I was once sitting with a male lion that saw vultures dropping in the distance;, he sat up, looked more intently and suddenly ran towards that spot. There there was a dead impala for him to feed on.
When many vultures are landing in one specific area, this is usually the case; there is a carcass there.
So on a recent morning drive I saw vultures landing and decided to do just as that lion had done. What we found was even more dramatic than we expected!
An image representative of the rawness of survival as a clan of hyena feed on a waterbuck they had managed to capture in a dry pan which had soft mud in the centre, they too got quite stuck as they fed.
As I turned the corner towards the tree where the vultures had been congregating, we saw hyenas feeding on the remains of a waterbuck in the middle of a dry pan; where they were feeding was clearly still reasonable wet under the cracked surface as they struggled to walk without sinking into the mud.
The scene was eery from the get-go, but as vultures slowly started to drop in to try get what scraps they could, the hyenas constantly chased them away We had been there for about 30 minutes when out the corner of my eye I spotted a leopard, the Ximungwe Young male, lying nearby and watching the action.
He would have probably done exactly what I had; seen the vultures and come to investigate. With three hyenas around he sat waiting to see if an opportunity for him to grab the waterbuck remains was possible. None was forthcoming and he retreated to the shade in the distance but was still fixated on the scenes in front of him.
Recently independent from his mother, the Ximungwe young male takes any opportunity for food.
Two of the hyenas moved off, leaving one feeding. This gave all the white-backed vultures and some hooded vultures the perfect opportunity to swoop in. Eventually after not being able to fight them off the single remaining hyena managed to drag the remaining part of the waterbuck to a bush, where it finished it off. Unfortunately the young leopard didn’t get anything l but was merely an observer, much like our vehicle. At least he found some shade though. We weren’t as lucky.
A hyena fights off the vultures which just kept coming, soon deciding to drag the kill away out of the dry pan.
We sat there for about an hour and a half, which really felt like ten minutes as so much unfolded.
Dean, I saved the leopard🤗
We had once encountered a similar scene near a watering hole. A lion was feeding on a water buffalo. Another buffalo was nearby appearing to menace the lion. Hyenas and vultures approached and there was a series of backs and forths among the participants.
Vultures are vital to the Bush environment in so many ways! Interesting day for you and the hungry young leopard!
Very cool sighting Dean!
It seems the vultures have an amazing sense of smell, as do the hyenas when it comes to carrion. Do you think the waterbuck was stuck in the mud after being chased into this almost dry pan? So many adventures as of late!
What an exciting happening.
It usually means they have congregated at a kill and are hoping to join the feast.
The circle of life and death …. fascinating.
When is the Ximungwe young male going to get his adult name?
Always wonderful to see the. stories from Londolozi.We look forward to them ea ch day.just this week there seems to be some hope for corona virus vaccines which we are hoping means we might be able to visit Londolozi in our fall /your spring! Fingers. crossed!! Victoria
Always wonderful action in the Bush! Great images as well.
Great morning for you Dean! The shot of the Ximungwe male is just wonderful on the dried mud! Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻💕
Dean, That’s a tough day for that young male. I’m sure he has a lot to learn, and knowing his lineage it won’t take him long!
These natural battles for survival are endlessly fascinating!