We had been out since first light, spending some of the morning with a lone lioness.
With our own lunch temporarily on hold, we quickly made our way closer, and counted a total of 32 spotted hyenas of various ages, shoulder-deep in the waterhole, squabbling fiercely over the carcass of a topi antelope. At times they would duck their heads under the water and come back up for air with chunks of the unfortunate topi in their mouths. As the competition escalated amongst the writhing mass of hyenas, the noise level increased, and they made short work of the topi, literally tearing it apart in the water. Plenty of action and noise, and something that is seldom seen on such a grand scale.
The entire scene lasted for about three quarters of an hour, after which the clan split in different directions to find a place to sleep off their meal. Their strategy of ambushing prey as it approached the waterhole seemed to pay off – over the next couple of days, we saw another two kills in the same area. Undoubtedly, the long grass and slippery conditions around the water’s edge worked in their favour, and they were able to pick off the younger prey animals with relative ease. It was clear who ruled this particular valley.
Spotted hyenas are probably at the top of the list of dominant predators across much of the Serengeti. On this occasion we could see for ourselves just how efficient they are at removing any sick, weak or slightly slower animals from the herds, and such a large group of these powerful predators in one location could possibly explain the local scarcity of lions. In any setting, the sight of so many individuals in one huge gathering is remarkable; add to this the fact that they were, literally, “bobbing for topi” in a waterhole, and you can see why it was such a unique experience.