Killer sightings in the Kgalagadi
HYENA VS BLACK-BACKED JACKAL, LIJERSDRAAI DUNE ROAD
In June 2018, we stayed at Grootkolk, one of the wilderness camps in the park. One morning we decided to drive south. At the Lijersdraai picnic site, we followed the short dune road to see if it had anything interesting to offer.
After we’d driven about 2 km, we came across an unusual scene: a young spotted hyena lying on its own next to the carcass of a red hartebeest 1 . The hyena was unusually dark in colour. The carcass was half-eaten and vultures started to descend. We couldn’t figure out why the hyena was alone. Where were the lions? Or, if lions hadn’t caught the hartebeest, where were the other hyenas? The hyena was sated and sleepy, but it didn’t have peace for long…
A lone black-backed jackal arrived. It was cautious at first, darting in to snatch leftover scraps near the carcass. The hyena had its head resting on the carcass and was watching the jackal closely. When 2
