• Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    A big part of my job here is to monitor carcasses trough nights and days for hyaena and lion activities. When I heard that a big bull died next to the pan at Sinanga, I packed my slepping back and everything else and zoomed off there. When I arrived at the scene at 19:15, 5 hyaenas were alreday feeding. I was soon to doscover that there were actually 8 of my spotted friends around!! I spent the night parks 15m away from the deed ele, up wind to avoid its smell...

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    When the sun finally rose, after a really cold night, this is what I witnessed...

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Now, look at the size of the hole below the ear compare to the one on the previous pictures... Hyaenas have their ways!!

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Obvisously, an elephant has a lot of blood... ~ 180L to be precise!

     

    Otherwise, hyaenas can also be beautiful!!

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

     

    When there is food around, it's always an opportunity to re-assess your social status, especially for hyaenas. The presence of this one was apparently not to the taste of the others!!

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

     

    And suddently, it happenned!! The hyaenas scattered in all directions in front of 4 wild dogs running into the open area around the pan. I just couldn't believe my eyes!! How can hyaenas run in front of wild dogs?? I have no idea, but this it what happenned, and the dogs whooped their asses!!!

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

     

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

     

    And the winners were:

    Action at an elephant carcass at Sinanga

    The dogs didn't feed on the ele, they are not scavengers. They merely came for a drink, a rest in the warmth of the rising sun ans then set up on their way, trotting away into the bush...

     


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  • Comments

    1
    Elsa B Elsa B profile
    Thursday 28th July 2011 at 18:36

    Extraordinaire! Superbe! J'adore! Vive le bush et ses animaux! Profites en bien Steph! 

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