As another wonderful cycle comes to an end, I get the opportunity to relive some of the memorable moments of my time out in the African Bushveld. One of the most popular phrases used by guests coming to Sabi Sabi is “No drive is ever the same”. This dynamic environment, along with bucket loads of passion is what keeps us as Guides enthusiastic and wanting to see more. Mother Nature and her ever changing mechanisms keeps us intrigued to the point of pure awe.

An interaction does not necessarily have to be between two mammals, which are often the best ones. It can quite simply be the beauty of a secretive predator exploring the wonders of a new area and interacting with the environment around her. I am talking about the leopardess known as “Hlarulini”. A leopardess we are starting to see more often as she pushes north in search of a new male. Her vigorous scent marking giving us the indication of her desire to mate, leaving calling cards to the dominant male, Maxabeni.

The need to mate, the necessity to drink, her explorative nature giving our guests great photographic opportunities, and a glimpse into her life within her environment.

With the rains this cycle, has come new life - new green grass bursting through the drenched earth with an explosive energy. This self same energy has been evident in the two Southern Pride lion cubs.

This brother and sister have been given the tour of their mother’s territory as they have gradually moved North from their initial den site. Lions generally will sleep between 18 and 20 hours a day but as most of you parents know, youngsters don’t really allow their family much sleep.

Even when the rest of the pride sleeps, the inquisitive nature of these future royals shines through.

The growth of these cubs has put a huge demand on the Southern Pride as well as the Charleston males who have been very active and successful in bringing down some of the larger prey species.

In a very different scenario, we have witnessed the Talamati male coalition as they continue their search for a territory and embrace their nomadic existence. There is little doubt that these three males have been taught how to hunt buffalo. Having experienced that last cycle, they weren’t as lucky this time as the vegetation and weather conditions were not conducive to making a kill.

After one male chasing the buffalo too early and destroying the element of surprise, it was wonderful to see the interaction between the three members. There was no animosity or blame towards the young lion who gave away his presence, just the reaffirming of the bond which will stand them in good stead for the future.

This coalition has got great potential and I`m very interested to watch their development.

There are times when all the elements just come together and you feel truly blessed to be working in such a pristine environment. We responded to a sighting whereby Maxabeni was found on an impala kill which was safely positioned in the fork of a large Jackalberry Tree. His attention was captured by some squirrel’s alarm calling close to the waterhole and he quickly trotted over to see what the commotion was all about. We then stumbled on the White Dam female who had not noticed him and was casually strolling over for a much needed drink at the end of the day.

When he popped over the dam wall he gave the female a fright and prompted a reaction from the feisty White Dam, who showed him her teeth.

After a very brief interaction they decided to drink at opposite ends of the waterhole all this while the Sun turned the sky every shade of orange that one could think of.

What a privilege to witness something so spectacular and so raw - mother nature combining all the elements of land and sky meshed together in a beautiful moment.

The ultimate interaction is when two top end predators collide and this morning rates highly as one of my best sightings of all times. It once again involved Maxabeni, who after a tracking exercise, was found near the iconic Fig Tree Crossing - a huge Sycamore Fig growing next to a large boulder in the dry Msuthlu Riverbed. He had his nose close to the ground clearly hot on the scent of another animal.

Little did we know that he would lead us to the Little Bush female and her young cub who were at the base of a large Jackalberry Tree with a well-positioned kill high up in the branches. While Maxabeni scaled the tree, the Little Bush female and her cub groomed each other with the youngster occasionally casting its eye up to the sky to watch its father devouring the kill.

This calm, beautiful family gathering turned into chaos as the two Charleston males came charging in. In one of the bravest displays of motherhood I`ve ever witnessed, as the Little Bush female stood her ground allowing her cub to disappear while she drew the attention of the two male lions who were focussed on destroying her. Once the cub was safe she ran to safety. Lions primal urges are to eliminate the competition, feed and procreate and fortunately for Little Bush, the urge to feed took over the need to kill the opposition and they then moved closer towards the kill and Maxabeni.

Knowing that the odds were in his favour, Maxabeni hoisted the remains of the kill to the flimsy branches at the top of the tree, unable to hold the weight of the much larger lions.

The first of the coalition jumped up the tree but then got stuck in the fork and then due to his ineptitude, the other brother decided he would show him how it was done. Unfortunately for him he jumped up and also got stuck in the exact same fork as his brother with absolutely no room to manoeuvre. This comical situation brought nervous laughter from all guests and guides alike. Watching these two cats unceremoniously fall from the tree will be something that will always make me smile.

Utterly humiliated, the lions were intent on gaining the upper hand and restoring their dignity and they turned their intent back towards the Little Bush female. They chased her back to where we found Maxabeni, at Fig Tree Crossing and she scaled the tree’s top branches for safety. Still smarting from their previous episode, the lions decided to keep their feet firmly on the ground this time. It eventually became clear that they were going to stay there a while and eventually after all the excitement decided to sleep at the base of the tree marooning Little Bush away from her cub. We went past a couple of hours later and fortunately she had used her stealth to descend the tree and unite with her cub without disturbing the Charleston males. An interaction of epic proportions!

An interaction can take you on a rollercoaster of emotions as you witness nature in what could be a life or death moment - the anxiety, the fear and the exhilaration. These moments live with us forever, etched in our soul and a memory that is shared amongst friends.