Share this article:

A Week in the Bush Vol. 151

on Apr 19, 2017

A lot has been happening out on safari this week with plentiful sightings and some special Easter touches. We hope you enjoy this week’s version of A Week in the Bush...

The week started off with a sighting of the Mhangeni Breakaway females as they lazed around not too far from a large breeding herd of buffalo which they were keeping their eyes on. A subsequent sighting of them saw them attempting to hunt a kudu, but unfortunately, they were not successful.

After a short period of absence, the Southern Pride was located on the reserve. They were doing what cats do best and resting before nightfall.

A pride we seldom see, the Eyrefield Pride, managed to bring down an impala on Monday night, which they finished within 10 minutes.

10Franscois Rosslee Fieldpride Final

The Toulon Pack of wild dogs were seen chasing a scrub hare but only one of the dogs walked away with a small meal. Sharing such a small meal was not the case!

The leopards definitely stole the show over the Easter period with some spectacular sightings of all the familiar faces!

We have been seeing Maxabeni making his way through his territory scent marking and potentially looking for a meal, he even tried stalking a herd of impala close by a breeding herd of elephants which proved unsuccessful. Upon following up the following morning, he was looking very content in a fallen over tree with a Common Duiker kill which was almost finished.

That evening, in a scintillating sighting, we watched Maxabeni and his son, the White Dam male, posing on a fallen down tree where Maxabeni had his Duiker carcass. They both kept a keen eye on a clan of 9 Spotted Hyenas who fought over the scraps before both leopards disappeared in different directions.

Little Bush and her cub have also been successful in obtaining meals. The cub has been up to her usual tricks – stalking buffalo, and even a hyena! In one sighting, she was stalking the same herd of buffalo as White Dam’s male cub. They got to within meters of one another when they spotted one another. The female scurried for a tree with the young male below.

On Saturday morning, one of our trackers, Doc, astounded all of us by spotting Kigelia atop a termite mound far off in the bush. She then proceeded to waltz on up the road all the while searching for something, sniffing at almost every bush she went past.

Xovonekela was seen testing the reproductive status of a female leopard's urine in the area, most likely Kigelia, who was spotted in the area earlier in the day.

All four of our lodges got into the Easter spirit with some special treats for our guests...

Until next time...

36Kyle 17 Jan 2017 African Sunset Final
  • Blog by Wendy Claase
  • Images by Sheldon Hooper, Franscois Rosslee, Terry Ennever, Kyle Strautmann, Kevan Dobbie, Conrad Zeelie, Alta du Toit, Nadia Schoeman and Ashleigh Heasman
Share this article: