Rangers Report August 2016

by | Oct 21, 2016 | Rangers Reports | 0 comments

One of the things that I have learned in my time in the African bush is that things are constantly changing. The season is again changing and one can see this when going out on game drive. The knob thorn trees are the first to get their flowers and are now covered in their yellow pollen balls. It is spectacular to see all the yellow flowers on the trees and this is a great reminder that spring is upon us. Another giveaway we saw was the return of the Wahlberg eagles this month. The temperature has also changed and it is much warmer than last month. The maximum average temperature was a nice 27°C with no rain. Animal sightings were awesome as always with our resident hyena clan making sure we get some spectacular sightings. This clan is doing really well and is still growing. The wild dogs were also out in our area this month. It is always very exciting to have them in the area, especially if they hunt. Overall, this was a great month for wildlife.

Female hyena by Neil Coetzer

Female hyena by Neil Coetzer

Leopards

What an awesome time we had with the leopards this month. We saw leopards every single day of the month.  Some days we saw up to five different individuals. We are spoiled with all the great leopard sightings that we have in the area and this month just confirmed it. Salayexe and her daughter Tiyani are doing very well, and looking good. Poor Salayexe had to work extra hard this month to put food on the table for the two of them. Every time she made a kill there was a hyena that ran in and stole her kill from her. These hyenas have realised that if they follow the leopards around, they could get an easy meal. When the leopard makes a kill and she cannot put it in a tree fast enough, the hyenas score. Salayexe has lost four of her kills in a week due to these opportunistic hyenas. She eventually moved hunting grounds to another part of her territory and had some success. There is still tension building between mother and daughter and time is running out for the young Tiyani. Kurula and her cubs are doing great and we have seen them a few times this last month. The youngsters are getting more relaxed, but they need more time. All fingers are crossed that she can raise both cubs to adulthood. Moya was also seen a few times this month as she is expanding her territory more north and east. It looks like she and her aunt Salayexe have their eyes set on the same area. This will only lead to one thing. It just shows you that just when you think the leopard dynamics are sorted out between the ladies, oestrogen levels causes havoc. Nsele and her cub is still doing really well and Nsele is taking her all over the territory. Nsele’s little cub is looking good and is much better with the vehicles around her. Out of all the cubs she is the shyest and the oldest. Nsele’s older daughter has finally left Nsele’s territory and exploring further east and north looking for her own territory. Thandi was seen a lot this month moving around the eastern part of our traversing area. We have not seen the cubs yet, but she is still suckling them. They are still small, but it will not be very long before she brings them out for all of us to see. Let’s hope that she has better luck than her sister Shadow. Shadow was also seen a few times this month without her cub. She was also seen mating with Tingana for a few days. This does not look good for this female as she has only managed to raise one cub so far. We also had a surprise visit from a leopard female called the Ingrid Dam female, whose territory is south, out of our traversing area. This might be that she was looking for Anderson, or that there is pressure from another female. Whatever the cause might be, it is always great to see another new leopard in our area. The young Flat Rock male moved into the area again causing all kinds of havoc in the area. This young male is a really good looking male and he looks very healthy. He is still very young and not that bulky yet, but give him a few years. Tingana is also looking great and always on the move. With the young Flat Rock male moving around in his territory he had no chance to rest. Both Tingana and Anderson was much more vocal than normal during the month, due to the young male in the area. We were so very fortunate to see the big boss, Anderson a lot this month. After moving into the area he had a baby face with no scars. A few years later, he looks like a dominant male, with his face all scarred up.

Lions

Birmingham male lion by Louis Liversage

Birmingham male lion by Louis Liversage

There was great joy with some of the lions in the area this month. We were very happy to see that the two young brothers of the Tsalala pride have re-join their mother and other two siblings. These two boys were separated for a few months from the rest of the group. They are big enough to look after themselves and they just proved that by fending for themselves the last few months. The Styx pride of lions were also out and about this month. They have spent a lot of their time in the far eastern part of the reserve, close to the Kruger National Park. The three females are looking great and they are eating very well. These lionesses are excellent hunters as they make about two kills a week. They do not just go for smaller things like impala, kudu, zebra and wildebeest, but mainly big animals. I would go as far to say that the majority of their kills are buffaloes. The little cubs are also looking very good and always have full bellies. It is always great to see them moving around in the area. The Birmingham males are in the best shape of their lives at the moment. These four males are getting more and more bulky as they get older. Their manes are still not fully grown yet, but it is looking great already. The problem I have with these big boys is that they are still splitting up and not staying together. As we all know by now, the bush can be very unpredictable. When these Birmingham males split up in ones or two’s it will be very easy for other young males to take them out. The survival of the Styx and Nkuhuma pride’s cubs all depend on the survival of their fathers. The Birmingham males are the defenders of the territories and the protectors of the prides within. This is why it is so important for the four males to stick together as a unit. There might be another reason why they are going their separate ways more than normal and it might be that they know there is no competition. So hopefully when they realise there is competition, they with stand together and fight together.

