Fighting off the vultures

[Vincent Grafhorst]

The night before we had witnessed a wildebeest die a 'natural' death (that means it was not killed by lions or other big cats, though it could have been a snake bite, illness or old age). Early the following morning we found the carcass still intact with a handful of jackals just starting on it and a few dozen white-backed vultures waiting eagerly. Quite interesting to see that the vultures were waiting for the jackals to open up the belly (something which they are unable to do) before they moved in en masse. The jackals managed to fight them off for a while and get some of the intestines for themselves, but eventually even the toughest jackal had to give in.

Makgadikgadi National Park, Khumaga, Boteti river bed, Botswana


Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/500
Av( Aperture Value ) 9.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 320
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Focal Length 400.0 mm
Flash Off
AF Mode AI Servo AF


Vincent Grafhorst
www.khwaiphotography.com (http://www.khwaiphotography.com)

[Krijn Trimbos]

Love the aggressive look on the jackal's face Vincent! The scene is very cool, showing different species competing over the same meal very clearly! I would clone out the vulture in the URC. Apart from that a great shot IMO!

[Ken Watkins]

I love Jackals they are so brave for small creatures. This is a great capture!

[D. Robert Franz]

A busy image but some great natural history. Maybe framed a bit looser would have helped instead of cutting off so many of the vultures...

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I agree with Robert that this image would have been better with more space all around. The vultures in the top and right are cutoff. I love jackals. I have seen a single jackal attack a Nilgai (an antelope in India, which is the size of a big horse). I love their spirit.

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Just a note: With close to a hundred vultures around this carcass there is no way one can make a frame without any vultures being cut, even when using wider lenses, which I also did. The close-up images have just much more impact. Besides that I believe that the busy cramped feel (enhanced by the cut off vultures) is exactly what this moment was all about and that was exactly what I wanted to capture...

[Loukie Viljoen]

Interesting, Normally the Lappet Faced vulture , has a massive razor sharp beak they opens the skin, the White Backs then eat the soft food, then at the end the Hooded Vultures come and clean the bones with there sharp little beaks, then the Hyenas crunch the bones and clean up the scene, just a flattened area of grass is all that is left.

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Loukie, strangely enough the lappet-faced vultures were not around...

[Beth Goffe]

Loukie, that is really interesting information about the natural cleanup process in the savannah. The image itself is really cool - great depiction of the jackal's urgency and energy in trying to protect its meal.

[Steve Canuel]

Great image Vincent. The jackal's fierce look of determination to keep his prize goes well with the OOF vultures in the BG, an ever-increasing number of rivals in an unwinnable fight. Great portrayal of the struggle for resources.
Steve