August 2009 : Kruger National Park, South Africa

This month we celebrate the predators at Singita Kruger National Park. We have had an abundance of special times with them. These animals represent grace, power, strength and beauty. We all are in awe of them and their uncanny ability to capture the minds and imagination of all. The booming roar of a male lion and the rasping call of a leopard represent Africa in every sense of the word. Simply being in the presence of these astonishing creatures will leave you breathless. This month is dedicated to them…the rulers of Lebombo.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Perhaps sensing that something was not right; she dragged the impala carcass to the base of a large Leadwood tree. If another predator approached she could simply hoist her kill out of reach. Without warning and out of nowhere a hyena burst onto the scene. It ran straight at the young female leopard with one intention - stealing her hard-earned dinner.Like any female, she did not take lightly to this! Leopards usually avoid confrontations with hyena, as injury could spell disaster. Not this cat. As the hyena confidently rounded the base of the tree it was met by a barrage of painfully sharp claws and teeth looking for a spot to settle. The hyena was momentarily surprised, but no sooner was back at the leopard, who this time gave way and the hyena made off with what was left of the impala. At first it seemed that the leopard had given up and she ambled off in the opposite direction. Perhaps the sound of the hard-headed hyena gnawing away at her meal got to her, because she turned and walked straight back towards the hyena. The hyena was none the wiser, all too happy about its free meal.

 

As the leopard closed in, she started stalking and got to within a few feet of the hyena, only a tuft of grass separating them… She summoned all the courage, leapt through the air and landed right next to the unsuspecting hyena. It was not at all impressed and just about choked on a juicy fillet and then took off speed in a flash, stopping about a hundred yards away, hoping to catch a glimpse of this demon that had attacked out of nowhere! The hyena soon realized that it was the leopard and slowly made its way towards her as she crouched over her reclaimed dinner, watching the approaching hyena,  no longer driven by hunger, but by playful curiosity. This had become a game for the leopard and she gladly surrendered the carcass to the suspicious hyena who decided not to take any chances, and ran some distance away from the scene, unknowingly followed by the spotted feline. She once again stalked right up to him and with a growl chased him in the opposite direction. The look on the hyena’s face was priceless as it tried to make sense of all of this. With a triumphant swish of her tail, the leopardess walked off into the night and the hyena could finally enjoy the meal in peace.

EXCEPTIONAL LEOPARD!

We have had the most phenomenal leopard sightings this month. The female pictured here killed an impala in broad daylight. There was a strong breeze and she decided to drag the carcass in to the river bed where the smell of fresh meat would be better masked. She fed quickly, and constantly looked around her making sure that she was not being stalked. This leopard also had an impala kill. She killed it in the late afternoon as the impala made their way to the river. This is typical of predators in winter - they know that animals must drink daily, and will spend much of their time waiting around waterholes for prey to come to them. This saves them the energy of walking great distances in search of prey. This male is one of our beautiful territorial males. He is still young, but very impressive. He holds the prime territory of Dumbana Pools, one of the few remaining waterholes during winter. He is regularly seen patrolling his territory, as he is often faced with new challengers. He will still be around for many years as he is still approaching his prime.

 

This beautiful young female leopard had a tormenting experience recently. After killing an impala she hoisted it in what seemed to be the nearest Jackal berry, typical behavior for leopards as it puts their food out of the reach of most predators. She did not do a very good hoisting job; the carcass was hanging over the lowest branch only three meters above the ground. Disaster was inevitable. As she lay sleepily above the carcass seven lionesses came rushing onto the scene, perhaps attracted by the smell of the kill. To the leopards credit , she instantly grabbed the carcass and ran straight up to the top of the tree, hotly pursued by a lioness. The leopard, being lighter, was able to reach the thin branches at the top, saving her from sure death. The lions eventually moved on, leaving the leopard with something to think about. Perhaps next time she will be more thoughtful when hoisting her food…

THREE VISITORS

To our great surprise three cheetahs spent a lot of time with us this month. A mom and her two sub-adult cubs were seen every second or third day. At first they were not very relaxed with the vehicles, but thanks to lots of sensitivity from all of the guides we could soon approach them to within twenty or thirty meters. The central regions of Kruger Park have possibly the highest density of lions in Africa and due to this, cheetah have a hard time here. Lion would go out of their way to kill them so they need to be very aware of their surroundings. We are very grateful for these three, and hopefully they establish this area as part of their hunting range.

 

BLOOD FLOWS UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS

It’s a warm windy evening. Wind whistled through the branches, testing their strength. Grass was swept from side to side like the waves of a big green ocean. Clouds quickly concealed the first visible stars, making dusk unusually dark. Sight was soon lost as darkness covered the battlefield. I know these conditions. I’ve seen what happens next, and so have the ones who own the darkness.

As they stretch their bodies, muscles rippling from underneath their tawny coats, they can smell fear, carried along by the waling wind. It is time. The lions deliberately walk into the wind, following the smells. Tonight is different.  The wind masks the sound of their approach and their distinct smell. Ahead the lions can see their target. Tonight, they hunt wildebeest. Three lions quickly fade to the left as if they were never there, another two move to the right. The last two stay where they are, and watch. Their eyes are big and black as they gain maximum vision in these dark nights. Ears are cocked forward and muscles are tense, ready to sprint. Like magic the seven ghosts and the darkness become one…

This all took place one evening as I was driving back to the lodge - you really could feel the electricity in the air. Something was different.  As the wildebeest ran across the road ahead of my vehicle I routinely switched my headlights off so as not to blind them. Little did I know that all hell was about to break loose. Suddenly, I noticed four wildebeest coming from my right at an alarming pace. They were on a collision course with my vehicle so I hit the brakes. They ran past the front of my car, closely pursued by a lioness. The wildebeest that first crossed the road ran straight into a waiting lioness and there she stood with her jaws firmly clamped around the neck of a wildebeest. Within seconds the rest of the battalion arrived, and it was over. Life drained from the wildebeest, staining the dry grass which once brought her life. Her eyes were large and panicked as she struggled for air. Alas, it was all in vain. Such are the nights in dark Africa. Deep down in our souls we fear these awesome creatures, phantoms of our imagination. Perhaps we were once the hunted, these instincts still instilled within our being. They rule this land, the Queens of Darkness.

