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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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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