MR BIG IS DEAD

On the 10th April 2012 we drove around the Kudu Hills area in Savute and smelt a dead elephant carcass. We drove around the hill but did not see the carcass. We kept smelling it until we got to the eastern side of the hill. We drove another road next to the Savute Channel, still keeping to the eastern side of Kudu Hills. We found the carcass of the big bull elephant still intact and its body inflated due to the heat. It seemed that it had died a few days before and amazingly there has been no scavenger activity around the carcass.

On the night of the 10th April we heard a male lion roaring in the distance. The roaring became louder and louder as the night grew small. The next morning we drove to the dead elephant and we found one male lion feeding on the carcass. But still there was not much fed on it by scavengers and even the lion found the tough hide a bit too much to get through.

On our next visit we only found some vultures feeding on the carcass, however there was still plenty left for whoever might come round for dinner that night!

Posted: Savute Under Canvas by Morgan Matengu, Date: 10 April 2012