What an awesome time out in the bush. The temperatures were pleasant most of the time, but the month ended with a heat wave of note! The average maximum temperature for October was a wonderful 32°C. We were once again on the tip of our seats, with all the amazing sightings this month. Just when you think you saw something you cannot top; the next sighting takes your breath away again. We had another 30mm of rain during the month and this really forced the bush into 2^nd gear. Finally, the last trees got their lush green leaves. We were very lucky with the wild dog sightings again this month, as we had several packs moving through the area. The one afternoon we had two different packs on our property at the same time, moving into opposite directions. That was not where our luck stopped, as we were also privileged to see cheetah this month.

Leopard

Changes are still taking place amongst the leopards. Tiyani, the young leopard is still moving far and wide, in search of the best area. She is still hanging around our lodge a lot. This might be due to the fact that she grew up in the area and it still feels like home. She knows the area very well and now she has also started scent marking all over the place. The Young Ingrid Dam female on the other hand, is new to the area, but has her eyes fixed on the very same spot. At this stage these two females utilise the same area when it comes to hunting. When the time is right, these two ladies will have the ultimate battle for supremacy.  Moya was also seen a lot during the month. She is now expanding her territory more north and even south-east. She is spending a lot of her time in the newly reclaimed area and she also leaves her daughter in the area when she goes hunting. Her daughter is spending a lot of time around one of the water holes in our area. This little cat is a true lady. I just hope that she will one day set up a territory of her own in our area. Another female who is expanding her territory is the old Ingrid Dam female. She is expanding her territory into Nsele’s territory. So, it is not going to be long before these two females battle it out.  Nsele was also seen a few times, but without her daughter. Her daughter was also seen a few times moving in and out of our western boundary. It looks like Nsele has finally broken the bond between mother and daughter. It is good to see the young lady moving through the area from time to time. Hosana was also out and about this month. He had a run in with his father the one afternoon over an impala kill. Tingana made sure that the young male understood who the boss was. It was quite a surprise to see the young male not holding back. The Gejima male was also seen this month, but he is not the most relaxed leopard in the area. This young male has also moved more and more south-west into Tingana’s territory. Gejima is a great looking young male, now scouting for his own territory and Tingana would need to start watching out, before this young male takes over his territory.  Tingana had his hands full with all the young males moving around his territory. At this stage he is moving all over the show, as he tries to follow the various scents, being left behind by the youngsters. Mvula was also seen a few times this month.  Despite his age he is still looking great. Mvula is still spending a lot of his time in Tingana’s territory. At this stage Mvula needs to be more worried about running into the Gejima male, than running into Tingana. The Anderson male was also seen a few times this month. There are still no challengers moving into his area. It also looks like he himself took a break in expanding his territory for now. For a big male to have an enormous territory also means that he might neglect another piece of the territory. We will have to see what will happen in the next few months, as there are a lot of dynamics involved in the male leopards of the area…

Lion

There was so much excitement with the different prides in our area.

The Nkuhuma pride was seen for almost the entire month around our lodge. They moved freely and made a few kills and even had the tiny cubs with them. They unfortunately lost one of the cubs this month, but it is still unclear what happened to it. At this stage the pride is still doing great and still looking very healthy. It was great to see the Birmingham males walking with the females, while exploring unfamiliar territory. It really looks promising that the Nkuhuma pride is looking to expand their empire more southwest into our area.   The Styx pride was really low on the radar this month and we only saw them a few times. The four little cubs are just a treat to watch, while they constantly play around the pride members.  The Styx pride lions are all looking fit and healthy.  We also spent some time with a few members of the Tsalala pride. It was only the two old ladies – a sub adult female and a cub. Although the two old ladies are 15 years old now, they are still looking good for their age. Not having a resident pride male is tough on the pride, as they are slowly but surely loosing parts of their territory. If all goes well and all the young subadult females grow up and a few males can take over this pride, they might go back to full strength. We also saw an unfamiliar pride this month, which was quite exciting! The Nharu pride from the Manyeleti Game Reserve paid a visit the northern Sabi Sand Wildtuin. These three adult lionesses are the sisters of the four Birmingham male lions. They also broke away from the Birmingham pride in the Timbavati Game Reserve, in order to settle down in the Manyeleti Game Reserve. The name Nharu, means three, as the three sisters broke away from the main pride. They moved all over the area, exploring, before they went back to their own territory. It was amazing to see a new pride exploring some new areas.  The four Birmingham males are looking great and growing in size and muscle. They are once again spending more and more time together, while doing their regular patrols. If they want to be as successful as the Majingilane coalition, they should stay together. I for one cannot wait for these four big boys to finally take over this area. I must say, there are some interesting times awaiting us in the next few months.  The three young Tsalala males also came for a quick visit. These three males are looking great and very healthy. The scars on their faces are slowly getting more, as they continue to fight for survival.

