave the scene and head back to the campsite for a refreshing shower and lunch.
Afternoon Drive
As the afternoon arrived, so did our next adventure – the afternoon and night game drive. This time, our focus was on lions once more. We soon spotted a lioness accompanied by three cubs. We suspected that these might be the same lions from our yesterdays encounter, and we also located a second lioness in the Bush, caring for her very young cubs. Watching the cubs play provided more opportunities to get some close up shots of the youngsters as they entertained us
As the sun began to set, we embarked on a spotlighting journey. Our efforts were rewarded with sightings of various creatures that hid up during the daylight hours. These including Bush babies and Spring hares. We were also treated to spectacular views of an African Scops Owl and a nightjar. The climax of our evening was the sighting of an African Wildcat.
With the end of our exploration for the day, we returned to the campsite, where a warm meal awaited us. Our time at this site had come to an end as tomorrow we were to move to the Moremi reserve.