Buffalos

Karula the female leopard and her cub by Neil Coetzer

Karula the female leopard and her cub by Neil Coetzer

The big herds of buffalos have been scarce this month as we have not seen many big herds. I think over the last few months we have seen so many big herds and we got use to them being around the area. We saw one herd this month, but they did not stay for very long. Food supplies are now on the bare minimum and the grazers like buffalos are moving around more and further away in search of food. Once again the old dagga boys came to our rescue, together with a few bachelor herds. The bachelor herds are moving all over the area, one particular bachelor herd had seven bulls and one cow. This is quite strange as the females don’t normally break away with the dominant bulls. There is one reason for this.  When the herds are attacked by lions, the buffalos split into splinter groups. With all the confusion of the lion attack, a female might end up with a few males. The old dagga boys are spending a lot of their time on the banks of the dry river beds as there is still a little bit of green grass. These old boys do not travel long distances as there is still enough water and food for them around the area.

Elephants

Tiyani the female leopard on an impala kill by Neil Coetzer

Tiyani the female leopard on an impala kill by Neil Coetzer

Elephants are the free roaming lords of the African bush. Their awesome size and strength have always commanded respect and they have proved to be supreme survivors, masters at adapting to different climates and habitat. Their relationship with nature and other species is highly cooperative and symbiotic. The destruction caused by these big animals is phenomenal, as there are broken branches and uprooted trees everywhere. With the extremely dry season that we are experiencing at the moment one would think that the elephants would be effected most. This is not true as elephants are extremely clever and they can adapt to any condition. Seeing that the elephants are mixed feeders, they are still in great condition. We have seen so many herds this month and especially around our lodge. Our water hole has become a great lifeline for the animals and especially the elephants. It is such a great sight to have breakfast or lunch with the elephants quenching their thirst in front of the lodge.

Special sighting

Tiyani made sure that she gets the special sighting spot this month. Like I mentioned before, Salayexe the female leopard and Tiyani lost a few kills to the powerful hyena clan. The one day they lost yet another kill to the hyenas, and little Tiyani did not take it well. The hyena dragged the kill a short distance away while Tiyani followed. This poor hyena thought he was in the clear until he turned around and saw Tiyani. Without any hesitation and warning Tiyani lashed out with a fast right and followed with a quicker left paw with claws out. The poor hyena did not know what happened at that very moment. Tiyani is now 15 months old and she had her very first big fight with a hyena. We can definitely see who her parents are.

Did you know?

Giraffes can last longer without water than camels.

See you out on the game drive soon.

Morné Fouché

Rangers Report September 2018

Rangers Report September 2018

  It’s spring time! What an awesome time to be out on safari. Migratory birds are returning and the trees are all in bloom with fresh, green leaves. Our temperatures jumped from the one extreme to the next. One day we were sweating in 43°C and the next day we had...

Rangers Report May 2018

Rangers Report May 2018

This month was one for the record books. We had a great time with awesome weather and spectacular sightings. The day temperature was very pleasant, with only a few days where the temperature went as high as 33-34°C. The average maximum temperature for the month was...

Rangers Report February 2018

Rangers Report February 2018

This month was very exciting, with incredible game viewing opportunities. The average maximum temperature for the month was 32°C, with a wonderful 86mm of rain. We had several wild dog sightings again this month. With our resident hyena clan, we are always guaranteed...

Rangers Report January 2018

Rangers Report January 2018

We could not ask for a better way to kick off 2018. It was an absolute pleasure to be out in the bush this month. The sightings were phenomenal and there was never a dull moment. The weather was up and down, but the rain was a huge, welcome relieve. The average...

Rangers Report December 2017

Rangers Report December 2017

And so all good things have to come to an end. It is hard to imagine that we’ve reached the end of 2017. Looking back on this year, one realizes once again just how fantastic the sightings were. December is normally a really hot and wet month. It was a little...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This