Post by Mark Homann, Professional Guide
Earlier this month I was guiding a family on a safari at Selinda Reserve in Botswana. We had just moved on from witnessing a pride of lions kill a sub-adult giraffe, and had just set up for our sundowners when a young kudu ran out from under the setting sun. Hot on its heels, the kudu was running from a lone wild dog. In a classic show of wild dog hunting technique, the kudu ran to sheer exhaustion and the dog swam out and killed the animal right in front of us before dragging it to shore a few meters away.
Image Taken by Mark Homann
Image Taken by Mark Homann
The dog fed on the kudu, going directly for the rich internal organs and stopping every few minutes to look anxiously for the rest of his pack. It surprised us that the wild dog never called for his pack, but we presumed that he was hesitant to do so knowing that the lions were just around the bend (we had seen them chasing the dogs that morning).
With all the excitement, we did not realize that the sun had gone down and night was setting in. A quick sweep of the spotlight revealed a number of crocodile eyes moving in. Attracted by the excitement, the croc moved in closer as the dog tried to drag the heavy kudu higher up the bank. But he was already exhausted. A 10 foot crocodile came out of the water and grabbed a hold of the kudu’s back legs and held on. The dog tried to pull, but with the combined weight it would not budge. Instead, the dog concentrated on the kudu, removing the animal’s lungs before moving off to the side.
Image Taken by Mark Homann
Thinking that the excitement was over we were surprised to see a hyena arrive. Then the wild dog and croc began engaging in a tug of war. It was impressive to see the strength of this wild dog as he pulled both the kudu and crocodile. The croc would not let go, so the hyena just fed around him, occasionally nipping at his head. The croc got his price of the kudu’s back leg and we left the hyena feeding on the carcass with an audience of black backed jackals and a spotted eagle owl, knowing that in the morning there would be little other than a few scuff markets to tell of the night’s events.
Image Taken by Mark Homann
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Tags: epic battle, syndicated
Its really that simple. When hunger kicks in, survival is all that matters. Doesn’t matter if you are up against a reptile 10X your size huh? LOL. Great post! Magnificent creatures of the wild.. i am in awe.