August 21: 4th Day - PM Drive (7th game drive)

Lion suffocating a buffalo, originally uploaded by Andrew & Yvette's world travel.

Finally, 16:00. We can’t wait to track down the lions but Ashley decides against tracking them this early in the afternoon. And so, we look instead for zebras. We haven’t seen any yet and Ashleigh explains that just like the wildebeests, the zebras are in danger of becoming endangered in Kruger due to the lions, leopards and crocodiles (wet season only). Our search for zebras takes us to a completely different area of the park: near the private airport. We take our sunset drinks by the landing strip and Ashleigh explains that all tarmacs in the Greater Kruger are being re-asphalted w/ special chemicals. Apparently, lions had been chasing and steering giraffes onto the tarmac where the giraffes would then slip and fall due to the smooth surface. The lions would then descend on their fallen prey.

Speaking of lions and their wily hunting habits, we head straight towards them right after finishing our drink. Along the way, we spot a side striped jackal from afar. Although we would have loved a closer look, we are not allowed to go off-roading and we must content ourselves to spotting it through Ashleigh’s powerful binoculars.

We continue our drive and minutes before the last rays of sun disappear, we arrive at the open plains where we spot the lions forming a wide circle surrounding the buffalos. Too quickly, the sun sets and we are immersed in total darkness. Before our eyes can get used to the dark, Dollom’s voice pierces the night air. Forgetting protocol, he screams at Ashleigh in panic and in English yells to her, “Back Up, back up, back up! Hurry! Back Up!” The LR jolts screeching backwards and I fall off my seat to the floor. Moments later I hear and feel the source of Dollom’s panic. Unbeknownst to us in the dark, we had parked ourselves right next to the buffalos. As the lions edged in for a kill, the buffalos went on a stampede straight towards us. It was nerve wrecking being tossed about and still being able to hear the din of the buffalos above the roar of our LR. When our backward maneuvering finally stopped, the ground was still trembling as the buffalos continued their run for safety.

A minute or so later, there was a sudden stillness followed by a horrific, tortured howl. We turn the LR lights back on. To our right are the herd of buffalos who are baying and walking in agitation. In front of them is a lone lion. We continue our gaze around and then we see it, the kill: A baby buffalo on its back, a lioness and her fangs clamping down on the buffalo’s neck, a cub using his paw to slap the buffalo’s kicking foot as it tries in vain to prevent its asphyxiation. We see one or two more lions descend on the kill. But where is the rest of the pride? We hear our answer when another cry fills the charged air. Africa’s most feared predators have made two kills.

Soon, every member of the pride comes towards the 1st kill. It seems the alpha male will have the 2nd kill all to himself. Before eating his share though, the alpha male comes to the sight of the 1st kill and marks his territory. Before long, the scene turns savage as the 14 lions roar and fight for eating space. Equipped with teeth that tear effortlessly through bone and tendon, the gnawing and tearing of the flesh commences. It doesn’t take long for the lions’ mouths and paws to turn bloody. Suddenly, a noise stuns us: a long, agonized, tormented cry. The 2nd buffalo is still alive. The alpha male has not bothered to suffocate it. The 2nd buffalo is being torn asunder and being eaten alive.