The Avoca pride is our resident pride and it consists of 6 adult females and 5 cubs just over a year old. With the cubs growing in size, the pride is forced to search further afield for food as they need to increase the amount of animals caught in order to sustain their growing cubs.
Queue Alfred and his guests on such a day, as they had just arrived at the sighting when it all unfolded.
At first, all you could see was a very alert waterbuck bull and suddenly chaos ensued as the pride made their chase. It took a few minutes but eventually they were successful. This meal would have to go a long way, as there are a lot of mouths to feed in this large pride.
When we got there a bit later, the pride had gone down to the dam a few meters away for a drink. They had quenched their thirst and their bellies were full yet surprisingly the cubs still had energy for a bit of rough and tumble play.
Gradually they all made their way back to the kill where most of them lazed about in the shade. Feeding in the scorching hot summer sun was clearly too much for one of the females so she began the process of dragging the kill up the bank while the cubs looked on eagerly. This was not a quick affair. She dragged it. Then fed a bit. Then dragged it again and rested a bit… Eventually she made it to the shade and stood there panting as she gathered her energy for another feed.
One of the other females looked like she was about to chase away the vultures that had by now come closer to the spot where carcass had originally been. But she soon gave up and joined the rest of the pride in the shade.
When guests went back there during afternoon game drive there was almost nothing left. They had feasted well and it was time to rest and let the food digest.
