A difficult meal!

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Yesterday evening Bheki Ngubane – one of the very experienced trackers on Thanda – spotted an incredible scene in the bush and took an image with his point-and-shoot camera. He and field guide Cela Manyanga were driving with a group of Thanda guests when they discovered this wildlife drama.

A very large African Rock Python had killed an adult Impala and was busy swallowing this large herbivore. The snake was still working on the Impala when the last game drive vehicle had left the scene.  A very exciting sighting for all Thanda guests!

More about the African Rock Python …

The African Rock Python (Python sebae), is a large, nonvenomous snake of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of seven species in the genus Python.  Africa’s largest snake and one of the five largest snake species in the world may approach 6 m (20 ft). The snake is found in a variety of habitats, from forests to near deserts, although usually near sources of water.  The African rock python kills its prey by constriction and often eats animals up to the size of antelope 🙂 !  The snake is widely feared even though it very rarely kills humans. Although the snake is not endangered, it does face threats from habitat reduction and hunting.

Picture by Bheki Ngubane – Thanda Private Game Reserve