Thursday, April 17, 2008
Savute Safari Lodge, Botswana
At 6 a.m. Savute guides Energy and Gee shouted to each other for an alert. A lion had roared. Dogs were barking. The chase was on – right at the camp.
When I jumped out of bed and found my glasses to peer outside, it was 6:04 a.m. It took a moment for me to adjust to the light at dawn, and when I did I saw that right outside Room 7, slightly beyond the closest water hole, two female lions were feasting on what turned out to be an impala that Energy said had been stolen from a pack of wild dogs. The wild dogs were circling, seven in all, although one seemed to prefer standing lookout on a knoll near the central water hole. They wanted their kill – THEIR breakfast – back from the bush interlopers.
For the next 40 minutes, guests gathered at the outdoor brunch area to lean out over the railings and watch the scene to their left. From the expanse of windows in Room 7, it was a straight-on panorama worthy of a National Geographic movie screen. The lions stretched out on their bellies and chomped loudly on their meal, guarding it with ferocity. The wild dogs were jittery; they closed in by a half-circle formation only to jump back when the lions roared. Even a simple twitch of a lion’s tail sent them darting off, only to try again. If nothing else, they were persistent. They came close at times to the lions, but the lions always scared them away. One lion rose nonchalantly, with her share of the meat in her mouth, and walked over to a bush a few meters away and tucked herself into the shade. The lion in the open kept eating, her face a bloody mess. Vultures flew in to prepare for scraps diving. Still, the dogs persisted. A couple of them sped close to the Room 7 deck, on the other side of the electric fence. As if to show who was boss, the lioness in the open eventually picked up her part of the meal and paraded off past Room 9 and beyond, dangling the impala from her mouth like a wet rag. The dogs gave up but not before stopping at the central water hole of Savute to take a drink. Nice photo op.
A game drive after this display of nature’s drama seemed unnecessary. How could anything top this morning’s sunrise starter? Savute guides set out with their guests, however, to give it a try.
--Maria Henson
volunteer with Desert & Delta Safaris
Savute Safari Lodge, Botswana
At 6 a.m. Savute guides Energy and Gee shouted to each other for an alert. A lion had roared. Dogs were barking. The chase was on – right at the camp.
When I jumped out of bed and found my glasses to peer outside, it was 6:04 a.m. It took a moment for me to adjust to the light at dawn, and when I did I saw that right outside Room 7, slightly beyond the closest water hole, two female lions were feasting on what turned out to be an impala that Energy said had been stolen from a pack of wild dogs. The wild dogs were circling, seven in all, although one seemed to prefer standing lookout on a knoll near the central water hole. They wanted their kill – THEIR breakfast – back from the bush interlopers.
For the next 40 minutes, guests gathered at the outdoor brunch area to lean out over the railings and watch the scene to their left. From the expanse of windows in Room 7, it was a straight-on panorama worthy of a National Geographic movie screen. The lions stretched out on their bellies and chomped loudly on their meal, guarding it with ferocity. The wild dogs were jittery; they closed in by a half-circle formation only to jump back when the lions roared. Even a simple twitch of a lion’s tail sent them darting off, only to try again. If nothing else, they were persistent. They came close at times to the lions, but the lions always scared them away. One lion rose nonchalantly, with her share of the meat in her mouth, and walked over to a bush a few meters away and tucked herself into the shade. The lion in the open kept eating, her face a bloody mess. Vultures flew in to prepare for scraps diving. Still, the dogs persisted. A couple of them sped close to the Room 7 deck, on the other side of the electric fence. As if to show who was boss, the lioness in the open eventually picked up her part of the meal and paraded off past Room 9 and beyond, dangling the impala from her mouth like a wet rag. The dogs gave up but not before stopping at the central water hole of Savute to take a drink. Nice photo op.A game drive after this display of nature’s drama seemed unnecessary. How could anything top this morning’s sunrise starter? Savute guides set out with their guests, however, to give it a try.--Maria Henson
volunteer with Desert & Delta Safaris
1 comment:
Wow, how exciting!!!! During my visit to Savute in 2006, I was in #7. I would have loved to witness this amazing scene. Love those lions, love those wild dogs!
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