Buffalo

There were several bachelor groups moving through the area this month. So far, we still await the return of the big herds. There are also a few of the females within the herds that are pregnant. Buffaloes will try and have their babies during the rainy season, or very close to the rainy season. This will be the time when more food and water become available, to help them get back into top condition, while nursing their new born calves. We also had a few smaller groups moving through the area, but these were just splinter herds from the main herd. The old boys are still moving around the lodge and every afternoon they are enjoying the water in the mud wallows. These old boys are spending the majority of their time in the water, as this brings welcome relieve against the hot African sun.

Elephant

We had a few awesome sightings with these giants. Once again, we were spoiled for choice and we were just blown away by the wonderful sightings this month. We had several herds moving through the area, closely followed by a big male or two.  Males live separately, alone or in small bachelor herds. Being nonterritorial, the mating success depends on size and weapons. Bulls continue to grow until old age and therefore the seniors are the biggest tuskers and do most of the breeding.

Elephants are arguable the worlds most versatile herbivore. They are equipped with an all in one nasal appendage. Their trunks are used for grasping, smelling, drinking water, squirting water and as a broadcasting tool. With their trunks they can reach leaves higher than a giraffe can reach. Their trunk can also wrap around grass, pick up small fruit of the ground and tear off tree limbs to eat.

Special Sighting

It was an awesome experience and an absolute privilege to see a big tusker elephant this month. This big male moved around in our area for a short while, before moving on again. It was such a pleasure to see this absolute giant amongst giants and I hope to see him again in the years to come.

Did you know?

An elephant’s tusks will keep on growing throughout their lives.

See you out on the game drive soon.
Morné Fouché

Spring is finally here and with it, came some wonderful rain and temperatures. With 18mm of rain, the bush received a total facelift in the form of wonderfully bright, green colours. The average maximum temperature for this month was 32°C. All the browsers in the area are enjoying the lush green leaves and new flowers on the trees. A beautiful green blanket is also merging from the ground after the lovely rain that we had. All the grazers are totally over the moon with the green grass shoots. The first flowers have emerged from the dry soil in some of the areas where, not so long ago, there was only a brown canvas. It is not going to be too long before the entire area is transformed. This September was an absolute great birding month, as more migratory birds have returned to our area. Game viewing was also unbelievable and full of excitement. Again, we were very fortunate to have the wild dogs in our area.  Our resident hyena clan is also doing very well and there were more babies born this month. The two new pups are extremely cute and very adventurous. It is a delight to see them and we are grateful to have the den on our property, very close to the lodge.

Leopard

The leopard sightings were just out of this world and the quality of the sightings were any photographer’s dream. We were really spoiled for choice as some days there were more than four different sightings going. There are still big changes going on in the area between the female leopards, after Salayexe’s death.

Tiyani, the young lady has finally realised that Salayexe is not coming back.  We saw her so many times this month moving around the lodge. Tiyani is scent marking all around our lodge and doing the territorial call as well. I must say, for a small cat, she’s got a powerful voice on her. Still it is not to say that she will set up territory in this area.  She is still young and any other big female can come and take this territory from her. But for now, it is awesome to see her moving freely.  The young Ingrid’s Dam female is also moving all over the show and scent marking on everything. She has also picked up on Salayexe’s absence and she has her eyes set on a piece of the late Salayexe’s territory. This young female does not want to stop there, as she is also putting some pressure on Shadow. She was seen scent marking in the western part of Shadows territory. It will be thrilling to see what will happen when these two finally meet.

