Lions Vs Elephants on a 17 Lion Day

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Geo: -24.349, 30.9542

Up in the morning and time for another game drive. We say our goodbyes to Jerry and Tom who are heading back to Johannesburg on Friday and fly to Capetown for a week. We decide to drive the Timbavati Road because some people Robert had talked to had seen a leopard in a tree on this road. It follows the Timbavati River for a great deal of the road.

We set off and stop at a view point that is high above the river and you can look down and see in both directions. It is a very lovely view and we saw elephants down in the river having a drink. Looked to see if we could see any other game. Other than the francolins in the parking lot, it was quiet so we moved on.

Ostriches in the view
We got to an area where the landscape opened up and we got to watch some ostrich preening and possibly doing some sort of courtship ritual. The male was very beautiful and even the females looked healthy and nicely colored. When another male came up, the original male we had been watching chased it away.

A person later told us when the ostrich was in mating colors, his neck turned red. Not sure if this is correct information. Will get back with you.

New Birds for us!

Got to see some birds we had not seen before which was a great treat. We saw the wattled starling in its breeding plumage which meant that the brilliant yellow wattles were visible. Watched them for awhile because it was hard to get them to sit still for a photograph. They were busy feeding on some sort of fruit and moving around quite a bit.

The next new bird was the golden breasted bunting. This was a bird we had never seen before and it was another lovely one. We watched it for awhile before moving on. We also saw one of the "little five", the buffalo weaver. Quite a nice morning for the birds.

Got to the picnic area and had a look around. Some very lovely smells coming from some of the braii pits around the area. No one invited us to eat with them so we moved on. One of the things we have noticed is there are some serious braii chefs around!

First Lion Sighting

As we were getting ready to leave, Robert noticed there were a lot of cars at a location across the river and so we decided to go and check out what was happening. Drove up and finally got into a position where we could see and it was a dead buffalo in the river with vultures starting to get closer and try to get a bite. There was a lioness guarding the kill with a very bloody face. She seemed very hot and kept going into the shade of some palms to cool down but would keep charging back to run the vultures off. It was quite a show and then we decided to move on toward Satara.

Thirteen More Lions and the Charge of the Elephant Brigade!

Got out to the H-1 and were near the place the old buffalo kill had taken place when things started happening. At the old buffalo kill there was only the head and bones left. Across the road we had been told there was another kill and this was what we were seeing. In the near distance was a huge male lion with two lioness relaxing under a tree. Then we see another female lioness move into sight with six cubs. It appeared she was teaching them some of the etiquette of lion behavior because you would see her move out and stop and then the little ones would do the same. Across a gully we could see another female with two cubs. They all seemed to be moving forward toward the remains of the carcass. One of the females that had been with the male lion also began moving toward the carcass.

While all this was going on, here comes a group of elephants moving across the stage. All of a sudden, the elephants go on alert, flap their ears and then charge the lioness that was closest to the carcass. Out of sight she goes, and the elephants trumpet their displeasure and then continue on their way. The lioness and cubs start moving back toward the carcass and then the scene is repeated again as another group of elephants heads down toward the water.

This was the first time we had seen this interaction between the elephant and the lion. A conclusion that could possibly make sense is a baby elephant is tiny enough to be taken by lions and definitely cannot defend itself.

Drive on to Satara and see another rhino feeding on the side of the road and then see about 30 to 50

vultures down on the ground. We could not tell for sure what they were doing. It is possible that there was a water source they were using but not sure.

Is it possible, more lions!?

Fixed lunch, got the car washed and cleaned out and then headed back down the Timbavati Road to see what was happening at the buffalo carcass. No one else was there but we stopped and saw there were three new female lions resting in the shade across the river from the carcass. The vultures were beginning to get a little bolder in their attempt to move in on the carcass. Then it happened again.

A mother elephant, a little one, and a slightly older elephant came down toward the river and picked up the scent to the lions. Came rushing down the riverbank and the lions exploded in three different directions away from the elephants. Wow! The elephants moved back up the riverbank and the lions started moving back to where they had been. One was still over by itself and the mother elephant in the lead, the smallest one with tail and trunk straight out, and the other one come charging the lioness again. Off she runs and they remain there on the riverbank.

When we left the three lioness had returned to their original spot in the shade and the elephants continued their vigil along the other part of the riverbank. We guess the young elephant got a lesson in how to deal with the lions!

As we continued on our way back to camp we saw some large groups of elephants in the river, 50 or more in a group at a time. We also had two fairly large groups with very young babies cross the road in front of us. It is so neat to see the elephant sidestep across the road keeping a close eye on us as they do so. They did not seem to be angry with the "cloud" and did not make a charge at us.

Back to the camp where we marveled a what a day we had just had!

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