Elephant Cow Mourns, Lions Celebrate

Location: Tubu Tree Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Date: 4th August 2010

Guides: Johnny Mowanji and Kambango Sinimbo

Management: Justin Stevens and Jacky Collett-Stevens

Photographs: Dr. David and Lisa Agard

One species’ loss is sometimes another family’s gain; this was the story that unfolded at Tubu Tree Camp on August 4th.

Just off the road, an elephant cow waited with two sub-adults. They stood very quietly. The cow did not move and eventually, the observers spotted a tiny baby elephant lying in the grass nearby. We initially thought it must be asleep but eventually realised the new-born was dead. The cow looked a little uneasy and we decided to leave her to mourn. As we moved off, however, she lost her temper and charged – perhaps distraught at her loss.

The following morning, after a night filled with lion roars, we tracked a male lion to the elephant carcass. He feasted on his own all day. In the evening, he was joined by his three cubs, very unusually without the two adult females of the pride. The following morning, the whole pride was together, their bellies distended. The fat stomachs did not stop the cubs playing with the elephant trunk and their father.

As an elephant herd lost a baby, a lion pride was able to feed for four days – indeed, they left nothing for the hyaenas, jackals or vultures.