With dawn just breaking and with a thin scattering of cloud I knew we were in for a spectacular African sunrise.
I rushed down to the big baobab tree on Banyini and set up for the new dawn. The half hour that I shot is condensed here into the 3minute clip.
I had to stop about 5minutes before sunrise as I heard what sounded like buffalo distress calls near the Banyini pan, and presuming the lions to still be around I rushed over.
On my arrival at the pan the buffalo had already moved off. I picked up the lions to the northeast.
And the mating goes on. The lucky brother has given up with his showing off, now just doing what he has to do and lying down. Doesn’t have to impress the girl anymore.
Poor Manyari is again looking rather the worse for wear.
Rather than spend the day with them again I headed down to the Chiredzi River for a change not having been down there for some time now.
The elephant were to the west of Banyini feeding in the mopanie. My friend, the dude who tried to roll my car, was there too and today just a timid little boy. Amazing what those hormones do to the poor lad.
With little grazing left the elephant are now predominantly browsing and debarking trees. This poor knowthorn tree, although it didn’t get pushed over will now die anyway with its bark completely removed.
Things were quiet on the Chiredzi but it’s always a stunning drive.
I was back in camp early preparing for my trip to South Africa tomorrow. I’ll be attending a wildlife filmmaking strategic alliance function with many broadcasters from around the world. Going to be interesting stuff.
While I’m away Darryl will be working on the blog and the video clips are those I’ve shot over the last few weeks guaranteeing you don’t miss out on the action at Malilangwe.
I had a lion day. Not just spending all day with the lions but chilling out as they do all day.
Well except for Manyari and her new lover. The brother has taken over mating and the ex is rather bleak.
Yesterday Manyari and another lioness were on their own but well fed. I think they had killed and fed and left the males to finish off the carcass while they came to Banyini to drink.
Then when the males got back to them, the brother probably got there first and claimed his bride. It seems the guy with the girl basically rules and the brothers will very seldom engage in full combat over a lioness.
And amazingly Manyari carries on with her romping. When will they stop? It’s not as if the boys are taking advantage of her. She can easily stop them but seems reluctant to give up the good times.
The lions were on Banyini this morning and I found them finishing off a young zebra kill. Both males and both females were there. All that remained of the carcass was a little fur, a chewed hoof and blood-stained grass. The vultures were up early hoping to pick up something but didn’t even land.
The mating couple and the ex spent the day on Banyini. Rather exhausted myself I spent most of the day in the shade of an Acacia tortilis next to the pan.
Zebra, wildebeest and impala all came to drink.
In my tree a Fork-tailed Drongo had his perch from which he would dive catching insects and feeding on them back at his perch. And when not hunting he was whistling away, often mimicking the calls of other birds.
There was lots of activity in the sky. Hooded vultures, White-headed vulture, White-backed vultures, Booted eagle, African-hawk eagles, Bateleurs all flying over the pan. Some in combat others just seeming to enjoy the power of flight. It just looks so cool and soon I hope to be doing likewise in my microlight, which I collect next week.
And so at sunset I left the lovers and her ex doing what lions do so well. And actually I shouldn’t be chirping as I did the same all day today.
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