I was out before dawn to check on the carcass of a young giraffe that had died of unknown causes and had been discovered by piles of vultures.
With first light the vultures flocked the carcass, which must have already been opened by some predator.
The huge Acacia trees in the area were hanging thick with vultures and the carcass was one solid mass of feathers.
Soon after sunrise the feathers exploded, vultures flying for their lives. A hyaena had arrived on the scene and wanted the carcass to itself. But many hungry vultures took their chances and kept advancing on the feeding hyaena, which repeatedly chased them off.
And then as if spooked by something the hyaena took off and the vultures descended en masse flooding the carcass. A few hours later little was left except for some skin and bones.
I headed south to collect my kayak I’d left down there a few weeks ago after padding the Chiredzi River. I wanted it ready for another trip down the river any time now as it had again risen substantially.
The elephant bulls have predictably moved down into the grasslands in that area where they’re gaining weight in a hurry as they stuff themselves with rich pastures. This big bull was with a few younger dudes, just piling in the leaf matter.
And so another day goes by without rain although the humidity is really high and it feels as if thunderstorms could drop out the sky any minute.
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