While out on game drive, guests from Umkumbe Safari Lodge enjoyed two different sightings of carnivores feasting on recent kills. A clan of hyenas bathed in bloodied, matted fur were fully submerged inside the cavity of a dead buffalo. There was plenty of high-pitched cackles and excitement surrounding the availability of meat from their very own kill. The rather large Mhangeni Pride of lions have become proficient hunters and have definitely wowed the Sabi Sand with their accurate targetting of prey. This time round, they weren’t on a buffalo kill but chose a zebra as their meal of the day!
That’s two carnivore feasts being enjoyed on the Umkumbe Safari Lodge traverse. Clearly this reserve delivers incredible meat platters to our wildlife and should be labelled the “land of fine dining and exotic cuisine” for predators.
Hyena Clan on Buffalo Kill
Hyena are talented hunters and scavengers; but given the opportunity they will scavenge. They have no fear and will attempt to dislodge lions and leopards from freshly made kills. Let’s face it, stealing food is a lot less effort than finding it yourself. Hyena have a large skull and bone-crushing jaw that they’re not afraid to use!
It’s not often we share images of hyenas with their very own kill – it’s normally of them scavenging the remnants of a cat kill – but in this case, they conducted their own kill. So, just how does this species conduct a hunt? Hyena hunt by coursing. They don’t stalk or ambush, but instead, simply approach their next victim, directly and boldly.
They’ll chase their prey until it slows down and then begin to disembowel them. Yes, you read correctly. They eat their prey alive! It’s not as bad as it sounds – death approaches quite quickly after being disemboweled. They begin to eat immediately because of the competition for food in the wild.
Mhangeni Pride on Zebra Kill
The Mhangeni Pride is renown for their buffalo killing antics, but this time they felt like ordering something different from the menu. The lionesses from the pride are excellent mothers. In 2013 they gave birth to 9 cubs and they’re all alive ! A near impossible feat. They have just recently birthed another 12. It’s no surprise that this pride is constantly in search of meals-on-wheels. It’s a huge pride to feed!
Lions hunt by stalking and ambushing their prey from all angles. Unfortunately, they weren’t given the speed of a cheetah and thus will only charge when about 30m from prey. A lion’s hunting tactic relies on technique and strength. They have designated roles within a formation and confine themselves to roles similar to that of field sports – left, centre and right wing positions. Each hunt is executed with a rough plan in mind. One lion stares directly at the prey and the rest of the “team” see this as a clear form of communication to commence the attack.
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