Sighting of the Quarter: Tug of War in the Bush

7/30/2023

Kate M. of Wilderness Destinations recently recounted an extraordinary sighting from her safari to Chikwenya in Zimbabwe's Mana Pools National Park.

"We were about 10 minutes from the camp when we spotted the fluffy white tails of a pack of painted dogs. As the dogs came into full view of our vehicle, we saw a cloud of dust and heard a loud yelp followed by excited squeals. The pack had come across the remains of an impala that they must have killed earlier, and having regrouped, were now fending off some hungry hyenas.

A lone hyena snuck in behind the ravenous pack of three dogs, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Once again, dust billowed and a noisy commotion broke out – the hyena yanking at the leftover impala while the wild dogs, having strength in numbers, tugged back. While this was happening, an African fish-eagle swooped in from the right, eyeing out the remains and making off with a decent-sized piece.

The tug of war continued until the hyena broke off, taking the carrion with him and loping into the distance as fast he could go. But the wild dogs managed to snatch back the carcass and came bounding back to the tree where they'd first made the kill, all furiously digging into the last bit of impala.

But, the African fish-eagle was the real prize-winner. The fearless bird swooped down once again to find whatever it could, exerting the least effort and coming away with the greatest reward."  You can watch the video here.