More Botswana Journal Notes

A time in the wilderness

Over the past while I have begun to set up an animal behaviour guide based on my personal observations and many interesting incidents have come to the fore.

Lions and upright figures

There is a theory that Lions have an inherent fear of figures walking upright i.e. humans. On a walk in the Okavango Delta we came across a pride of Lions about 50m up ahead. When they caught sight of us they got up and ran off. After the walk I decided to drive to the area they had disappeared to. They were about 2 km from where we had first seen them.

There was no reaction to the vehicle and I managed to drive very close to them. Some of the adults still kept a weary eye in the direction from which they had seen us. A Giraffe appeared from that direction and they flinched in anticipation of running away. They relaxed again when they saw it was a Giraffe.

Giraffe ‘necking’

Male Giraffe will constantly test each other for dominance. In a group where more that one male Giraffe is present they will constantly test each other for dominance by facing off. These ‘face-offs’ will sometime arise in a fight where the combatants will attempt to hit each other with the neck and head. These fights are normally over before serious injuries occur. There are rare instances when one will suffer a broken neck or even die. These fights can be heard from a distance when the blows become very serious.

Killing for play

It is noted that humans are the only animals that ‘kill for fun’. On two occasions I have watched Lions killing Mongoose and playing with the body before leaving it.

A pride of Lions in Savuti had come across some banded Mongoose. All but one of the Mongooses managed to escape into a termite mound. The Lions began to toy with the one that had not managed to escape, eventually killing it. The game did not stop there. For the next hour I watched members of the pride use the dead Mongoose almost as a football. When they tired of the game they left the carcass without eating it.

The second occasion involved a pride toying with a Mongoose that was trying all means of escape. It would jump and nip at the faces of the Lions but eventually it succumbed to exhaustion and the bite of one of the Lionesses. As soon as it was dead the game was over and the lions left the body on the side of the road without eating it.

Warthogs and other animals

Warthogs seem to have the least ‘fear’ when it comes to predators. They are of the few animals that will move directly to a waterhole to drink without looking around. Most species will take their time, making sure that it is safe for them before proceeding.

Warthogs are known to face predators head-on. Lions will seldom attack a Warthog that is facing it. I once observed a Lioness chasing a Warthog across the Chobe floodplain. When the Lioness was within touching distance the Warthog turned in mid-stride to face her. The Lioness stopped, then turned and walked away. The Warthog trotted off in the opposite direction.

Lions and water

There is a general theory that Lions avoid water if they can. This may be true in many parts of Africa, however, the Lions of the Okavango Delta in Botswana are very much at home when it comes to water. The home ranges of the Lions are forever changing due to the flooding of the floodplains. In some parts of the delta Lions have even adapted to using the water during the hunt. They are constantly crossing vast floodplains to reach other islands where game may be.

Warthog eating elephant dung

Warthog are often recorded eating the dung of Elephants. The dung is generally still fresh. An explanation for this is the fact that Elephant do not digest a lot of their food and this leaves a lot of nutrition in their dung. As it is partially digested it provides the perfect food source for Warthogs and other animals.

Hyenas and male lions

Hyenas will chase Lions off a kill. A few scenarios can occur in the relationship. The Hyenas will be in majority, or if not then the clan would have stolen a kill from the same pride previously making the Lions edgy. When there are male Lions present the Hyenas will very seldom make any move toward stealing the kill. Often male Lions will go out of their way to harm Hyenas that get too close.

Lions feeding on a rotting carcass

Lions’ scavenging prowess was demonstrated in Savuti when they fed off an Elephant carcass for eight days. The carcass was in a state of serious decomposition yet the Lions stayed put at the scene for more than a week.

By Leigh Kemp