Amazingly when we arrived at the lion kill and there wasn’t a single vulture around. Was the cool overcast weather not good for flying? Had they found food elsewhere?
Soon after dark the winds picked up. And picked up and up! Trees were bending their bows almost touching the ground as the winds gusted over us. A storm was on the way and we prepared for it. I got my cover up ready to film the lions in the rain, but Darryl was left to brave it again.
Well it all just turned out to be wind! Not a drop of rain, but plenty of thunder and lightening. The lions kept feeding through it all. And kept feeding all night. When they left around 4am there was nothing but the skeletal remains of the carcass.
They drank at Lesililije spring and then rested up in the hills nearby.
Dawn at Nduna dam and a lioness came strolling along the shores of the dam. She was lactating so I presumed she was headed to her cubs in the hills close by. But then Nduna arrived on the scene showing a lot of interest towards her and staying right by her side.
And lurking in the bush was a young male from the Nduna pride. He too was interested in the lioness and Nduna was very aware of his intentions.
The lioness made no plans to head into the hills. Instead she seemed to appease Nduna. The signs of foreplay were evident but why would she be mating now when her cubs are still small? (I have seen this in leopards where a female mated about a month after giving birth.)
With her every move Nduna shadowed her and the other male too but in the distance. Nduna was being sure to keep him away from his lady.
These very pretty amaryllis flowers were blooming near the dam and I thought how fitting it would be if the lions lay down amongst them. Of course they didn’t read the script this time.
We left the 3 lions heading into the hills south of Nduna dam. (Not where the lioness has her cubs)
Back on Banyini we came across the giraffe that was having birthing problems. She’s just fine. Some afterbirth is hanging from her and she’s definitely got rid of the stillborn calf. We couldn’t find the calf though.
What a relief to see she’s made it. Nature has its way. (And thankfully we didn’t interfere as we might have put her down to prevent her going through all that suffering of what we thought was assured death. We really have to let nature takes it’s course. Imagine how wrong we would have been in this case?)
24th November 2000
This sure has been a 24 hours with a punch.
Tjololo was still courting the Newington female in the morning. We left them to it. And as usual they were still at it in the afternoon.
At dusk, Tjololo, now really lean, was hunting. He saw an adult female impala, but the impala had seen him too, never the less he charged in her direction presumably hoping to flush a youngster but there wasn’t one. He continued east hunting with his lady following after him. Much later in the night the winds had picked up considerably and again using the disturbance he killed a yearling male impala. He was quick to start feeding on the ground. A short while later 2 hyaenas charged in and he hurriedly treed the kill where he was able to feed freely.
For the last hour or so while he charged around on the trail of impala, the Newington female wasn’t with him not bothering to charge around after his antics. After tracking him down she eventually arrived and climbed the tree. Tjololo having fed was resting in the tree. She went over to entice him but he wasn’t interested.
She then fed and while doing so Shololwane arrived on the scene. Ignoring Tjololo he climbed the tree and proceeded to have a boxing match with the Newington female obviously himself wanting to feed. While they exchanged blows the carcass and the hyaenas got lucky. All this time Tjololo didn’t bat an eyelid.
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Shololwane left the tree and sneaking up on the hyaenas was hoping to snatch the carcass back but they chased him off when he got too close. He waited.
Tjololo and his girl also left the tree and lying on the opposite side to Shololwane watched the hyaenas feeding. Shololwane again approached the hyaenas and again they both chased him off, but while they were occupied intimidating Shololwane, Tjololo snuck in and stole the kill and back up a tree. This time Tjololo decided to indulge himself again on the remaining scraps.
At dawn Tjololo and his lady were at it again in a donga.
Shololwane was lying up on a rock about a kilometer away, totally relaxed and spread out until his was suddenly awakened and instantly up a tree when a lioness approached. She watched him for a while as he tried to gain some confidence and then left to hunt impala.
A busy night for us and probably one of the busiest we’ve had on this project. The bush is always full of surprises. If we’d been working in the day time we’d have been none the wiser and thought Tjololo and his mistress hadn’t been up to anything, well except the usual, all night.
The Nduna pride were out of action for most of the night.
On the way to the lions I saw my first baby impala of the season. They’ll now be dropping all over the place flooding market.
While resting up at Chitindigova with the lions were heard a lion calling to the north. The pride didn’t show any interest. Was it Nduna calling or one of the lionesses with small cubs?
3am saw the lions active heading west. They were on the trail of a buffalo herd. When the lions got to them they were in thick mopanie, ideal for a lion ambush. This time the lions weren’t waiting to single out a calf, they went big.
The buffalo stampeded. Again it was dusty chaos and in no time the lions had downed a buffalo cow. But the herd were quick to retaliate and saw the lions off.
