Being on safari means waking up early to get the most out of your day and allowing the best opportunity to view animals and find out what happened during the night. Not only do our guests enjoy a bit of a siesta during the day, so too do the animals...

We ended our blog last week with the news that the Southern Pride was back on our reserve. They have since been seen a couple of times resting between bouts of hunting opportunities. A young male lion known as the Charleston male, seems to have been accepted by the Southern Pride which is good news for the male as well as the pride.

Earlier in the week, the young Mhangeni Pride let inexperience get the better of them as they attempted to hunt some buffalo but the herd was too strong for them and sent them running for the hills. We have no doubt that with time they will gain strength and confidence and have many successful hunts going forward.

The two Matimba males made a surprise appearance earlier this week, looking a shade of their former glory as they moved across an open area into the darkness. Despite their need for a meal, you could not help but admire their size and majesty.

As the week progressed, the males were successful in securing themselves a small, however, much-needed meal as they managed to capture a Cape Buffalo calf.

The young Ntsumi female has been seen a lot this week, remaining patient on numerous failed hunting attempts.

The Msuthlu female had better luck and was seen feeding on a fresh steenbok kill before descending the tree in which she had stashed her kill, to have a drink of water.

A large male leopard gazes into the distance at a large herd of impala, before moving off to continue his territorial patrol. He was successful later in the day as we waited patiently for him to show off his impressive climbing skills as he effortlessly leaped up a tree to feed on his impala kill.

We found this impressive male leopard by the sound of his territorial call. We had the privilege of spending the morning with him as he was on a mission to mark his territory.

A new face to Sabi Sabi, but not unknown in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve – the West Street male! We followed him as he made his way around a section of our reserve, scent marking as he went.

We end the series of leopard sightings with Little Bush and her 12-week old cub! Little Bush continues to impress with her ability to provide regular meals for herself and her ever-growing cub who has stolen our hearts! The cub is bursting with energy allowing for some wonderful sightings of her, even biting on mom’s ear to disturb her rest!

After an exhilarating chase, two African Wild Dogs caught and killed a Bushbuck, but the alarm calls of some Vervet Monkeys attracted the attention of some nearby Hyenas who came charging in to claim the prize for themselves. An absolutely incredible sighting for guests and guides alike!

We share with you some of the general sightings from the week. Some more popular than others, but all vital for the ecosystem...

Until next time...