Moya also knows that her aunt is not here anymore. She has started reclaiming the area that Salayexe previously took from her. She and her cub are both doing really well and both are looking really healthy. The young female is spending a lot of time alone, while mum is out, looking for Anderson. Moya has mated with Anderson twice this month, but is was not for the average four to six days each time.

Kuchava, the young female, was also seen a few times this month. She is such an energetic little cat and so relaxed with the vehicles around her. This young female is really a beauty and I really hope that she gets a territory in the area. If she wants a territory in this area, she would need to challenge her mother first. Her mother, Thandi, is not going to take it lightly if she finds an intruder in her territory, even if it is her own daughter. Kuchava was seen mating with Tingana this month, so there are some interesting times waiting for us in the near future.

Thandi is also doing very well. Thamba is also looking good and spending a lot of time on his own. This is also Thandi’s way to force him to hunt for himself. The reason for that is that he will be pushed out in another few months. This all depends on Thandi, if she thinks Thamba is ready to go out on his own, then she will kick him out.

Shadow and her cub were also seen a few times. The cub is very shy and does not like the vehicles around. Shadow was really up and down, patrolling her boundary. Unlike her sister, she is not very calm with the vehicles around her.

Hosana, the young male leopard was also seen a few times this month. This young male is one of the most relaxed young leopards in the area. Unfortunately for him, there is no room in the area and he will have to move on to a new territory, or be ready to challenge his father.

Mvula was also seen a few times this month moving around in Tingana’s territory. At this stage he needs to stay clear of Tingana, as he might get injured if Tingana gets hold of him. I must say Mvula is still looking great and is in good health.

Tingana was also seen a few times this month. Once again, it looks like Tingana has his hands full with the young males and Mvula moving around in his territory. It will not be too long before Tingana will be challenged by these young males.

Anderson was seen several times this month. It looks like he slowed down a little bit with expanding his empire more north and more east. So far Anderson has no challengers yet, but anything can still happen in the near future. Anderson is still in the prime of his life and an absolute brut of a male.

Lion

The Styx pride was seen on a regular basis this month. The females always manage to kill something for the cubs, even if it is only an impala. The three Styx lionesses are doing really well and they are caring really well for their ten cubs. We were so fortunate to see the four new cubs being moved from the old den to the new den. These four bundles of fluff are looking great and are so adventurous. When mum takes them into the safety of the under-growth thicket, they just walk out again. They want to go and explore around the new den. The one Birmingham male always pays a visit to the den and then stays at the den for a day or so, before moving on.

The Nkuhuma pride is also looking awesome and they are very healthy. We were also very lucky to see them on a number of occasions this month. It is always great to see them moving around in our area. The majority of times when we saw the lionesses together, there were only four together and not five. We know that the one female of the group has cubs somewhere. It will be so awesome when she brings them out for the first time. Fingers cross that they all survive and become independent.

One lioness of the Ximungwe pride was also seen this month. She did not stay very long before she moved back to the western part of the reserve. It is still unclear why she came here, but it was good to see her.

The Birmingham males were also seen several times this month. These males are looking great and with all the scars in their faces, they look like true warriors. We saw them a few times in groups of two or three, but never all four together. It is not to say that all four of them never walk together, I am sure they do from time to time. I must say there is nothing more impressive than four adult male lions with full manes, walking down the road towards you.

