After the recent rains, the bush has certainly come alive and, although it has been very lush and thick, we have been fortunate to have had some incredible sightings. With this, it has seemed that lions have become synonymous with the airstrip…
On one early morning drive, we set off trying to find a lion we had heard roaring close to camp. Soon we were on his tracks, which had come from the river and passed behind our camp. We followed them up to the airstrip, and there was a single Gijima Male grooming as the sun rose behind us.
The Dark-maned Gijima’s attention was captured by the distant roars of his brother
The next morning, after rain during the night, a different, moody and almost eerie mist engulfed us as we set off on a drive. In the far distance, I presumed there was a herd of wildebeest with their downward-sloping backs all clustered together, but as we edged closer, I could not believe my eyes… 16 hyenas were loitering around. As we looked beyond them, the backdrop was suddenly filled by the Msuthlu Pride, seemingly unfazed by the presence of these scavengers.
One of the Msuthlu lions comes to investigate the nearby hyenas
View this post on Instagram
What I am almost certain of is that the pride must have caught something during the night, and the hyenas had managed to steal the remains of the carcass. There was nothing left, and this was likely due to the abundance of hyenas. This clan has had den sites close to the airstrip, so it was great to see some of the sub-adult hyenas, and just the sheer volume of them together was quite remarkable.
These two sub-adults continued to play with each other as the hyenas watched on
Two of the sub-adults from the Msuthlu Pride were playing and seemed somewhat interested in the hyenas, before tackling and biting each other while the rest of the pride slept behind us.
The hyenas were a little unsure of these two and made sure to keep their distance
As the mist slowly began to fade, large herds of wildebeest and impala swarmed the other end of the airstrip. To see the layers of lions, hyenas, wildebeest and impala in one frame, in such abundance, is something I won’t forget — a great reminder of how these animals all coexist every day.
As the commotion settled and the dawn faded, the wildebeest and impala began to head back towards the other side of the airstrip
With two successful lion searches, both leading us to the airstrip, we couldn’t help but see if it would be third time lucky… The clouds had dispersed, and we set off at sunrise, heading straight to the airstrip to try our luck. There, on the northern end, were the Msuthlu Pride, full-bellied and soaking up the last of the heat from the runway as the golden hues began to illuminate them.
An incredible start to a drive, seeing eleven lions just outside of camp.
As the clouds opened, the first bit of morning sunlight began to stretch across the reserve with moody skies still in the west.
I can’t say that we will likely have such luck again around the airstrip on three consecutive days, but for now, watching the Msuthlu pride and Gijima males become more and more dominant in this area, I look forward to what the future may hold.
Fantastic! This sighting of lions, hyenas, Impalas and Wildebeest all at once on the airstrip. What wonderful morning drives you and your guests had.
I am hoping for such a wonderful sighting soon.
What a great opportunity to see such an abundance of predators and prey in an open setting like that. Remind me of the lineage of the Msuthlu pride. I can’t keep all the pride splits straight without a chart. 😊
Hi Kirst! What a great sight – three days in a row and in the wide -open!. We loved seeing the three layers on Lions, Hyenas and Wildebeest! What luck to have them so close to camp too.
Hi Kirst, so many animals together in one place is outstanding. It looks to me they love the airstrip and also it is a wonderful opportunity for taking photo’s of all the animals together.
“Layered” wildlife – a Garden of Eden look! Marvelous!
Wow! Lions, hyenas, wildebeest and impala all in one frame. It will be hard to surpass this.
Amazing Kirst, to have spent time with the Msuthlu Pride for three consecutive mornings, but even more than seeing them, to also witness all the hyenas, wildebeest and impalas that were around the airstrip as well. That truly is a representation of the healthy ecosystem that exists. Seeing a Gijima male one of those mornings was also a bonus to an already perfect drive. Lucky guests……