 

TWO NEW CHALLENGERS ENTER THE BATTLEFIELD

Like visiting royalty these lion made themselves comfortable - their confidence was almost tangible as they lay right in the middle of Mountain pride territory. Prime territory for any lion brave enough to lay claim to it. They are after one thing and one thing only…females. The Xhirombe pride does not have any dominant male, and apart from the young Mountain pride males, the females are also up for grabs.  Will they push through with their threat? Watch this space to see. Perhaps they are simply passing through but maybe, just maybe we have a “coup” on our hands. A war of the Lebombo’s! Despite the loss of a family member last month, the brotherhood is stronger than ever.

They are walking further and further, perhaps exploring new territory. They have not been seen as regularly and are hardly ever spending time with the females. They will form a formidable coalition if they can stick together, one that could change the central Kruger for a long time. Eight male lions together will claim a major territory. Will they stick around to protect their homeland from intruding males? We do not know. This is prime real estate, and it would certainly take a strong coalition of males to chase these royals from their natal territory. They are growing faster and faster by the day and soon this brotherhood will be unstoppable.

 

JACKAL MADNESS

Pictured here you can clearly see what great numbers these creatures accumulate too. They appear from nowhere and due to the size of their mouths can eat all the meat off carcass bones. Notice how alert they are? Their posture is accompanied by quick feeding and ensures that nothing sneaks up on them. In this instance, the lions were not yet gone, so they were very alert as to the position on the large cats. One or two of the lionesses attempted to get close to the jackals, but without any luck. Lions would readily kill another predator in an effort to eliminate any competition, even though they may not compete for the same food source.

Vultures alerted us to the position of eight lions. They had killed a zebra during the night, and as it was mid-morning the next day, most of the lions have fed their fill. Most of them were lazing around in the shade, with one of two still feeding on part of the carcass. Usually this is enough action but not on this warm morning.

The true stars were the ten or more Black-backed jackals - they completely stole the show! They found half of the carcass about twenty meters from the feeding lions and wasted no time tucking in before any of the lions decided to have seconds. It was an incredible sight to see. They are very busy animals, and everything they do is done in haste. They knew that at any time of the lions could take their prized meat from them.

What was interesting to see was the hierarchy that existed.  They are not group or pack animals, mostly found in pairs, sometimes accompanied by a previous generation of pups.

The larger of the jackal seemed to get the best position at the carcass, and would growl or even bite at any sub-ordinate that ventured too close. Only by begging and assuming a submissive posture were the other jackal allowed to feed. The white-backed vultures arrived on mass, and started moving in on the jackals and what was now left.

 

Things really got messy but as usual, they were right on cue. This was really disturbing to some of the canines. Having fifteen birds equipped with sharp bills, huge wings and a weight of almost ten kilograms staring at your exposed behind could be quite unsettling, especially if they are starving too. Every now and then a jackal would disappear into a mass of feathers and then miraculously re-appear, sometimes with a mouth full of feathers. This did not seem to bother the massive birds much, who kept waiting for an opening. Overall it was a fantastic sight to see, one I will remember for a very long time.

Fighting amongst jackals around kills is a common occurrence, especially when the food starts to run low. What was very clear from watching these particular jackals is that there is a very definite hierarchy around the carcass. The larger of them took preference, and got the best feeding positions. Less dominant individuals approached with great caution, and would only be able to feed if allowed by the more dominant animals.

Vultures and jackals often feed together at carcasses, perhaps not being too worried about the smaller jackals. The jackals did not take lightly to the vultures when they came to close, and many rushes and growls were dealt to the nearest vultures. Pictured here you can see a lioness walking past in the background, carefully watched by the jackals. Nothing escapes their keen sense of sight.

 

CROCS STRIKES AGAIN…

This incredible event was witnessed from the comfort of Lebombo Suite 5. Unbelievable! According to eye witnesses - the victim, a young male waterbuck, was happily feeding next to the water on the bank closest to the suite. The rest of the herd were on the opposite bank. Without a second thought the waterbuck casually stepped right into the murky, algae covered water and tried to cross to the other side. As is obvious from these pictures, he did not make it very far. His crossing was slightly hampered by two heavy crocodiles clamping onto his side. The outcome was inevitable. All the crocs had to do was patiently hang on whilst the victim struggled and tired itself out. The waterbuck fought bravely but after a forty five minute battle he finally gave in to the weight of his adversaries, and his head went under the water for the last time.

Sad as this event may seem, such is life in Africa. The animal made a risky decision. Instinctively antelope are extremely cautious when approaching water and are ever alert to the presence of crocodiles. Why this young male physically walked into the water no one will know. Here in Africa, wrong decisions are punished. The weak will die, and the strong will survive. Actually, that is not far from truth in our own society. A look at nature can teach us many great things. We also take risks from time to time. Sometimes we get snagged, but at other times with perseverance and patience, we may just reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Just like this waterbuck, fight for what you want, never giving up. Reward is usually waiting.

All text and photographs by Marlon du Toit
Singita Kruger National Park
31 August 2009