Thursday, October 13, 2011

SAFARI – DAY 14 (South Luangwa National Park, Zambia; Mfuwe Lodge)

 


TRIVIA ANSWER:  What animal has a matriarchal organization and, in fact, any female no matter how young can (and does) dominate all males in the group?  Hyenas.

Went on my last game drive this morning.  I was awakened twice last night by very VERY loud hippos, who sounded like they were in the room.  I usually sleep through most any noise, so you know the hippos had to be extraordinarily loud.  It’s still fun to hear them.
This morning we saw a bunch of vultures circling and followed them to a recent kill.  Didn’t actually see the carcass but our best guess is that it was a cape buffalo because a number of lions were guarding it.  The vultures kept hopping down from the trees and then they would slowly hop closer and closer, then they would frantically flap backwards as the lions shooed them away.  We watched this dance for a while and then noticed four hyenas coming in from different directions.  They just hung out on the perimeter but we were told that if enough hyenas gathered, then they could successfully chase the lions away.  We also saw a whole bunch of banded mongooses scurrying about.  Cute.

Close to lunch time on the game drive, we drove up to a lovely spot in the woods where the lodge staff had set up a fancy outdoor lunch.  Tablecloths, linen napkins, glassware – the whole shebang.  The staff had a fire going and cooked sausage, bacon, eggs, beans, fried eggplant, corn fritters, and potatoes, and made toast over the fire.  Very tasty tomato slices and a fruit salad also.  We were greeted at a small washing table with basins of water and fresh towels.  I felt like royalty as we sat eating and watching the antics of the baboons rambling all around us.  Truly a special event.
Today, thankfully, is simply hot, not deathly hot, which is a welcome change.  We are very near the end of the dry season – the rains usually start in early November (and they call October the suicide month because it is beastly hot).  It looks like the rains may start a bit early this year because the weather does seem to be changing.

TRUE AFRICAN CIRCLE OF LIFE:  Lions kill an impala or a buffalo and eat most of it.  Hyenas close in and snatch large pieces (perhaps a whole hind quarter) then drag it away and eat all of it, including the bones (their jaws are strong enough to crunch up large bones).  Then vultures get the rest of the leftover bits.  Then hyenas leave dung that is high in calcium, which is eaten by birds and pregnant impalas and other antelopes because they need the calcium.
Tomorrow we leave for home with memories to last a lifetime.

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