Ndtutu XIII - drowned wildebeest, jackals, lions

Today we are leaving Ndutu and heading to pastures new. A pretty sunrise sees us on our way.

Vultures at Lake Masek

Initially we cannot fathom out why so many vultures are descending on the shores of the lake.

There are vultures (and Marabou Stork) everywhere: on the ground, in the trees, flying in! I think all Ndutu's vultures are here in this spot!

The sound of their huge wings flapping as the come in to land is really quite something to hear.

Then we see it: Floating wildebeest carcasses – animals who drowned trying to cross the river.

Not just one, but dozens of bloated, putrid decomposing bodies. The stench of the rotting flesh is heinous.

For some light relief I turn my head towards the heavens, where the dark sky has now opened up a small window to let the sunrise through.

I spend some time watching the large flocks of egrets making their way across other parts of the sky while I wait patiently for a bird or two to fly past the sunrise window.

Meanwhile, the hole in the cloud is rapidly changing shape, and finally I get lucky!

Not being able to stand the atrocious stink any longer, we move on to see what else nature has to offer us today.

Grey Capped Social Weaver

Vitelline Masked Weaver

Black Backed Jackals

Temmincks Stint

Avocets

Gull Billed Tern

Giraffe

Lion

As we are following the contour of the lake, Malisa is busy looking around as always. I feel sure, however, that he has seen the lion whose paw is across the track we are driving on. He makes no attempt at slowing down, so I start to alert him to the big cat, without wanting to shout and scare the lion away. My warning comes out a little meek and feeble: “erm..... stop...?” Of course, for the rest of the trip, the boys tease me mercilessly about it.

By the time Malisa swerves out of the way onto the grass alongside the track and stops, the lion is most certainly not happy.

We move a little further away for our safety and the lions comfort. He obviously realises that lying in the road is not a good ideas, and gets up, sniffs the air and marks his territory before moving off.

We follow him down to the lakeside, where he sees one of the many dead wildebeest floating in the lake. You can tell that he so wants it, but it is just that too far away for him too reach.

We hang around, hoping he is going to go for a swim, but he obviously doesn't want to get his hair wet, and makes a rapid beeline for the thicket further inland instead, walking with a definite purpose.

He wanders into the bush. We follow. There is a delicious smell of mint wafting across the savannah as we bulldoze our way through the undergrowth to follow the lion – such a pleasant change after the grim odour from the wildebeest carcasses earlier.

So that's what he is heading for!

She's coming down!

She most likely sought refuge in the tree as a respite from her mate's sexual advances, and now she's ready for some more action.

We watch as she disappears into the ever-thickening shrubs. The terrain where she is going is too dense for us to follow, we are already in a place outside our normal comfort zone.

“How do we get out of here?” I ask Malisa. “I have no idea” he replies as he creates a new 'track' through the bush.

We return to the area where the lion was watching the wildebeest carcass for our breakfast in the car (too dangerous to get out with the predators around), hoping he'll come back.

He doesn't, so we continue on our way to see what else nature has to offer us.

Thank you to Calabash Adventures for this amazing safari.