April 2009 : Kruger National Park, South Africa

To say that we have had some of the best game viewing ever is simply an understatement. The density of animals and birds is unbelievable. I have never seen this many elephants together. They come down to the river in the late morning by their hundreds. Hippos are to be seen everywhere, and giving us great sightings when they emerge from water at night. Lions are on the Concession for most of the time, following after the large herds of zebra and wildebeest. Buffalo herds are also making regular appearances. They are wild and curious of the vehicles, following you as you drive past them. We are looking forward to an interesting winter. We have a good amount of water, hopefully enough to sustain us through the most of dry months ahead. However Nature’s design is more complex than the immediate, it will be thrilling as always to see what She has in store for the N’wanetsi Concession. Watch this space.

There simply are no words to describe the amount of animals on the Concession at the moment. Elephants almost outnumber impala. Buffalo herds of up to 600 roam the grasslands. Zebras are found just about everywhere, and those long necks of the giraffe’s stick out from above the trees wherever you look. Water has almost dried up everywhere to the west. The Nwanetsi has not flowed much this year. The Xinkelengane drainage is another story though. It spans throughout our whole concession, and contains a good amount of water. Animals have flocked to the east to take advantage of this, hence our exciting game viewing. Where there’s water, there is life.

It is not uncommon to find many different species together. Elephant bulls are meandering through the area in search of females in the breeding herds. Most of these big bulls are now in musth, a time of heightened hormone levels and reproductive intent. They almost exclusively search for mating opportunities during these times.  Zebra, wildebeest, impala and giraffe are often seen together. This is a form of anti-predator behavior, with more eyes and ears collectively scanning their surroundings for danger. It is stunning to witness the large numbers of herds together.

Buffalo hunting is probably the most rewarding, and at the same time the most dangerous. However, the mountain pride managed to sink their teeth in to an adult buffalo bull, and proceeded to gorge themselves for two full days.

These buffalo bulls are some of the most feared animals on earth. They will not go down without a fight, and even when wrestled to the ground will not give up. Many a lion has lost its life to these bulls. It can take hours for lions to kill a buffalo bull, but once they do they have 600kg of meat. With all the buffalo around at the moment, the young males of the mountain pride often try their luck, but still maintain a healthy respect. The advantage for this pride is their numbers. With nine strong young males, buffalo hunting is a feasible option. Male lions play a pivotal role in big game hunting. They are much stronger than the females, and strength is a necessity when hunting these colossal beasts.

The not as often viewed northern pride succeeded in killing their fair share of animals this month, and that is only the small portion that we are aware of. Earlier in the month, they were found on a wildebeest kill. This they killed in broad daylight. Many kills are made opportunistically, and this may have been one of them. This is also a huge pride, boasting at least 22 members. They sometimes rest very spread out, seeking out shady spots. Any unsuspecting prey walking towards the lions often find themselves in the midst of the pride. By the time they spot the first lion it is too late, and the escape route is cut off from behind. This pride needs to hunt regularly though. Feeding all of those mouths is no easy task, and they will hunt every day. The larger the meal the better. This was definitely the case with the next kill.

A giraffe can weigh well over a ton. This is a prize kill, and well worth the effort. The northern pride ate for three days, filling their bellies to the point of exploding. Feeding would halt during the hottest part of the day, and continue with vigor during the evening. Both of the pride males were present, and they dominated the carcass whenever they fed. That is typical male behavior. Interestingly they will on occasion allow young cubs to feed alongside them, but chasing off any other members of the pride. This could be a way of ensuring his offspring will succeed.Later in the month whilst tracking the northern pride, one of the rangers came across two adult buffalo bull carcasses. Both kills were very fresh, and must have been killed simultaneously. This is almost unheard of.

 

It is daunting enough to take on one of these dangerous animals, but killing two in one go is simply amazing. It goes to show the strength of lions and the advantage of hunting in a large pride. This pride is a phenomenal hunting unit. They proved this once again on a cold quiet evening. The chilling screams of the zebra was heard almost a kilometer away as the ten lions sank their teeth into its soft flesh. There is nothing pretty about these acts. Killing is cold, brutal and sometimes long. While one or two members attempt to kill the animal, the others start feeding while the zebra is still alive. This is Nature. Nature can appear to be very cruel, and hard to watch, but that is the way of life out here. Lions need to eat, and this is the only way they know. The lions fed for about 30 minutes when all of a sudden a male lion from the Mountain pride appeared out of nowhere, and lions scattered in every which direction.

All except for one. One of the older lionesses would not even budge. She stood her ground with growls coming right out of the depths of her belly. She worked hard for this meal, and she had no intention of giving it up to some cocky young male.The male was very aggressive, and clearly did not like this female hanging around. Repeatedly he would attack her with claws swinging away, sharp as a double edges sword. She responded in kind, flashing her menacing teeth at him. This went on for about ten minutes, when another young mountain pride male appeared. He was larger than the first. Sensing she was out-numbered, the lioness wisely made a run for it leaving the two males squabbling over what was left of the zebra. What a breath taking event to witness.

Perfectly concealed with its log-like appearance, the crocodile patiently lies in wait for something to come for a drink. Only its eyes and nostrils pierce the surface, the rest concealed under the dark murky waters of death. An unsuspecting impala wanders just within range, and with blinding speed the jaws of this 500 pound monster are firmly wrapped around the chest of the struggling impala. The crocodile submerges, drowning its victim. Very soon more appear from out of nowhere, and the feeding frenzy begins.

The death of an animal is always saddening, yet it gives life to so many others.Apart from two lions, many vultures descended upon this giraffe carcass. We do not know how it died, but we do know how it finished. Hundreds of vultures made their way to the carcass, coming from all over. White-backed vultures are always the most numerous, filling their crops with over 3 pounds of meat (pictured to the left). They even have barbed tongues which aid in gulping down meat as fast as possible. The smaller Hooded Vulture (pictured below) patiently picks up scraps, as it wishes to avoid the melee at the squabbling feeding front. Its slender bill allows it to strip bones clean of meat, and usually does this after most other species have left. All in all a successful day for these birds. They left nothing but the skin, the only evidence of this gory ordeal.

The king and queen on pride rock. From here they can scan their territory like an eagle from the wing. She is in estrous, and he will not leave her side. Many a male will detect this from her urine and may come looking for her.  As he glances over his shoulder the message is clear. Keep your distance. Dazzling zebras. Their patterns are as beautiful and unique as they are important. A survival strategy, it helps them stay out of reach of hunting lions. Predators see in black and white. Lions usually select prey before the chase, and usually stick to that individual, sometimes running past easier targets.

Zebras flee as a unit, and it makes life difficult for lions, as they are dazzled by the confusion of black and white. As he gazes out over the grasslands, his eyes focus on the target. His ears are listening attentively.

As the wind moves around him, his young mane moves in synchrony with the grass, almost like a dance. The perfect poise, a young prince on the verge of adulthood. Having eaten her fill, the lioness flops down on to the rock hard earth. She moves about uncomfortably, on to her back, and then on to her side, trying to find a way to digest the colossal amount of giraffe she has just eaten. Then her foot finds an old branch. It is at just the right height, and she settles in for a good rest.

This entry & all photographs were submitted by Marlon du Toit All photographs were taken on location 30 April 2009 Singita Kruger National Park