As the winter slowly creeps in, the cooler temperatures have allowed for really good game viewing with a splash of the unusual and a couple of new faces as well as some visits from the rarely seen characters.

I know that this may be tough to believe, but winter in the Lowveld is actually our dry season, and with a very poor level of rain in summer has put a lot on strain on the most important resource of all - water. We are not just talking about drinking water for animals but for some animals that call water their home. There is no better example of this than that of hippo, who have been forced out of the larger rivers by territorial deputes as well as quantity of water. Some of them having made Sabi Sabi`s waterholes their homes. There is an unprecedented amount of hippos, certainly since I’ve been at Sabi Sabi and even some of the longer serving staff members can remember.

The coalition of the three Talamati boys made an appearance this week on the eastern sector, causing the Charleston males to venture further east than normal in order to reaffirm the boundaries and issue a warning to these young boys that forays into their territory would not be tolerated.

The Charlestons have been seen regularly by the side of the Southern Pride females, proving their dedication to them and the cubs.

This stability and attention will do wonders for the females and the future of the Southern Pride - the protection on the territory is a fundamental part of protecting the pride and leaving a legacy.

The elephant activity on the reserve has been incredible this week as the larger herds go off in search of water. A highlight for any guest’s stay is seeing these huge creatures in action but it’s often the smaller ones who are a little more inquisitive and steal the show.

Sheldon was able to capture this incredible pic as a large bull singled out a female and mated with her, a really special sighting, something that both Sheldon and his guests were amazed to see.

The leopard sightings this week have been incredible with a multitude of different leopards as well as regular sightings.

The Tatowa female was found not too long ago, pushing into the northern sector of Little Bush`s territory close to Selati Camp. As Sheldon’s photo above, she seems quite relaxed and not phased that she has ventured into another leopardess`s territory.

Maxabeni has, as always, been active and made his presence known and while walking his territory, bumped into Little Bush and their daughter, a nice little family reunion. He is ever vigilant and always actively patrolling his territory, occasionally stopping for a quick drink.

Little Bush has been at her best once again as she does a magnificent job in looking after her young female cub. The dedication to satisfying the hunger of this little bundle of spots has been quite incredible. She is such an active leopard who hardly rests during the warm temperatures of the day and epitomises a leopard’s nature and a great mother.

Little Bush and her cub were found during the week on an impala kill with the youngster claiming her fair share of the meal. That didn’t however interrupt some bonding time, but that was short lived as a Spotted Hyena claimed the remains of her hard work.

Little Bush`s independent cub, Kigelia, was been seen this week constantly on the move and posing like a real movie star in the photographic branches of Marula Trees.

Never for too long though, as it’s purely a spot to rest and see what herds of potential prey are on the horizon.

Mike Palmer and his guests were also able to capture leopards mating in the far southern reaches of the reserve, close to the border with the Kruger National Park. The male was the Mandleve male and a female, from sources believed to be known as the Ridge Rock female - this however still needs confirmation from Panthera.

My favourite pic of the week goes to Mike Palmer’s photo of Little Bush. What a great photo Mike and depicts her nature and the secretiveness of leopards perfectly.

All the best everyone and I’m sure we will have more great pics for you next week.