Andrew John Linton

PREDATORS and MORE....

Pictures from the month of August 2011, in the Morukuru area as well as Madikwe Game Reserve. We have being very busy with guests this past August, and we have managed to get a some good pictures, as well as share these special moments with people who have come from far. Sightings of lions on kills; a female leopard with her two sub-adult cub; up to 20 rhino sightings in a 4 day period; 8 month old lion cubs; Yellow morph of the Crimson-breasted Shrike, which is a must for "twitchers"; herds of up to 30 and more elephants; big herds of plains game such as zebra, wildebeest, impala, giraffe and the list can go on. We are really spoilt here for game viewing.

Lioness coming down from a tree.

Interesting to watch these Hornbills, as they scratch through dried elephant dung. Termites are feeding on the dry grass, leaf and branch material, that has pased through the stomachs of elephants. Elephants have a very poor digestive system, so there is always something for others to feed on. In this scenario, termites feeding then getting fed on by the Hornbill.

Yellow-billed Hornbill feeding on termites.

Paws.....

African Wild Dog.

These African Wild Dogs managed to chase this female impala, but it unfortunately ran into the river and drowned over night. Early the next morning they were still hanging around the area and the impala was still in the water, so we managed to drag it out of the water, and leave it on the side of the road. They were very tentitive at first, to start feeding, but once they got stuck in, it was all over within 40 minutes!!!

African Wild Dogs feeding on an impala.

These four lions with the help of two others managed to catch an eland cow, which lasted all but one day. Eland being the heaviest of the antelope family in Africa. They may weigh in at an impressive 600-800kg!!!