Tag Archive for 'hyaenas'

Hyena on Patrol: Video


The sky has made an appearance, a cloudless morning with a dour little chill in the air. I headed for the hills in an attempt to catch the dogs heading out to tend to their stomachs. They didn’t seem to move at all yesterday, so I envisioned a mammoth walk about this morning. The problem was that I just could not seem to get a lock on those dogs, so as I was circling the area in the hills I bumped into two hyenas.

On alert

They were a little uneasy being shadowed at first, but settled in eventually and carried on with their business. They seemed to be walking the perimeter of their territory, much interest was shown to any foreign smell. These are the best moments in the wild, when the animal carries on as normal and one is able to observe first hand the animal behaviour you read about in books.

Hyena Patrol

In the afternoon I began seeing the usual herds of zebra, impala and waterbuck coming out the woodwork again. The elephants have high tailed it out of the hill area it would appear, this is a pitty as I have been enjoying their presence.

Trophy

After a few checks in the usual spots for the dogs, I realized they must have taken a gap somewhere. Just when I felt a little lost as to where to check next, some scouts spotted the dogs on an Impala kill – good news! By the time I was in the area, the sun was down, but at least I have a starting position for tomorrow – if all goes well, I will fill you in on their escapades in the morrow.

Can you see the face?

Pups beg and search: Video


I was happy to see the dogs again this morning being anxious that they might have crossed out the fence last night.
I had just picked them up, followed them on a quick chase and as they got back to the track, down went 2 of my tyres! Thankfully the one was going down slowly and I managed to limp to the workshop before it finally died on me.

Mopanie patrol
45mins later I was back with the dogs. They’d already killed, fed and moved on. How did I know this? Several members had bloodstained faces.
The weather was cool with a very fine drizzle coming and going which probably kept the dogs active a little longer than usual before chilling at a dried out wallow.

Pass out pan
I’d hoped for some big rain to film the dogs in but the useless drizzle continued and definitely wasn’t visible.
Later in the afternoon some seriously threatening weather came tumbling in. The cloud was dark and low. Surely this was the big one I wanted. But as fast as it tumbled in, it tumbled out.

Threatening!
Being nice and cool still, the dogs tumbled out of bed early too. Puzzles took them west on the hunt. But impala seemed scarce until they got to Khayeni and dogs scattered in all directions after their prey.
I eventually caught up with Jiggy and Puzzles having killed a young impala. They fed well and then called the pups. But no one came. Eventually Chevvy came running in screaming with excitement and begging for food. Puzzles regurgitated when a couple more pups arrived.

Puzzles trophy
With that little snack to get them going, the frantic search was on to find the remains of the carcass. In the long grass going was tough and the dogs have to jump their way around. I battled too just trying to find them in my viewfinder. I didn’t have any problem finding the grass!
Nearly an hour later the other pups turned up, one with the head of a young impala. So they too had been successful.
And finally my only success was catching the sunset.

Sunset 03/16
I did have some fun on the way home. It was almost dark and I came across 6 hyaenas strolling down the road towards me. It was too tempting and I got out the car, sat on the road and waited for them to approach. Of course it was the 2 youngsters who were the most curious. They just had to check out this thing. With bodies tense, ready to jump back at any moment they came to within a meter, but just wouldn’t push it that bit further. An adult joined them coming slightly closer, but it too wasn’t about to push it.
I left them all in the road sniffing my scent, wondering what this thing was that had interrupted their patrol.

Elephant calves dash: Video


As expected, the dogs spent the whole day in the hills. Their waterbuck calf kill was going to last them a while.

Caught the light
But even with no energy spent, they metabolise all that food apparently faster than any other carnivore and by sunset they were back on the move. It was slow going as Jiggy led them to the site of their kill last night. The scraps of skin and bone were still there. They all settled in to chew on a bone. Apparently wild dogs have the strongest jaws relative to their body weight, of any mammalian species.

Dogs in the hills
It’s not often that you see them chewing bones as they usually eat quickly and leave. Leaving behind the skin and bones. Not this pack. They like to clean up after a meal and I’ve been surprised at how well they do manage to eat bone.
One always thinks of hyaenas as being the real bone crushers, which they are, but then they weigh at least 3 times what a wild dog weighs.

Scraps
Having fully cleaned up their kill from last night they strolled on south. Suddenly the chase was on. I thought it was just the pups having fun but then found Jiggy with an impala kill. Just when I thought they’d eaten enough.
No doubt tomorrow will be another day of leisure for the pack.