Buffalo

We had a few great buffalo sightings this month. We were fortunate to see some small breeding herds moving through the area. This is good news for us, because it might just be that the big herds are on their way. There were no calves with the small groups that we saw – we only saw a few older youngsters and a lot of pregnant females. A few of the bigger mud wallows are filled with water and it did not take long for the small herds and the dagga boys to soak in the mud during a hot day. Buffaloes will take a mud bath to mainly cool down and also to get rid of tics and parasites on them. After enjoying a wonderful mud bath, they will go and rub against a big tree. There were two bachelor groups that moved around in the area. Both these groups moved between three main water holes, so we did not need to go and look very far for them. Also with the new grass coming out, things are looking much better for these bulk grazers.

Elephant

We were very lucky with elephant sightings this month, as we saw multiple herds each day. The majority of the herds that we saw this month had about sixty or so individuals in it, together with a lot of babies. It was such an awesome experience for the guests to see such big breeding herd of elephants, quenching their thirst at the water hole in front of the lodge. We saw a few smaller family groups with a few very small babies that stayed in close proximity to the lodge area. This might be due to the little babies in the group. There is also lush green leaves and new grass coming through after the wonderful rain that we had, so they do not need to move very far. It’s really something to see when the small babies try to use their little trunks for the very first time. It was so special to spend some time with them, especially the little ones that are still trying to figure out how to use their trunks and what it is actually used for. When the baby is with mum, he tries to mimic her in everything she does. This is also how they learn what to eat and how to get it. There were a few times when mum had to gently use her trunk and move the little one out of the way, so that she could carry on feeding.

Special sighting

It was an absolute treat again this month to see the Styx female move all four her cubs to a new den. This isn’t something you get to see every day!

Did you know?

After a lioness gives birth, she will keep the cubs hidden from the rest of the pride and only introduce them to the pride after six to eight weeks.

See you out on the game drive soon.
Morné Fouché

It is strange how the unexpected can happen at any time and any place. The month started off with a bang and everything was out and about, going really well, until that one day. As most of you know by now Salayexe, our resident female leopard, passed away on the 18^th of August. This sudden death shook the whole of the northern Sabi Sand Wildtuin and also everyone who had come to know her. Rest in peace, our fallen angel.  The rest of the game viewing was just unbelievable this month, though, as we saw the little pangolin several times. We were also very lucky regarding the wild dog sightings, as we saw three different packs moving through the area. The nightlife was rocking this month and we saw many beautiful nocturnal animals. The average maximum temperature was 28°C with 2mm of rain.

Leopard

Tiyani, the young female, is still all over the show. She still moves around in Shadow’s territory and also still frequents Salayexe’s old territory. I do not think that she knows yet that Salayexe has passed away, but I doubt that it will be too long before all the females will know that there is a prime piece of land up for grabs. The young Tiyani’s confidence levels are on a high at this stage, as she is scent marking all over her territory.  Nchila was also seen a few times this month. Nchila is still occupying the north-eastern part of our traversing area. This female is also growing in confidence and is very relaxed with the vehicles around her. She has a sneaky streak in her and will let you know immediately if and when she has had enough of you.

The young Ingrid’s Dam female was also seen a lot this month. She is really becoming our go-to girl and there is never a dull moment with her. For some odd reason, she moved out of the area where we thought she would set up a territory for herself. She moved up north, right into the heart of Shadow’s territory and the best of all is that she is scent marking as well. Interesting times are waiting for us, regarding the young females in the area.

The old Ingrid’s Dam female and her cub were also seen a few times this month. It looks like this female is moving into our area more and more, so it will be great to gain another female leopard.

Moya and her cub were also seen a few times this month. It looks like Moya started expanding more north into the late Salayexe’s territory. Her cub is looking great and in tip top condition. She really is a little beauty.  

Hosana, the young male leopard, is still around in Tingana’s territory. Hosana is looking great and he is still doing well for himself. Unfortunately, there will come a time when this young male, as with all young males, will need to move on to another area. Tingana is a very tolerant male, but like any male he has a limit.

Young Thamba was also seen a few times this month. This young male is always such a treat to watch and he is relaxed with the vehicles around him. He will be a great dominant male one day.

Mvula was seen several times this month. It looks like he lost everything now and he is a nomad again. At this stage, he is avoiding Tingana at all times, as the last thing that he wants would be to have a fight with a younger and stronger male.

