Staff at Kanana enjoyed a Saturday night with a difference last night. Just after the last guest had gone to bed, camp manager Falie and some overnighting pilots were quietly chatting by the fire. The late night peace was suddenly broken by the loud, startled trumpeting of an elephant, close to camp.

Falie and the pilots took a spotlight and went to investigate. To their surprise they discovered a young hyena was chasing the elephant across the plains in front of the camp. As the hyena raced along the grass Falie noticed four more hyenas lying in the camp’s undergrowth, watching with great interest.

Every once in a while the elephant would spin around, trumpet loudly and chase the hyena away. However, hyenas are known for their persistence and the pair put on quite a show before the elephant finally decided he’d had enough and retreated to the papyrus bed at the rear of the camp.

Entertainment of this nature happens more often than you’d imagine in camp and often involves the same leading stars. The elephant in question is a camp regular, Snorey (so named for his terrible snoring habit), and Falie suspects that the young hyena might be Mike the Mechanic, a name he picked up as a pup after stealing parts from underneath a game drive vehicle!