Where No Man Can Follow

December 01, 2008

I'd love to be able to give you an update on how much fun I'm having with the lions, but I can't. It's not that the lions aren't having fun. It's also not because the lions aren't doing anything interesting. It's just that they are doing it in thick, thick bush. I am not able to safely go in and hang out with them. So I am sulking.

During one of the biggest rainstorms we had here in Erindi, the lions went hunting. Not just hunting — these lions went on a killing spree. We found the lions just after the rain let up and they had killed close to 3,000 pounds of meat. They killed the largest bull eland that I have ever seen, a bull gemsbok, an adult female springbok and her fawn. Four kills in the same night, all in the same place.

These lions are very good hunters, so if you add the advantage of rain no animal has a chance to escape their dinner plate. During rain, especially the heavy rain like this storm, the game have to put their heads down and squint their eyes to keep the water out of them. If you add this lack of vison to the loud pounding the rain makes on the vegetation, the animals can't hear or see anything sneaking up behind them.

All of this is really neat behavior to witness and is a great example of how predators will hunt independent of their need to eat. Hunters hunt until there is nothing left to hunt. The problem and reason for my foul mood is that the lions have now taken all the food into some thick bush that I can't get to safely. The whole pride is together on these kills and they are very grumpy when the cubbies are near.

I guess I will have to update you on our relationship later, because the lions don't want to see me for a while!

Comments

[ming quach]

Dave,you need to look at the big picture! Do you realize your ignorance is endangering lions? While you are filming this tastless show of yours, you are never in "real" danger are you? Try being out there with lions ALONE! Now, thats a film worth watching! What you are doing is playing games with lions for t.v. which will and maybe already has gotten lions killed. I know a little about film making, editing, cut scenes, bloopers etc, You only show what you want the people to see.How many times were you almost cat-chow, and they had to shoot the lion? not with the camera? my advise to you, leave the LIONS ALONE!You can't control nature, Who do you think you are? I no longer watch Animal Planet because of your selfish actions and stupidity. From Tacoma Washington ...Scott

[Body Cellulite]

Wow! Sounds fun...

[cellulite cream]

lions are so cool, but so scary at the same time.

[scott quach]

mingquach@yahoo.com >>>> Dave,you need to look at the big picture! Do you realize your ignorance is endangering lions? While you are filming this tastless show of yours, you are never in "real" danger are you? Try being out there with lions ALONE! Now, thats a film worth watching! What you are doing is playing games with lions for t.v. which will and maybe already has gotten lions killed. I know a little about film making, editing, cut scenes, bloopers etc, You only show what you want the people to see.How many times were you almost cat-chow, and they had to shoot the lion? not with the camera? my advise to you, leave the LIONS ALONE!You can't control nature, Who do you think you are? I no longer watch Animal Planet because of your selfish actions and stupidity. From Tacoma Washington ...Scott

[scott quach]

Dave,you need to look at the big picture! Do you realize your ignorance is endangering lions? While you are filming this tastless show of yours, you are never in "real" danger are you? Try being out there with lions ALONE! Now, thats a film worth watching! What you are doing is playing games with lions for t.v. which will and maybe already has gotten lions killed. I know a little about film making, editing, cut scenes, bloopers etc, You only show what you want the people to see.How many times were you almost cat-chow, and they had to shoot the lion? not with the camera? my advise to you, leave the LIONS ALONE!You can't control nature, Who do you think you are? I no longer watch Animal Planet because of your selfish actions and stupidity. From Tacoma Washington ...Scott

[preor]

wow very good

[Adidas Sneake]

thanks for your informations!

[Adidas Classic Shoes]

nice article !!!

[andrea]

watching the lions hunting,stalking their prey must be great,you get to watch upclose,well as close as they will let you,i watch my kitten stalking in the garden ,he even does little growls,i have a large lazy cat too,shes not as interested,but they are my best buddies when their hungry,cos i feed them,they know this,but they still have these wild instincs ,which amazes me to watch.you dont feed the wild lions so you mean nothing to them,but you try very hard to try somehow to communicate with them,show them respect,and i somehow get the impression,they,know this .but i hope you never get to close after a kill that,they kill you,or just even run for you to attack you,scarry stuff ,keep it real dave,take care.

[Erica-Rio de Janeiro]

After this brief explanation of how the lions hunt in the rain I am more and more anxious to watch your TV series. I'm sure will be great.
Dave has a good job. And before I forget: I wish you a good return home (I am talking about this in advance), a good Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family.

Érica Lima=^.^=

[jasen]

nice article !!!tHere will come a time in the future that all endangered animals will become kind as a lamb that was a promise from the bible in psalm 37...

[betty]

It would have been nice to see them on the hunt. I have seen only one documentary where a pride went on a hunt for Elephants. It was a sad thing to witness, atleast I wasnot there in person but Cris and Martin Kratt were. But what was amazing was the tatics the pride was using. It was sort of unusual to see about 20+ members of a pride but then again desperate times call for desperate measures. There were no wildebeast so go for the one with the most meat. So I guess in a way lions understand the concept of cost effectiveness. Thank you again for this Dave. Hugs and Kisses your way