It’s been a week of merciful drizzle so far in the Klaserie, and this morning as Africa on Foot set out on an award-winning walking safari, nThambo Tree Camp guests headed off in their new Cruiser to see what was on offer for their early game drive. Turns out: a lot! The predators were out in full force, much to our delight, and we ended up with not only one Big 5 beast on a kill, but also some of Africa’s most endangered predators only moments after landing their prey – an unfortunate impala! Take a look at our incredible morning spent with lions and wild dogs out in the Kruger’s Klaserie Private Nature Reserve…
Luan and Isaack took their guests to where they knew the Ross Breakaway lionesses had killed a buffalo, and hoped to find the two females feasting away in the cool early morning weather. What they found was even more exciting than anticipated! One of the Mapoza male lions was devouring the buffalo carcass, after having clearly sniffed out the free meal during the night. It was the larger of the two males, and he was really tucking into the rump of the buffalo; amber eyes aglow and creating a fantastic contrast to the green summer leaves framing his handsome face.
The Mapoza male crunched on the gristle of the buffalo’s rib cage, and laid one giant paw on its hide to keep a grip on the animal as he tugged and shredded its flesh. He had dragged the entire carcass underneath the leafiest tree he could find to hide it from the vultures lurking overhead, awaiting their turn to swoop in. The two lionesses lay, bloated, nearby and watched cautiously as this dominant male hogged their hard-earned prey. The pair of females has come off second best in the past when they have dared to fight for their kill, and it seems as though they have learned their lesson. The second Mapoza male was nowhere in sight, but knowing his usual behaviour, he could have been watching us, unseen, from the shadows.
Guests spent a luxuriously long time admiring the king of beasts, as he groaned into the cavity of the buffalo carcass, panting heavily with the exhausted effort of eating. Finally, Luan and Isaack confirmed with their guests that they were ready to move on and see what else the wilderness held for their morning game drive. After a couple of minutes spent admiring giraffe, kudu, zebra, hundreds of impala, and a small herd of buffalo, Luan was alerted to another incredible predator showdown on the radio: African wild dogs had just successfully hunted an impala!
This is a once in a lifetime sighting for most. African wild dogs are the most endangered large predator in Southern Africa, and they are continuously on the move unless they are resting in between hunting, making them a very special species to see in the wild. Here in the Klaserie, where the protective borders of the Nature Reserve help to conserve many threatened species, wild dogs are able to roam free, offering us some spectacularly lucky sightings of them! When the radio crackled to life and announced that a pack had just landed their prey, Luan and Isaack knew this was going to be a bucket list item check-off for all our guests.
There were 3 pups and 4 adult dogs, and the activity was remarkable to watch. The high pitched audio being exchanged between the pack members rippled through the air, and the pups took over the impala carcass as the adults offered them the bulk of the meal. It is fascinating to watch the youngsters dominate, while the dogs watched over their pups, growing stronger with each nutritious mouthful. It was an entirely different dynamic to the fiery and fierce relationship between lions in a pride. The wild dogs provide for the pups, all for the greater good of the pack. They are highly successful hunters, and can eat at least once a day when the pack is large enough.
While we were focused on the activity at the carcass – pups squealing with excitement as they demolished their kill in record time – two of the adult dogs engaged in a little secret mating! Through the lush, green leaves, a female dog gnawed on a part of the carcass, while her alpha male attempted to mount her. Just in case we needed a little something extra for the morning’s adventure!
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