On a windy morning 2 days ago two of our lionesses killed a young giraffe early in the morning, using the wind to their full advantage. This has provided us with lots of interesting viewing on recent game drives. When we saw the lionesses last night they were fast sleep not far from the giraffe carcass, bloated after having eaten lots of meat. They were almost oblivious to us watching them as they slept. This morning we returned to the area hoping to see them again but there was no sign of them or the giraffe carcass. We looked for tracks in the area and discovered that the lionesses had crossed the road east of the kill and walked towards the nearest dam for a drink to quench their thirst. We were unable to find them and presumed that they had gone thick into the bush to find some shade for the day. We returned to where the carcass was and discovered that some hyenas had dragged the carcass further into the bush. There were small remains scattered around the area. We were entertained by one sly black backed jackal fighting a group of African white backed vultures and one single hooded vulture for the scraps. It’s very interesting to see these scavengers interacting. Eventually the jackal won the fight and the vultures retired to the trees to wait for another opportunity!

Story by Sarah-Estelle Sangster, River Lodge Ranger