First impressions - a warm welcome indeed

The first drive for the new group of students was certainly one that they will remember.

Darkness enshrouded the road as our vehicles careful picked a path down the old 2-track.  After about 200m of meandering through some thick bush, we caught the first glimpse of eye shine in the long grass.  Necks craned to get a better look of what lay before us and it wasn’t long before the magnificence of a male lion came into view.  His belly was full as he lifted his head to watch our approach.  After a short time, he succumbed to his digestive task, panting heavily as he tried to deal with the extra 40-50kgs of meat now resting in his grossly distended stomach!  The students were overjoyed – and rightly so!  At only 4 and half, ‘Sub-Zero’ as he is known, is a hugely impressive specimen of lion.  Having grown up in a reserve with no competition, he has been able to focus all of his energy into growing, and it shows.  At this relatively tender age, he is already sporting a thick dark mane and must tip the scales at well over 200kgs.

As we tried to ascertain the origin of his bulging belly, a crack rang out through the still night.  Moments later, another; followed by an aggressive snarl that cut through the silence of the African bush. Lions on a kill!  We edged the land rovers around a thicket and on the other side found the rest of the pride feasting on a freshly killed zebra.  Such is the pecking order of lions, the male would have satiated his immense appetite before allowing the other members to eat their fill.  This they were doing with relish!  After a few minutes however, the male decided that there was still more space in his stomach and he waddled back to the kill to gorge himself further.

For the next 20minutes the students sat engrossed as ribs were cracked by powerful teeth and the scissoring motion of the powerful carnassial teeth cut away chunks of protein-rich flesh.  Thanks to the habituation levels of Karongwe’s pride, all this was happening a mere 10m from where we sat!  There was no need to discuss the behaviour being exhibited: nature’s brutality was there for all to see!  The only sound to accompany the gnashing of teeth and snarls as the choice cuts were argued over was the click of cameras as the students filled up memory cards trying ingrain the memory in digital format for eternity.

Time however is always against us and as the full moon cast its ethereal glow across the bushveld, dinner called and we began the trip home bathed in the soft moonlight.  Conversation boiled with memories of the scene just witnessed but the bush was not done with us yet!  As we rounded a corner, we were met with the sleek profile of a large female leopard in the road!  She watched us momentarily before melting away into an impenetrable thicket but not before we could positively identify that she was heavily pregnant!  In time we hope to bring you news of some new arrivals to the reserve!!  Finally we arrived back at camp – what a drive!!  And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we were treated to burger night! 

New recruits, welcome to Karongwe!!

Blog post and photos by Ben Coley

A dramatic, yet spectacular conclusion to an exciting game drive

The Lion:  the epitome of any safari and usually the top of the list for anyone venturing into deepest darkest Africa.  The students at Karongwe are here to learn how to guide; to understand the inter-connectivity of everything on this wondrous planet, from the bedrock that shapes our world, to the birds soaring thousands of feet above our head, but where possible, a big game sighting is always welcomed!

The radio crackled to life.  Lions.  Kill.  Feeding.  The words that everyone wants to hear.  Anticipation reached fever pitch as we turned on the ‘two track’ as the light began to fade and we started to twist our way into the depths of the bush.  The private world of a lion pride was soon revealed to the future generation of guides as we rounded a bend and came face to face with 4 sub adults busily dismantling what was left of a blue wildebeest.  Two rather obese looking lionesses lay close by, panting heavily to get the necessary oxygen to aid in digesting the gargantuan amount of meat that was sitting heavily in the swollen bellies.  No one spoke as we listened to the razor sharp carnassial teeth of the young lions slice through flesh, muscle and sinew; the scene illuminated by the spotlight like actors on a stage.

Lion cubs feasting on the kill

To some, the scene seemed gruesome, to others it was a sight that they had hoped for since their course was booked.  Whatever the interpretation, nothing changes the fact that out in the wild, this is life.  Its kill or be killed.  The wildebeest’s demise was unfortunate, but its sacrifice will ensure that the lion pride of Karongwe will not go hungry, and that the next generation will be able to develop into mature adults.  What we were witnessing was a perfect example of the recycling and sharing of nutrients in the wild.  Out here, nothing is wasted.  Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only its path altered.  This is one of the cruxes of ecology and the students were given a first-hand insight into the perfect design of the natural world.

Cameras flashed and students barked questions regarding the diet, pride dynamics and habits of one of the world’s most iconic predators.  I did my best to field the questions but felt like a cricketer in the firing line of 9 of the world’s best fast bowlers!  As darkness descended around us, the other vehicles came and went until we were alone with the scene.  Nature has a dramatic streak however, and seemingly on cue, decided to augment our experience.  The clouds rolled in, tongues of fork lighting lit up the air and ominous thunder reverberated in the distance.  Nature’s drama was complete.

Lionness 

We left the pride to their meal, heading home at a reasonable pace to seek shelter before the heavens above us opened in the first proper thunder storm of the season.  The drive back was an adventure itself with the surrounding area being regularly lit by bolts of brilliant light dancing across the sky.  As every strike snaked its way through the heavens, the land rover was filled with ooohs and aaahs, just like a crowd at a firework display.  The sighting had been a good one, but the drive back was epic, putting the meagre power of a pride of lions into perspective as Mother Nature flexed her infinite muscles.  What a spectacular way to end a life altering experience for many of the EcoTraining guides-in-training!

Blogpost and photos by Ben Coley