Wild Animals of Yesterday & To-Day. Written by Frank Finn. Illustrated by Cuthbert Edmund Swan. 1913.
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Joining on the the Big Pants trend
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One morning we came across a group of lions gnawing away at a cape buffalo who was already past caring.
A couple of female lions and some cubs enjoyed breakfast while the male, who had already eaten, lazed in the grass. Over an hour or so, a whole parade of scavengers arrived to wait, sneak in for a nibble, and hold one another at bay, all while the lions remained focused on their meal.
It was gruesomely fascinating, and the photos are below so you can skip them if the whole thing is too red in tooth and claw.
In the last photo above, the lion is scratching dirt over the bloody ground where the buffalo met its demise. Our guide said that diminishes the scent of the kill and its siren call to every hungry creature, but it's safe to say plenty of creatures were already on the case.
Jackals had been close by since we arrived, but they got steadily bolder as the lions dawdled. Then an assortment of vultures arrived. Of course they flew in, but then they edged closer on foot. They were remarkably stealthy for such enormous birds.
The vultures pictured above include lappet-faced vultures and white-backed vultures.
Finally, the little jackals couldn't wait another minute. The lions had pushed the buffalo stomach off to one side, intact, and that is where the jackals made their move.
The big male lion had returned to the buffet by this time, and lost patience with the company.
Annoyed, the lion moved the buffalo a little. This left some bits and pieces behind, including the stomach, and the jackals and vultures went to town.
Just when it seemed the jackals would finally have a chance to dig in, the hyenas that had been creeping around the edges decided they had waited long enough.
It was interesting to see the one unfortunate buffalo provide a meal for the whole wild kingdom.
When we moved on to have our own breakfast, the male lion was still standing guard.
Masai Mara, Kenya, July 2023.
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I'm pretty excited to reveal my next D&D character for a complete homebrew campaign.
This is Barnacles (pronounced like a greek hero, “barna-cleeze”) or Barny for short, and he's a half-orc half-gnoll cook that lives with his mum :D
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The Wildlife of Africa. Jocelyn Arundel. Illustrated by Wesley Dennis. 1965.
Internet Archive
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i take one look at ghost & immediately say Turn That Man Into A Creature. so anyway i turned him into a naga
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