Lions Oh My! Botswana Safari Day 5, Labala Day 2, Sunday, March 31, WTRD 15
Once again we set our alarm for 5:00 am, are given a morning wake up visit at 5:30, breakfast at 6:00, on the vehicle at 6:30.
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| Our Tracker Seemo, who sits in a special seat above the front bumper is on the hunt for big cats. |
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Immediately, our tracker spots leopard prints.
Maybe this will be our lucky day. We go this way and that, that way and this, through the bushes. We see many birds and animals during the morning drive as we track the northern pride.
The guides are familiar with this pride and say that an adult female normally found with the pride is missing. Perhaps she has gone off to mate. We find our way to the pride, all of whom are sitting in the shade of a small bush atop a termite mound where they have a vantage point for hunting animals in the grass.
None of them are at all bothered or even interested in our vehicle. Their eyes are fixed on the grasslands. They are interested in breakfast and fortunately they are not looking at us as the snack wagon. Our guide said their stomachs did not look full, so he suspects that their nocturnal hunts were unsuccessful and they will be motivated this morning to make a kill.
In the meantime we enjoy taking photos of these beautiful animals. A fresh breeze from the direction of the prey blows in the prides direction alerting them breakfast is on the way. Eventually, their gaze focuses on a family warthogs.
The lead female lion descends from the termite hill and stealthily creeps low through the grassland towards the unaware warthogs, who are perpendicular and upwind to her path. We can barely see the back of her head as she moves through the savannah. She stops, and turns her head back toward the pride. It is a signal for adult number 2 to follow behind her. Adult 2 passes her by and takes a position further ahead. They have created the 2 points of the short end of a rectangle. Sub adult 3 and 4 leave in a direction to take 2 points at the opposite of the rectangle thus boxing in the warthogs.
Before 3 and 4 can take their position, the breeze changes from a head wind to a tail wind. Good for the warthogs, but bad for the lions. The warthogs smell the lions and begin to run. 3 and 4 take chase, but the lions seem inept and the warthogs scatter in the confusion.
The 3 cubs watch the strategy and never leave their mound although they look like they want to. Their leader has told them not to move. And they don’t, even when one of the warthogs, that had escaped, runs within 20 feet of their hide. They are interested, but do not pursue. The lions retreat back to their look out.
The lions spot a hyena in their territory. Lion 2 stands up and rubs her back feet in the sand releasing a scent that floats on the breeze toward the hyena.
The hyena stops in its tracks, turns around, and leaves.
Eventually, all of the lions return, regroup, and head to another upwind location where they hide in the margin of where the grassland meets the marsh. They see some red lechwe, but think better of attacking.
They are too far away and once they enter the muddy marsh area they will be seen by their prey. They are hungry and do not want to waste their energy on another futile attempt. They leave their new hunting location and head toward the deep grass. The day is warming up. The lions are tired and need to rest. So they settle in for an mid day siesta.
That is also our cue to have morning tea and head back towards camp for lunch, rest, and getting ready for our afternoon
Maybe this will be our lucky day. We go this way and that, that way and this, through the bushes. We see many birds and animals during the morning drive as we track the northern pride.
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None of them are at all bothered or even interested in our vehicle. Their eyes are fixed on the grasslands. They are interested in breakfast and fortunately they are not looking at us as the snack wagon. Our guide said their stomachs did not look full, so he suspects that their nocturnal hunts were unsuccessful and they will be motivated this morning to make a kill.
In the meantime we enjoy taking photos of these beautiful animals. A fresh breeze from the direction of the prey blows in the prides direction alerting them breakfast is on the way. Eventually, their gaze focuses on a family warthogs.
The lead female lion descends from the termite hill and stealthily creeps low through the grassland towards the unaware warthogs, who are perpendicular and upwind to her path. We can barely see the back of her head as she moves through the savannah. She stops, and turns her head back toward the pride. It is a signal for adult number 2 to follow behind her. Adult 2 passes her by and takes a position further ahead. They have created the 2 points of the short end of a rectangle. Sub adult 3 and 4 leave in a direction to take 2 points at the opposite of the rectangle thus boxing in the warthogs.
Before 3 and 4 can take their position, the breeze changes from a head wind to a tail wind. Good for the warthogs, but bad for the lions. The warthogs smell the lions and begin to run. 3 and 4 take chase, but the lions seem inept and the warthogs scatter in the confusion.
The 3 cubs watch the strategy and never leave their mound although they look like they want to. Their leader has told them not to move. And they don’t, even when one of the warthogs, that had escaped, runs within 20 feet of their hide. They are interested, but do not pursue. The lions retreat back to their look out.
The lions spot a hyena in their territory. Lion 2 stands up and rubs her back feet in the sand releasing a scent that floats on the breeze toward the hyena.
Eventually, all of the lions return, regroup, and head to another upwind location where they hide in the margin of where the grassland meets the marsh. They see some red lechwe, but think better of attacking.
They are too far away and once they enter the muddy marsh area they will be seen by their prey. They are hungry and do not want to waste their energy on another futile attempt. They leave their new hunting location and head toward the deep grass. The day is warming up. The lions are tired and need to rest. So they settle in for an mid day siesta.
That is also our cue to have morning tea and head back towards camp for lunch, rest, and getting ready for our afternoon
After lunch we return to the track of a leopard we were pursuing this morning, and are once again side-racked by lion prints. This time it is a pride of 11 with several sets of young cubs. We drove right in the middle of the pride.
Lions were everywhere resting, nursing their cubs, romping and playing.
The two giant males were sound asleep most of the time, except for when they were not.
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| Don't worry dear, he's all roar and no bite! |
