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Ivory Tree Blog

The one that got away...(22 Jan 09)

As we left for the morning safari, my guests were happy to drift along and see what comes up, this is a common request from guests, and it is amazing how much one picks up on while enjoying the scenic beauty of the Pilanesberg. We soon came across a herd of giraffe and met their inquisitiveness with a dose of our own, marvelling at the graceful stature of these magnificent leaf eaters. A radio update drew our attention to a sighting of a male lion a little further along, I guessed he was probably a member of the central pride, and if so there were likely to be more lions in the area. We soon spotted the lion walking directly towards us along the road, and wanting to give him right of way (as we do with something of its reputation) I moved our vehicle off and onto the verge of the road. We soon noticed that this was not a lion on any particularly mission, and like us he too was merely cruising, stopping occasionally to squirt, which is territorial behaviour. A fully grown male lion passing the vehicle with feet is a particularly captivating experience and is always followed by excited / nervous chatter from guests with pounding chests. One can never tire of the privilege of watching these apex predators. We found the male walking up the road and as he walked passed our vehicle we started following him to see what he was up to.

The evening safari started with on a high as we observed a magnificent elephant bull. During the sighting we reminded each other of the morning lion sighting and that we should take another look to see if we could locate the male lion and the rest of his pride. Our luck was improving and we got more than we bargained for, we found the male, his partner an equally impressive male and two females. The lions had commenced their customary grooming of one another (an act which fortifies the bond amongst the members) This normally happens just before they set off into the night in search prey.

This evening was to be different however, when we suddenly noticed the two females staring intently into the fading light, and after a while we too noticed the shape of an animal moving a little way off. I identified the shape as that of a brown hyena, and at this the females assumed the typical single minded hunting stance, followed within moments by the males who had now also realised that an opportunity was presenting itself. This is one of those magic moments when there is absolute quiet, and once again the only sound is the familiar pounding in ones chest. With a burst of speed both females set off after the curious hyena, their move co-ordinated by their 6th sense. But this was not a serious hunt, this was a stern warning that competitor predators will not be tolerated, and the hyena firmly recognising his place in the food chain sped off immediately in front of our vehicle. Triumphantly all the lions began their spine chilling roar (an unbelievable sound at close proximity in the quiet of the night). As guides we derive as much pleasure from these sightings as we do from the reaction of excited guests, and often sit a while facing an onslaught of questions that follow a sighting like this.

The lions regained their stately composure and filed off along the road in search of a more substantial meal. Could this get better we asked ourselves, and slowly followed them a little way before they moved off into the grass, and it was evident that zebra was a for more satisfying meal. Once again we sat, savouring the charged stillness, not wanting to disturb the hunt. We sat for a while and the stampede of a herd of zebras signalled that they had become aware of the lions and this time too, the lions were unsuccessful. Our time with them was up and we returned to the lodge to recount a fantastic day in the bush.