There are some opportunities out in the bush that only come around every so often. Moments that remind us just how raw, wild, and unscripted life in the bush really is. This was one of them.
We had already had a very successful afternoon drive, the kind that fills you with deep awe and quiet satisfaction. But just as we were beginning to wind down, the bush had one more story to offer. After a quick sundowner at the renowned Shingi dam, we headed up to a crest where four lionesses from the Kambula Pride and the two Ndzhenga Males had been seen earlier that afternoon. Our timing could not have been better. Upon arriving at the scene, all six lions had just got up and were on the move. Clearly hungry too. They were hunting.
One of the Ndzhenga Males marches down the road as he catches up to the four lionesses on the hunt ahead.
The First Attempt
Their movements were deliberate and focused. You could feel the tension in the air thickening as we spotted a herd of wildebeest up ahead. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the darkness of night began to set in, we sat and waited. All of a sudden, the gallop of hooves and alarm calls rang through the bushveld. We sat in silence. Nothing. They had missed. As the night grew older, we returned to camp for a quick meal. Reluctantly leaving hunting lions, knowing this group were on the cusp of a potentially successful hunt.
Still buzzing with anticipation, I teamed up with James Tyrrel, who was here helping with some training at the time, and we headed back out into the bush. The darkness had fully settled in by then, but our gut instinct told us the lions would still be moving. Hunting. It did not take long to find them again. Still moving through the land as a force of six lions with one thing on their mind. Silhouettes slipping through the thick stands of bushwillows, muscles coiled and eyes focused. The air was still, and the silence was deafening.
I remember saying to James that there is something sinister yet captivating as you watch six lions disappear into the darkness. Six ghosts, each with enough power to kill in seconds. It’s riveting.
The Moment We Had Hoped For!
After losing sight of all the lions besides one lioness, we decided to stay with her as she moved silently through a thicket. Suddenly she stopped, ears forward and body poised as if she was about to take off. All the lights are off at this point, so as to not interfere with the hunt. It is incredible how quickly you tune in to your senses in a moment like this. You can all of a sudden hear every leaf being stepped on, smell the dust being stirred up and feel the tension of this moment.
Another stampede of hooves sped through the brush. I could hear my heart beating; it was going so fast. More impalas’ alarm calling. They had been spotted yet again. Just as we thought it was another unsuccessful hunt, there was one last scuffle, and we heard the hit, and then the bleat of an antelope. As the lioness we had been following came rushing past the vehicle towards to sound of all the commotion, we switched our lights back on. The lions had done it. We arrived at a scene of pure chaos. Two male lions are clasping the hind quarters of a young male waterbuck, as the lioness that we presume caught the waterbuck clung onto its throat.
One of the Ndzenga males is enjoying the spoils of their successful hunt.
For the next thirty minutes, we sat in silence, watching as the six lions devoured the young male waterbuck. The sounds, the energy, the sheer intensity of the moment gripped us. Moments like these leave you in awe. As brutal as they seem, they are a vital reminder of the wilderness that exists around us. To witness lions doing what they have done for millennia is not just a sighting; it is a privilege, a window into a world governed by instinct and survival.
The Kambula lioness tears into the leg of the waterbuck.
Hi Bryce, I liked your tale and the pictures a lot, because you don’t see lions attacking and killing the waterbuck, but all the pure raw nature of these supreme predators that follows immediately afterwards. There is a magic in those eyes, the black-and-white picture of the lioness enhances her power and vitality. Those are among the most aggressive acts by lions, for hours they sleep or take care of cubs, or survey their territory…. after the real fight for dominance against rival male, which is one of the most terrible things I’ve seen (see the Mapogo/Majingilane) , this is one of the crucial time to be deeply impressed by those apex predators…
How exhilarating! I’d like to know how any of you slept after that.
Intense and Dramatic. Amazing photos of these Lions feeding at night! I take it that all was devoured in a half hour if you watched for 30 minutes?
Bryce, what a fantastic story and how fun to hear you were on the hunt with the great Jamo Tyrrell! Well done!
What a thrilling way to end the day – tracking lions through the successful end of their hunt!
Such an exciting evening with these lions hunting successfully.
Hi Bryce, it must of been really exciting sitting in the dark for a while and putting the lights on and seeing the lions caught a waterbuck. Stunning photos and glad to hear James Tyrrel was there helping out. He was the best Ranger for me, full of enthusiasm and full of humor. Sorry he left Londolozi.
The Ndzhengas are back – hunting, killing, devouring – perhaps in anticipation of battles ahead. What an experience! I remember goosebumps when, in total darkness, two lions ran on either side of our vehicle; unforgettable memories.