National Geographic Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas Page #3

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The old adversaries are always watching

and waiting to slip in from the night.

At the water Matsumi quenches

the drastic thirst

that develops from a cobra bite

and listens to the nightmare behind her.

Her cubs are gone

and her own survival now hangs in the balance.

Tucked away in a distant

corner of their territory,

the rest of Matsumi's pride sees out

another hot day in typical lion fashion.

Heat steals the moisture

that all life depends on.

African bees like everything else

are desperate for sustenance.

They seek out any source of moisture.

Although well-equipped for most hazards,

lions have few defences against bees.

They are more of an irritation than a danger.

Especially to Untwydumala.

When the lions move on

the bees go in search of new victims.

Hyenas are more tolerant - or lazier.

But when the matriarch can't take it any longer

she finds a ready solution.

She buries her problem.

We stayed with Matsumi

for four long days and nights

as she struggled against the devilry

of the lingering cobra venom.

Her vision is still unfocused.

The constant salivation dehydrates her.

The ordeal has sucked her energy,

and the pain from the bite

in her back leg is obvious;

as she keeps it from touching the other one.

She is totally vulnerable.

Each day must be an agony,

each night a nighmare.

Like the lions, the hyenas patrol frequently

to guard against neighbouring clans.

Along patrol, they come across

the snake-bitten lioness.

They sense that she can't defend herself

and they circle.

She needs aggression

with what the little strength she has.

No hyena is quite willing

to risk a frontal attack.

We can state Matsumi seems like an easy target,

but suddenly and quite surprisingly,

the hyenas lose interest

and vanish into the night.

We kept up our watch on Matsumi

for another few days,

never knowing when the hyenas might return.

She lay helpless letting time heal her wounds.

Recovery from a cobra bite

is never a sure thing.

But we know she is resilient.

After a full week, the venom

has worked itself out of Matsumi's body.

She is able at least to walk once again.

Her first impulse is to investigate the site

with the confrontation with the cobra

for any sign of her cubs.

There is none. The hyenas saw to that.

As she leaves the area for the last time.

Seasons in Botswana seem to explode

into sudden change

with each rainfall or stirring wind.

A solitary lioness has a difficult time

hunting and protecting herself from hyenas.

Matsumi waits and listens

for her missing companions.

As soon as the pride is back in the area

she recognises their calls and rushes to join.

It's impossible to say just how

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