A Week in the Bush Vol. 497
on Apr 03, 2024As we are slowly approaching winter, sunrise is later than usual which makes the first couple of minutes on a morning safari so much more special. Watching the sunrise in Africa while out in the wilderness is a feeling difficult to describe, feeling the tranquillity of the bush and spending time in nature surrounded with wildlife.
The basic family unit of buffalos is made up of related females and their young, collectively forming herds of hundreds and sometimes thousands of individuals. In large herds males are confronted with plenty of competition in their efforts to procreate, and intense fights can break out over access to females in oestrus.
A common eagle that you can see at Sabi Sabi is the Brown snake eagle. With their piercing yellow eyes and big rounded heads, keep an eye out for them perched on top of tall trees. As the name implies, they mainly prey on snakes, dropping onto the prey, and smashing its spine with their powerful feet. They will crush the head of a snake and swallow the head first.
A Grey Heron caught our attention when it spread out its wings to dry them in the warm morning sun. They spend most of their day wading around in the water searching mostly for fish, but will also feed on molluscs, worms, insects, small rodents, and smaller birds. This individual in particular chose a branch next to the water to dry its feathers in the morning sun after a quick wash in the water.
A male Red-backed Shrike perched on a tree stump for a better lookout for any insects that might be around. They forage mostly by using the sit-still-and-wait technique, pouncing on their prey on the ground beneath them. You can find this Palearctic migrant at Sabi Sabi during our summer months, arriving in late November and departing again by April.
Hornbills are predominantly insectivores, using their huge bills to dig around on the ground and on termite mounds. Using the advantage of the new softer ground on the termite mound, these two Southern yellow-billed Hornbills enjoyed a feast of termites.
We were pleasantly surprised to find a male Cheetah in one of our big open areas. With the past few days being very rainy, we were searching hard for any sign of cats, when the call came through of this beautiful male. He was resting on a small termite mound overlooking the open area, a perfect vantage point for him to spot any potential prey and attempt a hunt. With the rainy and cooler weather this male has most likely spent his time in thicker and lower-lying areas, hiding from the bad weather and with the first sun rays penetrating the clouds he saw this as his opportunity to come out of the thicket, looking to hunt and secure a meal.
Leopards have an uncanny ability to silently slink through the bushveld like feline ghosts only being seen when they want to. The Jasiri female has not been seen frequently of late, however, we did get to spend some time with her recently and she revealed fresh suckle marks indicating in her absence she has given birth to her first litter of cubs.
Increasingly more aware and alert to their surroundings, the two female cubs of Ntsumi gain valuable life lessons at every turn. With Ntsumi spending more and more time away from her cubs, they are learning to fend for themselves and at this inquisitive age, it is a treat to spend time with them, watching them stalk and pounce on anything that moves.
The curious spirit of the young male cub of the Tengile female, left all on the vehicle giggling as he clumsily practiced his hunting skills on anything that moved. These are important lessons for the future, but more important is his current awareness of his immediate surroundings. He knows there is safety in the high flimsy branches of the trees that surround him and the second something unfamiliar comes along he shoots up and investigates from a safe place.
The N’weti male takes a short break from his territorial patrol, a very important aspect of being a successful male leopard. With N’weti having many cubs at the moment with various females, it is vital he keeps all other male leopards away from his cubs in order to give them the best opportunity to successfully reach independence. This is a duty N’weti has been extremely successful with over the years.
With a hunger for survival, Nottins was spotted feasting on a Duiker, high up in a Jackalberry tree. He cautiously maneuvered the remains of his prey in between branches, and eventually descended, showcasing his incredible power. Hoisting a meal up a tree is a behaviour unique to leopards that helps protect their food from scavengers and ensures a future meal. This instinctual act reflects the cunning techniques and adaptive strategies to overcome competition, making leopards formidable predators in the African wilderness.
As we headed back to Earth Lodge after the morning safari, we spotted tracks of a lioness with cubs and immediately decided to follow up. We tracked for only a couple of minutes when we found one of the Msuthlu lionesses with her three cubs making their way down the road, zig-zagging through the bush. The cubs and mom are in a very good condition, and it was clear the female was still in hunting mode as she was very focused and aware of their surroundings. Females will usually move their cubs around as they get stronger to keep them safe and leaving them in the same spot for too long might end up having them sniffed out by other animals and potentially killed. The young ones were full of energy, going up every fallen tree they could find and jumping on one another.
For several days, the Kambula Breakaways have been trailing a big herd of buffalo from the north of our reserve to the south and all the way back to the north with numerous failed attempts.
These lions have become extremely efficient buffalo hunters and have mastered the art of trailing buffalo. It's just a matter of time until they bring down the next large meal.
Our lodge staff prepared various Easter treats and surprises for our guests which were enjoyed by all at the lodge and on safari…
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Benjamin Loon, Daniel Greyvenstein, Jason Street, JP van Rooyen and Ruan Mey