Just pretty flowers
In their leisure time today I was lucky to pick up on the elephant herds. They were hanging out in the sandveld and moving from pan to pan in the heat of the day, of course feeding along the way. This area where the sandveld meets the clay soils is where you find all the pans, and so perfectly situated they are for the elephants as they move along grazing mostly at this time of year.

Packing it in

Wild Sky: Video

It was a good steady walk to the top of Sosigi Hill this morning, I thought that this would be the only way to make sure that I hadn’t missed the dogs some how. The grass isn’t as long up on the hill and I was enjoying the change from driving around everywhere. There are so many more things you notice on foot, like different animal trails and I even saw leopard tracks. I wished I had taken a flask of tea up with me, I could have taken a minute to let the old mind tick on over.

Blinded Wildebeest

I had been seeing a spot on the road where the Buffalo had been crossing for two days now and this morning I finally spotted the herd. This is the first time I’ve seen Buffalo in a month, who knows how or where they hide during that time. I wouldn’t want to come across one of those old Dagga boys on top of a hill some where.

Peeking Tortoise

A little rain fell this afternoon, a far cry from the heavy rains that were promised. I guess that’s the thing about trying to predict things, eventually you’re going to get something wrong and then you end up being the popular one. I ended up watching Impala playing games and running up and down the airstrip this afternoon, I figured if I can’t find anything I should just hang around the food and let the action come to me – that was a negative on the action, but still pleasant watching them clown around.

Impala Action

I had a very pleasant experience with another Hyena, she was strolling along the road home at the same time I was watching a Klipspringer - I’ve never seen a Klipspringer negotiate the rocks as fast as that guy! The Hyena strolled past me as chilled as ever and was on her way down the hill. I exited the vehicle to get a few shots and she came back to give me a sniff, before finding her way back into the bush – extraordinary animal!

Straggler

Elephant Huddle: Video

So begins a new month, with another month on its back and launching into the next only just remembering to breathe. Now I’m all for a challenge, but today I had the wool pulled over my eyes as I ambled over to the dogs expecting to find them where I left them. This was not to be, they have completely eluded me! I tried every high point I could to get a lock on those dogs, but to no avail.

Malilangwe Dam

I picked up on Alan’s leopard though, so I thought if I headed East towards it I might pick up on the dogs at the same time – no dogs! The Leopard I found up a tree, he was not too happy with me. I think he’s used to Alan, but may need a bit more work before he loses his camera shyness. I was also happy to find Elephant, I haven’t seen any for a while now. A lone Bull thought he would try to play some games with the car, nothing serious though, just making sure we weren’t there to do him any harm.

Big  Bull

As the sun set leaving Sosigi Hill in darkness, I stumbled across a lone Hyena at Nhoro Pan. He was just as elusive as everything else today, I think he had a den nearby, which he promptly disappeared into. I had a quick look around, but didn’t find anything in the dark, I would like to go back and have a better look tomorrow.

Python Tongue

Although it was an eventful Sunday, I still wonder what these dogs are up to.

Ground Hornbill

Hyena Insect Snack: Video

Most people are raised being forced to eat what is put before them, two young Hyenas we came across on our way home last night didn’t need any convincing in that department. As I flooded the area with light, swarms of insects flew in to their doom, the two Hyenas could not resist catching the insects and chomping them as an early evening snack. Whenever I come across Hyena, they consistently display behaviour of a diverse nature that gets me all excited – they are such intelligent creatures!

Guinea Fowl Chicks

I was cut short on my morning hunt with the dogs, they were moving through a thick patch of bush, so I took the easy way round. Unsuspecting, the steering on my vehicle went in its own direction. Good thing I was only crawling along at the time of the incident and I allowed it to take its own path as I brought it to a standstill. Take note: for all emergencies keep a roll of Gaffer Tape (Duct Tape), which I naturally had with me and it got me to the workshop gate before bombing out.

Posed

I repaired the steering link and managed to get back on the dogs in the afternoon. Funny thing is, I haven’t seen them kill anything in two days now - unless they’re doing it on the sly. They demolish a carcass so quickly that it is probably history by the time I arrive, being held back by the bush.

Loosing interest

They still make a habit of sportingly messing with Zebra and wildebeest whenever possible; in fact, just about any animal they come across. Heavy rain is forecast for tomorrow, I hope that leaves me with a gap in the morning to spend some time with the dogs.