Share this article:

Terry`s highlights: April/May

on May 27, 2015

And so it begins, undoubtedly my favourite season of the year. I really enjoy the winter months, the crisp, clear mornings coupled with a misty sunrise, moderate temperatures during the day and to top it off, stunning sunsets and a clear starry sky at night. What more could make this better? The answer is simple, game viewing of the highest quality.

01Terry Ennever Highlights Apl May

It all started as soon as I got back from leave, and I couldn’t have wished for a better sighting. It was a first- a cheetah mum and four little cubs! I was speechless, something I very rarely am. Even our guests could feel that they were witnessing something special as the guide’s enthusiasm and excitement became infectious. The excitement turned into apprehension as we heard that there were a pack of wild dogs not far from the cheetah’s location. Fortunately the cheetah mum did a great job in keeping her precious youngsters away from the dogs.

02Terry Ennever Highlights Apl May1

We had regular sightings of cheetahs with this male cheetah taking to a large termite mound to relax before spotting a herd of Impala in the distance. Once again the sunset was magnificent, the sunlight getting under the hoods of the cheetahs eyes and bringing out shades of chestnut.

The leopards this cycle have been showing off, and looking back seem as if they have been wanting to have their picture taken - very unusual for leopards! We will start off with the Little Bush female who strutted her stuff before pausing for a drink at a waterhole.

The dominant male leopard in the Southern Section of the reserve, Mandleve, is showing a new found confidence. This is something we have been expecting of a leopard who has taken over a territory and this relaxed attitude gave us some really good opportunities to get some good shots of this once skittish male.

A leopard who is on the opposite side of the spectrum is the Tortilis male. This young leopard who has been living like a fugitive within the territory of Maxabeni. They had a serious altercation this cycle with Maxabeni being left with a bruised eye and a claw of Tortilis in his cheek. However, Tortilis has been keeping a low profile since, but before gave us a great opportunity to get some shots while he calmly lay on the bank of the Msuthlu River.

09Terry Ennever Highlights Apl May5

Tortilis’ father and former dominant male of the north, Mahlathini, paid us a visit and showed off in some gorgeous morning light.

10Terry Ennever Highlights Apl May12

Another first for me was seeing the beautiful female known as Ndzilo, who stalked a herd of Impala but sadly picked up on her presence despite her best attempts to stay hidden behind a termite mound. These are the joys of working in an environment with no fences between other reserves allowing new blood to come through and ensuring the population stays healthy but regulates itself within the ecosystem.

11Terry Ennever Highlights Apl May15

The Wild Dog sightings have been great with my best being of the Toulon pack. The alpha female of the pack is heavily pregnant and they are actively looking for a den site. Hopefully they find a spot that is safe to make a home to some beautiful cubs. The photos taken below was a joyful sighting where all the members participated in some family bonding and all round good fun!

Lastly, the lion story continues, with the Southern Pride and the split joining up, bringing their total number to 6 females. Although these numbers are miniscule in comparison to the super power that they once were, this I believe this is the start of the rebuilding stage. Within a few days of rejoining they fell back into good habits and brought down a large kudu bull turning thin, malnourished cats into supreme huntresses. They have seemed to have distanced themselves from the Sand River males who seem to be losing their grip on the females and the South and the door is wide open for a new coalition of males to stake a claim.

15Terry Ennever Highlights Apl May16

The final word goes to an amazing sighting whereby the Charleston Pride chased off two of the Sand River males from a giraffe carcass. A brave Charleston female then defended the carcass from a clan of 14 hyenas and lots of vultures, although she did have a little help from her nephews who lay 30 meters away.

People who read my regular highlights blogs will probably grow tired of hearing me say, "This has been one of my best cycles" and "This cycle was a memorable one" but after a while I struggle for superlatives. No drive is ever the same and it is one of the reasons why we do this job and why guests from all over the world come back to experience this over and over again.

  • Blog by Terry Ennever (Earth Lodge Ranger)
Share this article: