A Battle Royale
Just try and picture yourself in an open canoe drifting down arguably one of the most placid rivers in Africa. Hardly so much as a ripple. Its just past 10am and its the month of April so the bush is still very lush and there are blue blue skies above.
All of a sudden a huge male Sable Antelope appears on my right hand side in the elephant grass that is nearly the same height as he and waving slightly in the wind. Instantly i freeze so as not to alarm him, he cocks his ears forward and takes a pace or two towards the river then decides to turn and trot off but suddenly as if he just remembered who he is, without doubt the most majestic antelope (I know of) he charges back towards the river. I desperately tried taking shots but the current and drifted me down and my vision was obscured I could hear him galloping off into the distance! That was amazing enough!
The river at this point does a very gradual 90 degree bend to the right where the sable was. I like to stop on the left to have tea and a snack and go for a walk but as i beach my canoe i heard animals thundering through the bush snorting and squealing in the most alarming sort of way. As i looked down stream to animals in a blur dashed out from the right hand side and plunged into the river. It was all happening so fast that i still hadn’t made out the species until i look through binoculars.
Two male sable up to their flanks in the river, facing one another clashing horns and sending such a spray of water up that they were invisible from view. At some points they would both be fully submerged as they wrestled each other down in a show of strength and dominance. Jumping instantly back into the canoe i stole across the river and up against the right bank side to get as much cover as possible and slowly glided down to the action. I get my distance so as not to disturb the battle royal!
Eventually one bull started to weaken and it became obvious he was to become the loser but his fate was still a mystery.
The bulls fought and fought! With great sweeps of their deadly horn at one an-others flanks to try and pierce the lungs or other vital organs.
The noise was terrific, it sounded like stout oak poles being used as some sort of fight stick and the water was churned into white froth around them.
Eventually I half submerged myself in the water to get a better angle for shots. Being April is was still wonderful temperature and refreshing from the sun. By this stage they had been fighting for over an hour.
The weaker male was showing signs of giving up his head lolled in submission and tiredness and he must have been almost down on his knees with the now dominant male towering over him. At some points his whole muzzle was in the water and i wondered how he could breath.
Twice the weaker made a dash for land but seemed to be herded back to the depths of the middle of the river with much squealing and and snorting.
Their horns would interlock and form some sort of circle as the necks interlocked.
At points they stood side by side to sweep across each others flanks and end up with the strange circle of horns being formed and at other times would stand head to head and launch themselves at each like Big Horn Sheep!
Again and again they go at each water flying around and the noise was so tremendous as the beautiful horns smashed and locked. It was as if the whole African bush had stopped to wait and watch silently as these two kings fought it out.
Ears started to droop on the weaker male and he was soundly beat, almost! Occasionally he’d muster some strength from a hidden reserve and a try a counter attack but would be soundly beaten down again. The dominant male now sure of his victory would stand triumphantly over him with ears and tail cocked and his massive set of horns held high!
After 2 hours of this battle they eventually made a break for it and dashed into the bush again i could hear the hooves thundering off into the distance and then another explosion of water as the animals charged back into the water but a good 350m down stream.
They were in a huge thick reed bed and so not really exposed to view but as i caught up with them i could only see one! The stronger of the two stood there eye balling me coolly with no fear. I heard what sounded like a release of air from a lung shot animal. I was confused i couldn’t see the defeated bull but the escaping air and sucking noise hadn’t come from him.
He arrogantly trotted off into the bush.
The other bull must have been in there somewhere. I didn’t want to approach as a wounded sable would make mince meat of me so I found a termite mound on the waters edge a little far down and climbed this to get a view of the area, scanning the sedges i could see nothing but the churned up vegetation of where they had been not moments before!
I have experienced Water Buck in Zambia fully submerge themselves when Wild Dog were hunting them and one couldn’t even see their nostrils unless you looked carefully and knew where to look.
The power of the animals really shook me up. And to see such magnificent animals battling like that, you almost want them to stop but two evenly built males there is little chance!
All of a sudden a huge male Sable Antelope appears on my right hand side in the elephant grass that is nearly the same height as he and waving slightly in the wind. Instantly i freeze so as not to alarm him, he cocks his ears forward and takes a pace or two towards the river then decides to turn and trot off but suddenly as if he just remembered who he is, without doubt the most majestic antelope (I know of) he charges back towards the river. I desperately tried taking shots but the current and drifted me down and my vision was obscured I could hear him galloping off into the distance! That was amazing enough!
The river at this point does a very gradual 90 degree bend to the right where the sable was. I like to stop on the left to have tea and a snack and go for a walk but as i beach my canoe i heard animals thundering through the bush snorting and squealing in the most alarming sort of way. As i looked down stream to animals in a blur dashed out from the right hand side and plunged into the river. It was all happening so fast that i still hadn’t made out the species until i look through binoculars.
Two male sable up to their flanks in the river, facing one another clashing horns and sending such a spray of water up that they were invisible from view. At some points they would both be fully submerged as they wrestled each other down in a show of strength and dominance. Jumping instantly back into the canoe i stole across the river and up against the right bank side to get as much cover as possible and slowly glided down to the action. I get my distance so as not to disturb the battle royal!
Eventually one bull started to weaken and it became obvious he was to become the loser but his fate was still a mystery.
The bulls fought and fought! With great sweeps of their deadly horn at one an-others flanks to try and pierce the lungs or other vital organs.
The noise was terrific, it sounded like stout oak poles being used as some sort of fight stick and the water was churned into white froth around them.
Eventually I half submerged myself in the water to get a better angle for shots. Being April is was still wonderful temperature and refreshing from the sun. By this stage they had been fighting for over an hour.
The weaker male was showing signs of giving up his head lolled in submission and tiredness and he must have been almost down on his knees with the now dominant male towering over him. At some points his whole muzzle was in the water and i wondered how he could breath.
Twice the weaker made a dash for land but seemed to be herded back to the depths of the middle of the river with much squealing and and snorting.
Their horns would interlock and form some sort of circle as the necks interlocked.
At points they stood side by side to sweep across each others flanks and end up with the strange circle of horns being formed and at other times would stand head to head and launch themselves at each like Big Horn Sheep!
Again and again they go at each water flying around and the noise was so tremendous as the beautiful horns smashed and locked. It was as if the whole African bush had stopped to wait and watch silently as these two kings fought it out.
Ears started to droop on the weaker male and he was soundly beat, almost! Occasionally he’d muster some strength from a hidden reserve and a try a counter attack but would be soundly beaten down again. The dominant male now sure of his victory would stand triumphantly over him with ears and tail cocked and his massive set of horns held high!
After 2 hours of this battle they eventually made a break for it and dashed into the bush again i could hear the hooves thundering off into the distance and then another explosion of water as the animals charged back into the water but a good 350m down stream.
They were in a huge thick reed bed and so not really exposed to view but as i caught up with them i could only see one! The stronger of the two stood there eye balling me coolly with no fear. I heard what sounded like a release of air from a lung shot animal. I was confused i couldn’t see the defeated bull but the escaping air and sucking noise hadn’t come from him.
He arrogantly trotted off into the bush.
The other bull must have been in there somewhere. I didn’t want to approach as a wounded sable would make mince meat of me so I found a termite mound on the waters edge a little far down and climbed this to get a view of the area, scanning the sedges i could see nothing but the churned up vegetation of where they had been not moments before!
I have experienced Water Buck in Zambia fully submerge themselves when Wild Dog were hunting them and one couldn’t even see their nostrils unless you looked carefully and knew where to look.
The power of the animals really shook me up. And to see such magnificent animals battling like that, you almost want them to stop but two evenly built males there is little chance!