We took the morning off to regroup: catch up on the blog, download photo cards to the computer and back up drives, clean cameras, and just relax around Camp.
We headed out on a game drive at 3:30 pm heading toward Double Gorge. At the top of the ridge where the scrub Acacia trees gave way to the savanna, we saw a Cook Hartebeest that had apparently died that morning. I have never seen before so many vultures so close and working so feverously on a carcass. There easily were 50 - 60 vultures all pushing, shoving and raucously jockeying for the best feeding position. Among the mob we saw Wooly-necked Vultures, Egyptian Vultures, Ruppell’s Vulture, Lappet-faced Vultures and African White-backed Vultures. Hanging at the edge, out of the fray, were a wary lone hyena and a couple of Marabou Storks waiting for a chance to feed. The vultures attacked the softer parts of the carcass first and as they sunk their heads deep inside, it became obvious why vultures have few feathers on their necks.
We continued on to Double Gorge, which is a stunningly beautiful narrow gorge. It has steep rocky sides, a green grassy floor, and an abundance of trees and shrubs. It was here that we had our first glimpse of rock hyraxes. They are small mammals that are about 4 -12 pounds and 16 - 23 inches long. They live in colonies of 2 to 26 members amongst the rocks all over Africa except the rainforest. Having little control over their body temperature, they depend on their rock shelters for controlling heating and cooling. They are grazers, so the Double Gorge is an ideal home.
We also spent time in the gorge watching a Hammerkop pair industriously building their nest. A hyena peered from above into to the gorge before we departed with last light.
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