“Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” ~ Gustave Flaubert

Plenty of activity on safari this week with many memorable sightings... Starting with an adorable sighting where we witnessed the incredibly close bond between mother and baby. This young hippo calf was frolicking around in the water mimicking its mother’s movements as she showed off her impressive teeth.

A journey of giraffe was a highlight for us as the herd consisted of two calves who just wouldn’t leave one another alone...

There’s nothing much cuter on safari than a baby elephant coming to grips with its trunk...

In recent times, we have been seeing more and more of the young Hanyile male who is pushing into the territory of the mature Xovonekela male leopard.

Ntsumi has been busy this week – we found her trying her luck with a lone impala ram. We waited so patiently as she got about 10m from him, but he ran before she could make her move. She didn’t give up and caught up with the same impala, this time getting to within about 20m of him before he spotted her again. After her two failed attempts, she lay down in defeat to rest and regain her strength. A few days later she had managed to make a kill, only to have it stolen by some hyenas. She managed to grab a few bites before retreating up a tree.

The elderly Xovonekela male was seen again this week – resting in a Marula tree with his warthog kill.

Msuthlu spent time this week remarking her territory. Here she stopped briefly to drink whilst keeping an eye on some nearby Nyala.

The late afternoons rays of sun were beautiful as they lit up the golden grass within this beautiful open area. Suddenly, emerging from the thick stands of grass, was the White Dam male who gracefully wondered down the road, scent marking every now and then.

On our way home after a lovely safari, the Scotia female met us on the road for a short visit before she moved off into the night.

Daniel and his guests found themselves in the right place at the right time... Maxabeni was lying well hidden in some grass when a very inquisitive hyena came strolling by...

Turn up the volume to enjoy this one!!

Our guests were extraordinarily lucky to witness two separate impala kills made by the same pack of African Wild Dogs, all within about 30 minutes of one another. Some of them had the sighting of a lifetime, while others got a rare glimpse into the emotional side of the wild. Either way these dogs worked hard for their well-deserved meals.

The Southern Pride were seen a few times this week, relaxing close to Earth Lodge.

A hyena emerges from the water with the remains of a kill.

A spectacular sight of a Brown snake eagle on the lookout for prey. Their diet consists of not only snakes, but also lizards and small mammals.

A species of bird we don’t get to see too often, the Knob-billed Duck (previous name Comb Duck)

This Helmeted Guineafowl stood scratching through a pile of dung presumably in search of small insects.

While watching some playful hippos, we had a surprise visit from this old male leopard.

This small Tree-squirrel was spotted clinging to a tree, taking advantage of the last remaining rays of afternoon sun.

We came across a large herd of Cape Buffalo enjoying a cooler morning on the reserve.

Until next time...