From normality to chaos and then back again. This cycle has brought with it a lot of highs and equally depressing lows, bringing together the harsh realities of life in the wild. One thing though is clear that chaos is in fact normal.

What I'm really referring to, for those of you who don't regularly follow our daily updates, is the carnage that seems to be plaguing the Southern Pride. The death of more members, most noticeably that of one of the adult females at the hands of the nomadic Avoca males. This occurred while both sets were hunting a large herd of buffalo one night, with their paths crossing and one of the females stepping in to save the cubs which was to be her last act of bravery. The pride had split with some serious injuries sustained by some of the other senior members who retreated to the South to recuperate. We had not been posting pictures or running active sightings of these individuals due to the visible stress endured by this once powerful group.

I remember one sighting I had where the majority of the cubs and a couple of females lay in a thicket while one cub regularly came out in search of the other pride members, contact calling at regular intervals - it was heartbreaking. This heartbreak deepened as we returned later that evening only to find the 3 Tsalala males laying where the rest of the pride had been in the morning. The only member that was there, was the lifeless body of the cub that had been calling for the rest of its pride. Its desperate calling had attracted the lions it didn't want to meet.

The Avoca males have subsequently put down a peg in the ground laying claim to the kingdom once occupied and left vacant by the Charleston males. We have heard vocalisations echoing through the night from the Avoca males proclaiming this territory as theirs.

It has certainly been made easier by a large herd of buffalo who has taken a up residence on the fertile plains of our reserve. It is always incredible to see large herds of these powerful creatures, even though they are probably the least glamorous of the Big 5.

The Avoca males have seen this as an opportunity and have been seen regularly trailing the herd and killing baby buffalo. In this case not so successful.

The continual vocalisation has attracted some attention from some powerful neighbours to the north in the form of the Birmingham males, who are no doubt larger than the Avoca males and do pose a threat. Two of the Birmingham males were found feeding on a wildebeest one morning, a sure sign they are prepared to expand their territory.

After the kill had been left that night, a large clan of hyenas moved in to finish off the remains, bringing with them a cacophony of whooping and giggling, to me one of the most fantastic noises you can ever wish to hear in the wilderness.

On a much more positive note, we have been lucky enough to see regular sightings of two endangered species.

We watched this group of Wild Dogs one afternoon as they slowly started to wake before searching for their next meal. After a few failed attempts on a herd of impalas, as well as a diminutive Steenbok, they eventually had to settle for a Scrub Hare - a measly meal for these veracious predators.

For me one of the most elegant of predators! This cheetah posed beautifully atop this disused termite mound as it kept an eye out for prey as well as more powerful adversaries. Cheetahs often get killed by other predators due to their light frame which is built more for speed than confrontation and this cheetah was taking no chances.

Once again, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve has proved why it is one of the best places to view and photograph leopard. These are some of my favourite images from the cycle, and strangely they seem to be dominated by the young Ntsumi female. She is quite clearly becoming a favourite as I’ve watched her grow.

This young leopardess has become a very accomplished huntress and I’m sure you will agree that she knows how to strike a pose.

The hardships of a leopard became very obvious with the Msuthlu female loosing not one but two kills to the Maxabeni male in a 24-hour period. To add to her loss was that in trying to avoid the dominant male she also got harassed by a clan of hyenas who treed her on several occasions.

The sighting of the cycle however belongs to the Mhangeni sub adult lions who took on a large herd of buffalo. The drama was incredible as the inexperience of the youngsters showed. They were able to snatch a young calf from the herd and retreated to a waterhole for an opportunity to suffocate their prey. Despite being successful, they received lots of injuries inflicted by the buffalo herd, but also friendly fire as they fought with each other for the scraps - not nearly enough for 9 growing lions.

This was a fearsome battle which clearly illustrated the struggle for survival. A young buffalo who had barely started its life but contributing to the survival of an immature group who themselves desperately risked death at the hands of the angry adult buffalo in order for a relatively small insignificant meal.

It is an unwritten rule that as a ranger you should never get emotionally involved with what goes on in nature. This is one of the hardest things as you develop a very loose emotional attachment with these animals. You watch them develop from a young age and share in their highs so it is inevitable that you will feel some element of loss when they are gone.

These events have happened for centuries - a harsh reality that death is inevitable. We must just appreciate that life can be short, and also violent, but teaches us to live each experience and live for that moment.