Africa Wild

The wildebeest also were in and out - except for one day when we didn't see a single one at the waterhole, despite the drought all around us

And what followed this sunset would become a night to remember
At about 2.15 am we were awoken by the jackal howling right at the waterhole. But unfortunately it had started the alarm too late so we only heard the leopard coughing after drinking but never saw the cat itself.

We had just fallen asleep again - kind of - when the hyenas started howling and barking. Nothing of the friendly giggling, but fierce and serious sounds that were coming from right underneath our bedroom window. The (younger) camp hyena was under attack of two older ones that we had seen drinking at night before. I don't have any pix of that because I hardly dared peeping out of the window, constantly feeling watched by the hyenas. Now the reason, why I found that experience so unsettling was that two nights before, the people who had stayed in the unit next to us, had tried to lure first a brown hyena, then the camp spotty with "kom, kom" and went as far as throwing the spotty some meat morsels. Just imagine what might happen if the hyena learns that there is food inside those strange cubicles… The canvas will certainly not hinder such a strong animal from getting in.

Anyway, the bickering and fighting went on for an hour and it was just before five by then. And although I was dead tired after having slept very little, I was also wide awake and decided to make myself some coffee and see what would appear in the darkness of the early morning hours.

Well, here you go - a couple of lions walked in around 5.30 am.

Half an hour later a very nervous brownie walked down the fire break, sensing the presence of the lions.
But it all got too much and so it ran off.
While the female had walked out of sight, the male was still lying in the riverbed, soaking up the morning rays.

We had thought that the brownie had given way to the lions, but it turned out that the camp spotty had been the reason for its distraught…
It had obviously survived the nights ordeal well

After that, the day was done. In a very literal kind of way. Even though the lions never showed up at the waterhole again, they must have been close by and none of the antelopes dared coming in for a drink. But, hey, who are we to complain after a night and morning like that.

The two kudu bulls are very handsome, those horns..........

The spotted hyena looks young, it is not ugly at all. Maybe it is the quality photo and not the animal

Ag, thanks, but no. It's the hyena itself. It is younger than the other two fat ones that only came in for a drink, while this one was around all night. Somethings in total silence and with nothing to proof its presence than the spoor next morning

All great pics, Mello!

Our hyenas come into camp whether there is a fence or not!


Love the night lions - is there a spotlight on the waterhole?

Ja, but spotlight is cut off at 10 pm. So this is torch light.

Hyenas all over the trip reports this weekend!