Savuti - A Story Unfolds

Being on Safari is like reading a suspenseful, page-turner novel. Our guides/drivers are the narrators; the animals are the main characters; and the environment containing us all offers the clues that make each turn in the road exciting.

Thursday, May 21st was an exciting day in the bush. It started with one small clue:



Our guide, Goodman, made note of a lone vulture sitting in a tree. The vulture was not showing interest in anything in particular and seemed quite relaxed. We stopped to try a couple shots of the spooky creature and then continued on our way. Within 5 minutes, we came upon this sight:





This was a fresh kill. Goodman told us that this wildebeast had most likely been killed within an hour of our finding this carcass. Lions work quickly, taking only the meatiest limbs of a kill. They do not immediately eviscerate their prey, as the smell of open bowel and intestines attracts other predators. The adults eat first, giving the cubs the remainder. This makes it possible for the adults to stand watch while the cubs eat. Goodman hopped out of our rover to show us that a cub must have been part of the meal - they are not as efficient as an adult at cleaning a bone...



We continued on our way, knowing that whatever animal had feasted on the wildebeast had to be close by. Lo and behold, not long after, we came upon this group:



These lions were part of a 5 member group: Two adult males, one female and two male cubs. One of the older males had been blinded, presumably in a fight:



The other members of the group were obviously resting, having full bellies and plenty of time until dark - when they would begin to hunt again. Hard to believe that this crew was a bunch of killers:











We stalked the lions for about 45 minutes, never facing them - always parallel so as not to influence or inhibit their movements. Once our heart rates returned to normal, we continued on at a leisurely pace. Here are some other sights we saw on that exciting morning...















This had all taken place before 10AM. The anticipation for the evening drive was unbearable as we headed back to camp. But first, brunch and siesta...