Big 5 Sightings 07 – 13 January 2013

The Big 5 highlight of the week was to have a pack of 16 wild dogs in our area.  It is always exciting to see them working and hunting together as a team and this week we saw them defending themselves against a hyena who came a bit too close.

Alpha wild dog keeping a watchful eye on a hyena - Morné Fouché

Monday, 7 January 2013

(31ºC)

• One Buffalo bull resting in the water at Seefs pan
• One unknown young male leopard with an impala kill on Little Gowrie/Wessels Cutline
• One elephant bull feeding on Wessels old driveway
• Eleven wild dogs chasing a herd of impalas close to Tree House Pan
• The three older Tsalala lionesses with the two sub adult females resting on A-main/EP delivery road
• One buffalo bull resting in the water at Leeukuil Dam

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

(31ºC)

• Five buffalo bulls resting on A-main close to Milkberry Road
• A breeding herd of about 15 elephants feeding on Madash Road
• Salayexe’s female leopard cub resting on Marula Bult Central Road
• One buffalo bull moving west from 2nd Windmill Road

Wednesday, 9 January 2013

(34ºC)

• One elephant bull feeding on Marula Bult Central Road
• Salayexe’s female leopard cub resting north of Eastern Bank Manyeleti
• Shadow, the female leopard and her two cubs, moving north from Zebra drive
• Four buffalo bulls resting in the water at Serengeti Pan

Big elephant bull - Morné Fouché

Thursday, 10 January 2013

(36ºC, 15mm rain)

• Two Breakaway Tsalala lionesses resting on Rhino Pan Road
• Three buffalo bulls resting in the water at Rhino Pan
• Shadow, the female leopard and her two cubs, moving north from 2nd Windmill Road
• Two buffalo bulls resting in the water at Rampan
• Two elephant bulls playing in the water at Big Dam
• Moya, the female leopard, drinking water at Big Dam

Friday, 11 January 2013

(28ºC, 8mm rain)

• The Styx lion pride hunting Zebra’s east of Wessels/Little Gowrie cutline
• Five buffalo bulls moving west from Shirley’s Crossing
• One unknown male leopard resting on a termite mount on Robson’s Boundary
• Three buffalo bulls resting on Rocky Road

Saturday, 12 January 2013

(23ºC)

• Eleven wild dogs eating an impala on the southern side of Safari airstrip
• A breeding herd of about 10 elephants moving south on EP open area
• Another breeding herd of about 15 elephants feeding on Marula Bult North

Buffalo bull having a mud bath - Morné Fouché

Sunday, 13 January 2013

(27ºC, 4mm rain)

• Sixteen wild dogs resting on Wetpatch open area
• Salayexe, the female leopard and her cub, with an African Rock Python kill close to Eagle Owl Crossing
• Three wild dogs moving south on Saseka Road
• Four buffalo bulls resting on our Southern Boundary
• One elephant bull feeding on Guarri Central