Some mornings in the bush seem to gather momentum from the very beginning. Others make you work for it. This particular winter morning fell firmly into the second category.
We crossed the Sand River shortly after sunrise and headed north. The air was crisp, the light was soft, and the landscape was looking beautiful in the early morning glow. It felt like one of those mornings where anything could happen. Yet for much of the drive, very little did. We explored far into the northern reaches of the reserve, checking drainage lines, open clearings and a few of our usual hotspots. Despite the spectacular conditions, the bush remained unusually quiet. Every turn felt like it could reveal something exciting, but hour after hour we came up empty-handed.
Two young elephants stroll across Ximpalapala crest in the northern reaches of Londolozi. After a rather slow morning, this elephant herd gave us some amazing photographic opportunities.
Eventually, after hearing reports of lions further south, we decided it was time to change our fortunes and make our way back. As we approached the sighting, we found the four members of the Ntsevu Pride resting near a waterhole in an open clearing. The three lionesses and the young sub-adult male appeared relaxed at first, but something immediately felt different. One lioness lifted her head and fixed her gaze on something in the distance.
Then she stood up.
The first of the Ntsevu lionesses to notice some movement out in the distance.
It is amazing how quickly the mood can change amongst lions. Within moments, the other pride members seemed to sense that something was happening. One by one, they rose to their feet and began repositioning themselves. Through our binoculars, we eventually spotted the reason for the sudden interest, a herd of zebra feeding no more than a hundred metres away.
What followed was one of the best examples of coordinated lion hunting behaviour I have witnessed in some time. The first lioness began moving around the far left-hand side of the herd. Another lioness slowly worked her way around the opposite flank. Meanwhile, the young male and the third lioness advanced straight through the middle. We often talk about lions using a “bullhorn” formation when hunting, but it is not something you get to witness in such open terrain very often. Watching each lion independently take up their position was fascinating.
The concentration that these animals show when the time is right for a hunt is incredible. Eyes are locked on the target, and the muscles are now tensed.
As the distance between predator and prey closed, the tension began to build. Eventually, only the young male and one lioness remained visible to us. Slowly and deliberately, they crept closer and closer towards the unsuspecting zebra. Then suddenly, the young male accelerated. For a brief moment, I thought he had mistimed his run and completely ruined the hunt. The zebra erupted into chaos. Dust filled the air as the herd came charging directly towards us with lions in pursuit. The noise was incredible. Hooves thundered across the clearing as the zebra streamed past our vehicle.
Then, just as quickly as it had started, it appeared to be over. The lions regrouped and greeted one another as they often do after an unsuccessful attempt. Or so we thought. One lioness was nowhere to be seen. The young male suddenly stopped what he was doing. Whether he heard something or simply caught a scent on the breeze, I am not sure, but his attention immediately shifted. He turned and began trotting purposefully towards a nearby crest. As he disappeared over the rise and we carefully repositioned ourselves, the mystery was solved. There, hidden from our view the entire time, one of the lionesses had successfully brought down a zebra foal.
The young male lion was the first to join the other lionesses at the kill. His nose red with blood he briefly looked up between mouthfuls of zebra meat.
Let’s just say it was a bloody affair…
The young male wasted no time joining her, and within minutes, the rest of the pride arrived. What followed was a feeding frenzy as all four lions began gorging themselves on the spoils of an exceptionally well-executed hunt. What had started as a slow morning filled with little more than beautiful winter scenery had transformed into one of those sightings that remind you why patience is such an important part of safari.
The bush has a remarkable way of rewarding persistence. Sometimes all it takes is one final sighting to turn an ordinary drive into a memorable one.
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on Patience Rewarded: The Ntsevu Pride Hunts Zebra