Roxanne Reid - Africa Addict
  • Home
  • Book author
    • Travels in the Kalahari >
      • Photo gallery: Travels in the Kalahari
      • Book reviews: Travels in the Kalahari
    • A Walk in the Park >
      • Photo gallery: A Walk in the Park
      • Book reviews: A Walk in the Park
    • The Essential Guide to Self-Editing >
      • Book reviews: Essential Guide to Self-Editing
    • Betrayed
    • Book reviews online
  • Editing & proofreading
  • In the media
    • Travel features
    • Health features
    • Online media
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Links
  • Contact

The Kgalagadi lions, the leopard and the camelthorn tree

29/4/2015

8 Comments

 
Leopard, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
By Roxanne Reid
As any regular visitor to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park will know, it can be dry or green, hot enough to fry your brain or cold enough to freeze your blood, but it’s always rewarding. Take as an example the entertainment put on by the lions, the leopard and the camelthorn tree when we visited in March 2015.

We’d had a feast of electric storms, but no more than a few spits of rain. We’d seen meerkat and honey badger, a jamboree of whitebacked vultures kickboxing their way around a gemsbok kill on the dunes, a cheetah on a springbok kill and so many lions sleeping that the mere sight of them got us yawning too.

But we were walloped awake by a sphinx-like leopard in the shade of a grey camelthorn tree about a kilometre north of Auchterlonie waterhole. Amazingly in this increasingly popular park, we had her to ourselves for nearly 20 minutes before other cars arrived, time enough to notice a springbok kill in a high branch above us.
Leopard. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Nothing more special than spending two days watching a Kgalagadi leopard with a kill
From the leopard identification book compiled by the wonderful Kgalagadi Leopard Project, we knew she was Warona, daughter of the Auchterlonie Female. She was born in October 2012 and is frequently seen along the Auob between Munro and Gemsbokplein waterholes.

We watched her morning and afternoon for two days. She mostly followed the shade or hid behind a thorn bush when too many cars were coming and going and making noise. On the third morning, I was certain she’d have gone; there wasn’t much meat left on the carcass and it was starting to smell too skanky for anyone but scavengers to find appealing.
Lions, Auchterlonie,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Two of the lions drinking at Auchterlonie waterhole in the Auob riverbed
Sure enough, she was nowhere to be seen. But we did find a family of five lions walking towards Auchterlonie waterhole, mom, dad and three almost full-grown cubs, two of them with the first sprouting of manes. They drank at the waterhole and lay in the shade for a bit before walking further north.
Lions,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The lions had followed the smell of the springbok carcass and now needed to work out how to get to it
Soon they were sniffing the air. Lions are ardent scavengers so the springbok kill must have seemed enticing.

When they arrived at the grey camelthorn tree where the last remnants of the leopard kill were still dangling, there was much excitement, all eyes on the prize. Big Daddy tried to climb the tree but quickly realised he was too heavy. The cubs were very vocal, moaning in frustration before one of them – let’s call her TopCat – took a leap into the tree and climbed to the branch with the kill. Ungainly, undignified, she inched forward onto the branch, a few ominous creaks here and there. We were so close to the action that if the branch had broken, both branch and lion would have catapulted onto the bakkie next to us.

Tree-climbing lions,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Two lions have braved the grey camelthorn to get to the kill; another two are hoping for scraps to fall
Springbok horns are tricky things and the kill was tightly wedged, its ribcage and the scraps of one leg on one side of the branch, its head and horns on the other. TopCat gave a few tugs, muscles straining. Frustrated, she started eating in the tree, bones crunching loudly. 
Tree-clibing lions,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Sidekick starts to realise he's not going to get to the kill if TopCat can help it
By now, a second cub – we’ll call it Sidekick – had climbed the trunk, his nose millimetres from the back toes of his munching sister. He moaned in frustration, but TopCat just kept crunching and growling to warn him off. Eventually Sidekick reversed out of the tree again, but continued to watch with keen interest from the ground.
Tree-climbing lions,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
TopCat in her finest moment, just before the undignified fall out of the tree
After about 10 minutes TopCat tried again to pry the kill loose, succeeding instead in unbalancing herself. Claws scrabbled furiously at the bark as she tried to save herself. 
Tree-climbing lions,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Her front paws found a branch and latched on, the rest of her body stretched loooong like a domestic cat’s, back paws still about three feet from the ground. 
Tree-climbing lions,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The lion hung there for 8 or 10 seconds, uncertain how to continue, then admitted defeat and dropped heavily into a thorn bush. 
Tree-climbing lions,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Now Sidekick had his chance and was up the tree in a flash, following the same passage to the kill, but much faster than his trailblazing sister had done. He eased even further out on the branch where the kill was. Creak, crack! Part of a branch fell away and the lion stopped, leg muscles tensed. He crept forward again, got the carcass in his teeth and gave a few good pulls. The head with horns came tumbling out of the tree, but no one noticed. 
Tree-climbing lions,  Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Sidekick clamped the ribcage in his jaws. We thought he was going to fall backwards through the thorns and branches as TopCat had done, but he'd learnt from his sibling's mistakes and reversed like a champion. We could see his muscles tensing as he backed down, both back paws on one spot in the fork of the grey camelthorn, then back a little more. Slowly, slowly. 

