A Week in the Bush Vol. 499
on Apr 17, 2024After a week of much-need late seasonal rain, which was below average in terms of rainfall, it was a welcome sight to see the sun again. The bush has responded well after the rain and is a beautiful green all over again even confusing the impala into entering an early rut.
The Southern Tree Agama is often referred to as the blue-headed agama due to the mesmerising blue features shown by the male during the breeding season. These harmless, non-venomous reptiles can often be seen bobbing their heads up and down in a territorial display, defending territories from other males and attracting females which have a far more subdued colouring.
You know you are in Africa when you are watching the unspoiled wilderness with the largest land-living mammal in the world. We watched in awe as this elephant bull was peacefully feeding across a large open area. These bulls need to eat a minimum of around 200kg of vegetation every single day of their lives to survive. No wonder they spend up to 18 hours a day feeding.
The only monkey species in the Lowveld is the Vervet Monkey. They are extremely social and well-adapted to trees, their eyes face forward and their vision overlaps which aids them in jumping between branches.
As we left Earth Lodge we headed back into the area where we found the Southern Pride prior and because it was raining heavily, we were merely trying our luck. As we got into the area, we were pleasantly surprised by a big breeding herd of buffalo in the open. While looking at them in the distance, the Southern Pride and the Gijima males made their way down the road, paying attention to the buffaloes. The lionesses tried to get the cubs away while the Gijima males decided to try their luck with an isolated bull, but they got chased off. We followed these lions as they were all actively scent marking making sure other lions knew this was their territory. Still nursing full bellies from their waterbuck kill, these lions rested in the shade to digest their meal.
Later in the week, we found four Southern Pride lionesses walking down the road, clearly on their way back to the 5th lioness and her cubs. They rested in an open clearing as the sun broke through the clouds, warming up after a cooler evening. These lions will continue back to the den site to meet up with the rest of the pride for safety purposes and continue their attempt to hunt again after dark.
This week brought with it plenty of sightings of the Msuthlu Pride and their adorable cubs!
Roars echoed through the drainage line close to Selati Camp on a late wet afternoon alerting us to the whereabouts of the Gijima males along with two Msuthlu Pride females and three cubs. They all emerged from the wet vegetation with full bellies in search of water to quench their thirst.
After one of the Msuthlu Pride lionesses secured a blue wildebeest kill, we returned to the area the next day and found them panting heavily with the cubs still suckling on mom, falling asleep while doing so. With a fair amount of meat still left, the lioness has dragged the carcass under the canopy of a tree, hiding it from vultures to prevent her location from being compromised as she will return to continue feeding.
A few days later the Gijima males were with the Msuthlu Pride again. The adults observe with regal dignity as their energetic cubs romp and tumble, each playful tackle and tender nuzzle reaffirms the bonds that bind them, echoing the harmony of the untamed wilderness.
The Styx Pride has been roaming around our reserve near Selati Camp and we often find them resting with full stomachs.
After a lion pride finishes a meal, they may exhibit certain behaviours. Typically, lions will rest and groom each other after eating to strengthen social bonds within the pride. Licking each other's face and body helps to remove blood and food remnants, and it also serves as a way to reaffirm social relationships. Once they are done grooming, they may settle down for a nap to digest their meal and conserve energy for their next hunt.
High in the boughs of a Knobthorn tree, a leopard drapes itself across a sturdy branch. Muscles ripple beneath its spotted coat, resembling Its power. Its gaze was very distant, its breathing slow and measured. This is a predator at perfect ease, conserving energy for the upcoming twilight hunt, and it never took long before she came down…
With rainy weather in recent times, we have worked hard to find leopards. As we were driving around slowly, looking for any signs, we heard a Helmeted Guineafowl alarm call and immediately followed up. We found Ntsumi's two daughters playing, chasing each other up and down a dead tree, creating the perfect sighting. These cubs are spending a lot of time by themselves lately and have learned just as much. Exciting times ahead to see where their lives will take them over the next year.
After finding fresh tracks of a female leopard, we started our tracking exercise. Because she was crossing into numerous areas, we circled around multiple times, until tracker Donald proved again, that he really has 'eagle eyes'. He spotted Tengile as she was lying in a tree far off the road and we managed to get closer and watched her getting active. As she came down the tree she headed into the thickets, contact calling every now and then, looking for her cub. Later, she found her male cub and she took him to safety, deeper into a drainage line. Females will leave their cubs for up to 24 hours before returning, trying to hunt and secure food without needing to worry about the whereabouts of their cubs.
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Benjamin Loon, Devon Jansen, Jason Street, Rod Wyndham, Ronald Mutero and Ruan Mey
Video by Jason Street