Tingana was also seen a few times this month. I think he knows that Mvula is moving through the area. The only problem is that he can’t spend too much time looking for him, as he needs to check his whole territory for any younger intruders.

Anderson was also seen a lot this month. Every time we see him, he has a new scar on his face. It is unclear with who he battles it out every so often, but it should be interesting to see the other male. It also looks like Anderson has stopped expanding his territory for the time being, so Tingana can breathe again, for now.

Lion

The lion sightings were absolutely mind blowing. I would go as far as to say that the quality of the sightings was the best so far, this year. The Nkuhuma pride is doing really well and they are looking very healthy. The young Nkuhuma has given birth to three healthy cubs. This is so good for the pride, as they can potentially grow even more. At this stage, the cubs are still too small for us to view, as this is mom and baby bonding time… Too much traffic around a den is never a good idea. If there is a lot of traffic around a newly discovered den, it may cause unwanted attention by other predators. Fingers crossed that this first-time mother will be successful in raising her cubs to independence.

The Styx pride also shared the limelight with the Nkuhuma pride this month. The pregnant lioness of the Styx pride gave birth to four healthy babies around the 26^th of August. This is such an exciting time for us. We all know this might be just the turning point we all have been waiting for. If all the cubs can survive, this pride will be able to grow in numbers.

Two lionesses of the Ximungwe pride were also seen a few times in our area. These two lionesses are really beautiful and very relaxed with the vehicles moving around them. At this stage, it is unclear whether they have a territory, or if they are just moving around in search of a place to call home. For two or three lionesses to hold their own against a pride of ten to fifteen individuals is always very difficult and so often, they would lose their territory. It will be great if they can take the area around the lodge, which used to belong to the Tsalala pride.

We had a surprise visit from the hair-bellied Matimba male lion this month. He was on his own and had a limp on his left hind leg. He did not stay very long before he moved out of our area again. Besides his limp, he appeared to be in really good shape.

The Birmingham males are still looking great and I must say that they have really bulked up a lot. They have joined forces a few times this month, but still split up the majority of the time. One good thing is that there is no competition for these for boys yet, but it is not going to be that case forever.

Buffalo

At last it looks like the buffaloes are slowly moving back into the area. As food is getting scarcer in the reserve, the buffaloes tend to move more and more, as they search for sustainable food and water for the herd. We have seen two small breeding herds that moved around the area for a few days before they moved on again. It is great news for us that they are moving around, as this means that the big herds might also come through sooner or later. We also have two different bachelor groups which hanged around our lodge for almost the entire month. One of the hot spots for one of the group was the water hole in front of our lodge. In the early mornings, they would move into the brush to go and eat and then in the afternoon, move back to the water to quench their thirst.

Elephant

It is great to see that the breeding herds are coming back into the area. We had such awesome sightings this month. We were spoiled for choice, as there were times when there were five to six different herds in the area. We were also very fortunate to see herds of elephants at the waterhole in front of the lodge. As the majority of the waterholes in the area are dry, the elephants make their way to the lodge almost every day. Elephants are most probably some of the most interesting and entertaining animals to watch. If you take the time and watch a herd for an hour or so, you soon realize that they are extremely intelligent and also such loving and caring animals. We also saw a lot of big males moving through the area. It is such a treat to see these big heavyweights in their natural habitat.

Special sighting

It was the most exciting thing to see the Nkuhuma lioness moving her tiny cubs to a new den. This is always special to see, as you cannot imagine that they can be so gentle with their strong jaws and long canines.  One by one, she carried them to the new den, holding them ever-so-gently in her mouth.  The cubs appeared so calm and peaceful, you would think that they were fast asleep. As this is still a closed sighting and we happened to see them by change, we will wait until later before viewing them again. Seeing them per chance while they were still so small made this extra special.   

Did you know?

The woodland kingfisher is generally found away from water and prefers a diet of invertebrates, rather than fish.

See you out on the game drive soon.
Morné Fouché