Background: Lions are the most beautiful and elegant creatures on the plains of Africa. One finds them literally atop the landscape, looking down.
Hyenas are the bottom dwellers, ugly and scrappy, surviving on whatever they can get.
Our story begins when we happened upon a lioness hiding in some bushes. Our guide said she had recently given birth to cubs, whom she was protecting in a nearby den.
She had made a recent kill that she had not yet eaten. (Note to our young readers, it is entirely possible that this hartebeest was just sleeping near the lion).
Meanwhile, Sophie, looking the other direction, said, "What's that over there?" (It's still not clear why Sophie was looking the wrong direction.) It turned out to be a hyena, literally salivating at the sight of the (sleeping) hartebeest.
The bold hyena drew steadily closer. Eventually the lion emerged from the bushes to ward off the challenge.
The hyena, smelling that (sleeping) hartebeest, called the lion's bluff, walking steadily closer.
And then the lion leaped in pursuit!
With the message delivered, the lioness returned to protect her cubs.
When we returned to the site the next day, however, the hartebeest was completely gone. This suggests either: 1) the hyena(s) had returned to steal the carcass in the night, or 2) the hartebeest had woken up and walked away.
Hyenas are the bottom dwellers, ugly and scrappy, surviving on whatever they can get.
Our story begins when we happened upon a lioness hiding in some bushes. Our guide said she had recently given birth to cubs, whom she was protecting in a nearby den.
She had made a recent kill that she had not yet eaten. (Note to our young readers, it is entirely possible that this hartebeest was just sleeping near the lion).
Meanwhile, Sophie, looking the other direction, said, "What's that over there?" (It's still not clear why Sophie was looking the wrong direction.) It turned out to be a hyena, literally salivating at the sight of the (sleeping) hartebeest.
The bold hyena drew steadily closer. Eventually the lion emerged from the bushes to ward off the challenge.
The hyena, smelling that (sleeping) hartebeest, called the lion's bluff, walking steadily closer.
And then the lion leaped in pursuit!
With the message delivered, the lioness returned to protect her cubs.
When we returned to the site the next day, however, the hartebeest was completely gone. This suggests either: 1) the hyena(s) had returned to steal the carcass in the night, or 2) the hartebeest had woken up and walked away.
or maybe 3) the lion ate it or some of it and hid the rest...
ReplyDeleteis that a tick on the lioness' ear in that first picture?
ReplyDelete