This was truly one of my best cycles over the last couple of years here at Sabi Sabi, not only because of great sightings, but it also came down to spending time in the bush, and also learning new skills.

The mornings have been crisp which made it difficult to get out of bed, but the idea of what may lie around the next corner always warms our spirits and some of the sightings I had just acts as a reminder that the bush never disappoints. One of these include seeing wild dogs jumping into the water, something that is unusual in wild dog behaviour, and dragging a young kudu onto land just to a kill it in front of us. I will always remember that adrenalin rush, but also the feeling of sadness and remorse at the same time. Most wild dogs kills happens so swiftly and by the time you get there everything is almost over, but this time we could wait and watch as nature unfolded in front of us.

One of my favourite leopards made his appearance again, Mahlathini. He hasn’t been spotted for a while so when he arrived on the scene it was a welcoming return. And what a return he made! The Nottins female killed an impala male after which it was stolen by a hyena. We sat there and waited in anticipation as Nottins and the hyena were lying about 30 meters from each other with the hyena having the prized position next to it. In a dramatic turn of events, Mahlathini made an appearance, chased the hyena off, had a couple of bites and pulled the carcass up a tree. We chatted about that sighting again over dinner that night and never thought it could get any better, but as always the bush surprises. The very next morning, a new pride of lions, the Matshapiri Pride, were found as they discovered the kill and chased the male leopard off. Seeing new lion prides or leopards is always very exciting for me as that is only in the Greater Kruger area and in the Sabi Sands where one can experience this. This is nature at its best.

The regular sighting of the Fourways coalition may also mean the start of a new area, although it’s still very early. With the Sand River males staying more in the southern part of the property for now and the Fourways males moving further down, may result in some future altercations, something to look forward to.

I was privileged enough to be one of the rangers to drive and be part of the Wild Eye photographic annual seminar. Working at Sabi Sabi gives us as keen photographers a chance to join in and learn from professionals. The tips and things we learnt are endless, but it all comes down to how we look at photography and what is the story we want to tell with our photography. This week was definitely one of my highlights of the year.

With the bush drying up, most animals tend to congregate around waterholes and we had some amazing elephant sighting from the deck at Bush Lodge, one day having a herd of almost 100 elephants at Bush Pan. I can’t wait to start my next cycle and see what the rest of the winter has in store for us.