Predator Coast

Rupert Graves

The cycle of seasons affects both hunter and hunted. Summer is a time of great bounty, but winter slowly tightens its grip as the year wears on. Its a ruthless annual clock - even the king of the jungle is at its mercy.Mountains, 9000 feet high, drop off towards a hot, green coastal plain. The lowlands are covered by acacia thornveld and inhabited by herds of game, with all the associated African predators in tow. Its an area where lions hunt buffalo and elephants wander in search of water.Verging this expanse of acacia woodland is a vast, saline lake. St Lucia covers 130 square miles and is connected to the sea by a narrow channel. It is home to pods of hippo, crocodiles and large nesting colonies of birds. In the space of 100 miles, mountain gives way to hilly savannah, and then lake and ocean take over. Out at sea, temperate water meets the tropical Mozambique current. Tiger, Blacktip and massive Whale sharks patrol the sandy coastline.This story begins in summer, the time of plenty. Animals have ample to eat, and predators can use the dense green cover to hunt. A young leopard practices its hunting skills on a troop of monkeys - predator wins the game of cat and mouse, and its a gruesome lesson for the troop.As the summer rains dwindle on the coastal savannah, the hungry lions become more desperate hunters. Out at sea, the big Tiger sharks are leaving the cooling waters, and their escorts, the Blacktips, grow hungrier and hungrier. The constantly changing air and water temperatures, the tide and the rainfall form a dynamic that dictates the emergence, behavior and departure of many creatures in this region.As winter sets in, lion and buffalo are locked in a stand-off. Crocodiles sneak in to steal hard-won food. The tightening grip on the Blacktips affects the dolphins and gannets too, and they all must travel to find food.The lions and crocs have fed on the savannah, but at sea a winter feast is about to be served. Mackerel shoal above a deep ocean wreck and all the seas hunters focus on them and charge in for the kill.