Botswana - Okavango Delta - Monachira Camp

Family Feast

It was on one of the first game drives of July when we spotted a lioness and her two youngsters feeding off a warthog kill. The kill seemed to be relatively fresh, with no more than a few hours having passed since it was still alive.

What some might not know is that lions are binge eaters, feeding on large quantities of food when they can before going on extended periods without eating. Let’s hope this family of three had their fill.

Luckless Lions

We managed to see two male lions hunting from our safari vehicle. Although they tried their best, they were unsuccessful. Lions have a relatively low success rate compared to other predators, with only 17% - 19%  of hunts resulting in a kill. Hopefully, the companions caught something to eat after we left for camp.

Hippo Homicide

Unlike the first pair of hungry lions we spotted in our earlier sighting, we discovered two lucky males feasting on a freshly killed hippo. Hippos are one of the most powerful and terrifying animals to come across and seeing just two lions take down such an impressive animal was spectacular.

Hyena Heist

A clan of four hyenas lived up to their name as the most opportunistic predators in Africa by stealing a kill from a group of lions.

Hyenas typically harass other predators by yelping loudly to distract them and steal scraps. If the hyenas are larger in size or number, they will bully and mob the unlucky animal until it has to give up its kill and escape to safety.

July at Monachira was filled with amazing natural predations and game in large numbers. Watch this space to see what August has in store.

Until next time
Moss
Monachira Camp