In the pandemonium the lions immediately attacked again. Another cow. It took to about a minute to bring her down and then the suffering started. Her guttural bellows went on for 20minutes before she died. The young lioness left to deal the killing bite was inexperienced. She was trying to smother the cows mouth but was totally ineffective and the cow eventually died with the others feeding on her alive.
The herd responded to her death cries and came to her assistance but didn’t push the final charge. They watched from 10m for some time and left.
The lions got to feed in peace and then the rains came. I got my cover up to protect all my camera gear and to allow me to film in the rain. Darryl wasn’t so lucky. He had to sit it out and provide me with light. Although he had to suffer a little it was well worth it. The images of the lions in the rain are stunning.
The lions fed without concern for the rain. It was a warm rain anyway and probably quite refreshing, except that cats don’t like water. The rain didn’t last and we left the lions after sunrise. No doubt when we join the lions this afternoon the vultures will be there in their hordes.
I had left my tripod next to the car while putting my camera gear away when the lions decided to make off with it. This new toy kept them amused but only until they realized they couldn’t eat it.
In the cool weather I decided horseback would be a good way to search for the giraffe with her birth complications. We didn’t have any joy but the ride was great AND I didn’t pop my shoulder!
23rd November 2000
Unbelievable!!! Must be a record?! He sure stands alone!!!
He was lying on an anthill when we found him. As he got up to move on we thought he was behaving strangely and then we saw her thrashing around in front of him on the other side of the anthill. The Newington female was offering herself again and he didn’t hesitate to take her on.
Tjololo is now mating for the 4th time in 5 weeks. Incredible!
Still a little lean Tjololo was soon onto the trail of Impala as his mistress followed after him. Spotting a herd of impala ahead, Tjololo watched them for a while. But he had been spotted and the impala snorted at him. Next he was charging down on them from about a hundred meters. He ran straight past the main herd and then we lost him. Probably about 400m further on we eventually found him with an impala lamb.
His technique was obviously to scatter the herd and in the confusion the youngsters find themselves having to fend for themselves and with little experience soon make a mistake. Just what Tjololo waits for. They have little chance.
While Tjololo fed his lady lay waiting. Suddenly she took off. Tjololo looked around bewildered and then carried on feeding. Then we saw the huge beast. An adult male lion was approaching Tjololo and with him crunching bones Tjololo hadn’t heard it approaching. Eventually when it was only some 20m away he heard and saw it. Without hesitation he took off and up a tree abandoning his kill. The lion got lucky and headed off with the morsel.
Tjololo left his tree, picked up the last remaining morsel of the kill and moved off to eat it before getting back to his girl.
In the afternoon the couple were still in the very same spot continuing with the same antics.
The lions did it again. Well eventually.
They had no plans on an early start and were spaced out for most of the evening.
Only after midnight did they make a small effort to get moving. Luckily for them they didn’t have to move too far. They surrounded a herd of impala but soon had their cover blown with the moon now being really bright.
Of course that effort required more time to chill out. While doing so we heard the buffalo herd close by. The lions didn’t show any interest.
About half an hour later they made strides in the direction of the herd and then chaos broke out. The buffalo seeing the lions turned on them. In the thick bush it was utter chaos. Buffalo chasing lions, lions chasing buffalo, dust and bush obscuring anything that looked planned.
But the lions had it all planned. They needed to spook the herd and get them on the run. Then singling out a young calf they darted in amongst those stampeding hooves and grabbed it. There was too much confusion, dust and bush that this time the buffalo didn’t pick up a calf had been caught. The lions ate in peace. Of course that was only peace from the buffalo but not peace from each other. The calf was really small and with 8 lions on it, the bun fight was intense.
It’s amazing how one minute the lions can be so loving and social towards each other, but as soon as food is on the table there is absolutely no regard for each other.
The buffalo herd did eventually come closer on hearing the lions squabbling but they never ventured close enough to hassle them.
The lions were done at dawn moving on to drink at Bandama and then resting in the hills at Chitindigova.
We were heading home early for a change needing extra rest, but that idea came to an abrupt halt when we found this giraffe in the throws of birth. This was so exciting. But as time marched on I soon realised it wasn’t going to happen.
The calf was coming out all wrong. The head and front hooves were out, but the head was below the hooves. This meant the calf was being strangled on its way out. The cow pushed hard, contracting about every 20 minutes but in the 3 hours we were with her there was no change. The calf’s tongue had been hanging out all this time and was dried out. It was probably dead when we arrived.
But now the cow needs to rid herself of the foetus if she is to survive.
22nd November 2000
I got myself all caught up in negotiations selling the film with conference calls to the US. All very promising, except I wasn’t able to get out on the trail of Tjololo.
In the afternoon we searched the south for Tjololo and the only little bit of evidence we did find towards sunset was that he was headed north. That at least gives us a good start for the morning.
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