The instant he reached ground the others bounded up hopefully but he growled fiercely and they backed off. While he was enjoying the ribcage Stage Left, one of the others at last came round the front of the tree, discovered the head and carried it off Stage Right. Two young lions chomping happily. 

This is why I love lion cubs and teenagers. They’re still keen on action and adventure so they're 
great fun to watch, whereas mom and dad sleep passively. We watched the youngsters for almost two hours and there wasn’t a dull moment. We barely noticed the 39-degree heat.

It’s sightings like these tree-climbing lions of Kgalagadi that all of us Kalahari addicts live for in the bush.


Like it? Pin this image!
Tree-climbing lions of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park #SouthAfrica #safari #wildlife #travel #Kalahari
You might also enjoy:
Lions cause an adrenalin rush at Polentswa, Kgalagadi
Mating Kgalagadi lions
Life and death in the Kalahari

Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
8 Comments
Ilza Louw
29/4/2015 10:23:05 am

What a lovely story and some excellent pics. I am green!

Reply
Roxanne link
29/4/2015 01:28:02 pm

Thanks, Ilza. That's the great thing about watching wildlife; you never know when you're going to see something special.

Reply
Kevin
29/4/2015 01:27:14 pm

I found this really interesting. I always thought I would escape up a tree if chased by a lion. Have to reconsider that plan.

Reply
Roxanne link
29/4/2015 01:31:27 pm

Indeed you do, Kevin. Lions won't generally climb trees for no reward, but a human might be a tasty treat they'd consider worth the effort!

Reply
Suzette Booyens
1/5/2015 05:34:21 am

I want to say sincere thanks to you for a thrilling and interesting photo show and excellent commentary. I keenly want to share it with my friends! May you enjoy many more adverturous trips.

Reply
Roxanne Reid
6/5/2015 01:44:54 am

Thanks Suzette. Glad you enjoyed it.

Reply
Marion
6/6/2015 02:48:42 am

Wow......what a beautiful photo's and a lovely story! Thanks for sharing!

In about 5 weeks we will visiting Kgalagadi for 7 days. It's our first time. We've read so many nice things about Kgalagadi, we can not wait!

We are staying at Matamata, Kieliekrankie, Urikaruus, and Nossob.
Do you have any tips for us?

Reply
Roxanne
7/6/2015 09:30:37 am

Oh you're going to love it. Take time to appreciate small things like geckos and gerbils, there's a wealth of nature here that has nothing to do with lions! Plants and clouds too. Keep binos handy at the wilderness camps as you never know what will visit the waterhole in front of the chalets. Also, pack warm - Urikaruus can get down to minus 12 at night in winter!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Get email links to the latest posts

    Buy my books
    Travels in the Kalahari, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2012​

    A Walk in the Park, amazon.com e-book
    2nd ed e-book 2015
    The Essential Guide to Self-Editing, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2017

    About 

    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    My travel buddy and husband Keith is the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
    Use this website to discover new places to go, revisit places you've loved, or take a virtual tour of destinations you only dream about.

    Categories

    All
    Baviaanskloof
    Books
    Botswana
    Camping
    Cape Town
    Chobe
    Conservation
    Drc
    Eastern Cape
    Etosha Namibia
    Food
    Free State
    Garden Route
    Gauteng
    Issues
    Kalahari
    Karoo
    Kenya
    Kruger National Park
    Kwazulu Natal
    Lesotho
    Limpopo
    Linyanti
    Madagascar
    Malawi
    Mozambique
    Mpumalanga
    Namaqualand
    Namibia
    Nature Parks
    Northern Cape
    Okavango
    Overberg
    People
    Photography
    Richtersveld
    Tanzania
    West Coast
    Western Cape
    Wild Creatures
    Zambia
    Zimbabwe

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    November 2009


Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without written permission from roxannereid.co.za

Privacy Policy, GDPR and POPIA compliance
​* We promise that we take data safety seriously and use your private data only to offer a personalised experience
* If you subscribed to our newsletter, you will receive our newsletters. You can always unsubscribe by following the link in email or by emailing us
* If you gave us your name, it will only be used to personalise the newsletters
* We have never sold, we are not selling, and we will not sell any of your personal data provided to us
* The blog uses cookies to track activity. It is anonymous except for telling us your location and what you did on our blog
​
Photos from berniedup, Lucy_Hill