Hippos are not usually preyed upon by lions – not only are they a fearsome opponent, but they spend much of the day submerged and hidden from sight in pools and rivers.

This particular hippo had clearly been in a territorial fight with another hippo, and was badly wounded. His injuries were serious enough for him to remain out of the water, and this is what led to his ultimate demise.

Two hungry male lions discovered the hippo standing next to Teal Pan, and as the opportunists they are, decided they were more than a match for the injured animal. However, the hippo was still extremely strong and put up a good fight against the two lions. Some five hours after they first spotted the hippo, and after a truly exhausting battle, the lions finally brought the hippo down and were rewarded with a meal fit for the king of the bush.

The Lala Palms at Shinde are full in bloom and the dates are much sought after by the resident elephant population. These gentle giants visit the camp at regular intervals, shaking the palm trees in the hope that some dates will fall to the ground for them to feed upon.

Great sightings continue away from camp

Lions featured heavily on the game viewing menu, with a pride of six taking up residence around an elephant carcass on the channel. Easily visible from both land and water, the pride gorged themselves for a week.

Juvenile Hippopotamus - Shinde Fire Deck

Shinde is renowned for the refuge it provides to wearily travellers from all over the world. A couple of weeks ago this include a juvenile hippopotamus, who seeking refuge from an older bull spent some time on the fire deck reflecting on the trials and tribulations of growing up.