For the average tourist, game drive sightings are largely a matter of luck. Had this lucky family chosen any different, they might well have missed the sighting of a lifetime.
Swathi Shenoy submitted this wonderful footage to Latest Sightings. It was filmed on the Gudzani Road in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
As luck would have it
In a detailed account of the sighting, Swathi, Ashok, and Aarav told Latest Sightings that after a quiet few days in the park, they decided to go to N’Wanetsi Lookout.
Suddenly, their attention was drawn to movement in the tall grass. Something was chasing a large male giraffe.
By the time they got alongside, a pride of lions had just pulled down the giraffe. Amazingly, it happened right next to the road, affording them front-row seats.
Happened so quickly
Swathi said it all happened so quickly that they barely had time to reach for the camera. By the time they had, five or six lions were all over it.
And, most incredibly, there was not another vehicle in sight. Realising how privileged they were, the family settled in to watch the pride feed.
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The N’wanetsi Pride
Given the pride’s location and composition, these lions are likely the N’wanetsi pride. It is made up of several mature lionesses and their all-male offspring.
In the image above, we see one of the lionesses in the foreground, two of the young males in the centre, and another two lionesses on the right.
Not letting go
While most of the pride mill about, with some starting to feed, one lioness keeps her jaws firmly clamped over the giraffe’s nostrils. This is a classic asphyxiation grip, intended to cut off the giraffe’s air supply.
That said, it is strange that she maintains her grip throughout most of the footage, despite there being no obvious signs of life from the giraffe. She must know something we don’t.
Point of entry
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Meanwhile, it is the other lionesses that seem most interested in feeding. Three of them start tearing at the carcass from various positions at its abdomen.
Feeding typically starts at the belly and between the hind legs. Here, the thinner skin is easier to open, allowing access to the nutrient-rich organs.
Learn while you can
While they’re at it, the young male watches the lioness still clinging to the giraffe’s muzzle. It’s as if he wants to learn just how to kill a giraffe.
And he must do so now, for soon his mother and aunts will want to breed again, forcing him and his brothers to fend for themselves.
Subsequently, his brother arrives, and he too practices his killing technique by clamping his jaws over the giraffe’s throat.
Before long, the lionesses opened the carcass, and the scent of fresh meat hung in the air. Accordingly, lessons were suspended as feeding time began.
