Savute Under Canvas Saves Kudu .....Well Almost

Sitting having afternoon tea with guests at Savute Under Canvas explaining the wilderness of Botswana and just how wild it can be we hear the cry of a distressed animal.  And its close by.  Sage calls out "something's being killed lets go".  The guests jump up and trot to the nearest game viewer.  All of 10 meters away.  They never even get a chance to sit in their seats when a kudu dashes into camp with a wild dog attached to its side.  The dog realizing that it is being dragged into camp releases his prey and draws to a halt.  The kudu on the other hand continues into the heart of the camp and seeks shelter under the verandah of the guests tent.  There she stands trying to catch her breath and fight off the shock she is obviously experiencing.  The dog moves into camp from the left becomes wary and retreats to the parameter.  He tries from all angles, stalking trying to locate his injured prey.  The kudu backs herself up against the front of the tent hiding herself as best she can.  The dog again tries to locate his prey.  In frustration he stalks the tent from the left and then from the right and then tries from the rear.  After 30 minutes he moves seemingly giving up on his prey and runs off in the direction from which he first came.  The kudu collapses and lies down with her head stretched out in front of her.  She is weak from her blood loss and in shock.  We wait in anticipation of the dogs return.  30 minutes goes by and still no sign of him.  The guests move off after the dog to see if they can locate him.  Back at camp with an injured kudu a discussion ensues about what we do if the kudu dies on the doorstep of the guests tent.  We leave the kudu to see what the she will do and start going about our duties that need to be done prior to the guests getting back.  Keeping a wide birth of the kudu and trying to remain as sensitive to the injured animal as much as possible we move about camp.  She seems content to let us and shows no signs of being upset by our presence.  After about 30 minutes the kudu stands and on unsteady legs retreats to the safety of a thicket about 20 meters from the back of the guests tent.  Looking back at us after every few steps.  She stands firm in the thicket looking on at us.  I make my way to my tent in preparation for a shower when the sound of a vehicle approaching draws my attention.  I look up through the window to see a pack of wild dog in full sprint heading straight back into camp.  I glance over to where the kudu is standing at the precise moment that she bolts from the thicket and heads straight back to the assumed safety of the verandah of a tent.  Again she stands on the verandah backing herself against the front of the tent.  The dogs hesitate for a fraction of a moment.  They split up and surround the tent.  Still wary of the camp yet instinct taking over the smallest of the dogs charges at the injured prey.  It signals all the other dogs who move in for the kill.  The kudu struggles and tries with all her might to fight back.  Kicking and head butting the dogs she tries with all the remaining strength she has to not to circum to her predators.  The battle is lost quickly and the dogs are successful in bringing her down.  As only wild dogs do the kudu is shredded while each dog takes his and her fare share.  They drag the kudu behind the tent to proceed with their feeding.  For 2 hours we watch from meters away while the dogs feed.  Our guests watch on with their guides as nature plays out the tragedy of prey and the effectiveness of a predator. As we are in a private camp sight only andBEYOND vehicles are permitted to enter the camp and watch the events play out.  Other operaters can only drive past and try catch a glance of the dogs from the outskirts.  The dogs devour their prey meters from our vehicles and tents.  We look on in amazement at the interaction of the dogs amoungst themselves.  At dusk there is not much left of the kudu.  The dogs grow restless as night approaches.  One by one they are torn from what remains of their kill and move off into the darkness.  Our guests drive the 20 meters back to camp to be greeted with warm face cloths and a gin and tonic.  No questions of how was your drive just the excitement of did you see when.....  The drama is over and the postmortem of events ensue around the fire.  It is then the next chapter of the night begins.  The laughing of hyenas and calls in the distance.  The crunching of bones and the growling of a hyena protecting what is his. This goes on for an hour and we sit in wonder listening to it all play out from the darkness of the African night.  We comment to the guest that they may not experience such a good nights rest with all the noise, however as quickly as they arrived the hyenas leave with their calls fading by their distance.  It is true we never had such a good nights sleep though.  Have you ever had to listen to the calls of mating Giant Eagle owls perched above your tent?   

Posted: Savute Under Canvas by CC Africa, Date: 15 July 2008

 
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