From the small and cute to the big and not so cute (up for debate), we have seen it all this week!! We hope you enjoy this week’s selection of safari highlights in the latest edition of “A Week in the Bush”.

A Bush Baby posed beautifully for us in and amongst the trees on our way back to the lodge one evening.

A few members from a clan of Spotted Hyena were seen laying around a waterhole with rather full stomachs seeming quite content.

A little spotted roadblock!

“They say an elephant never forgets. What they don’t tell you is, you never forget an elephant.” ~ Bill Murray

A Spotted Hyena becomes active as the sun begins to set.

Ever wonder what sees you out on safari that you don’t see?!

Two male Zebras were engaged in a tussle whilst another group drank from a nearby pan.

Standing guard!

Almost on cue, a herd of elephants pause momentarily to observe our presence before carrying on.

A female Red-billed Oxpecker feeds her fledgling while perched on the dorsal muscle of a White Rhinoceros cow.

One of the largest Stork species on the planet, the Saddle-billed Stork is also one of the rarest bird species we are lucky enough to occasionally see here at Sabi Sabi.

Early one morning, the calls of a leopard were heard. After a quick search, the culprit was located. A new female to Sabi Sabi, who we believe to be the Lookout female. She was actively following the scent of a male leopard and every so often would let out a contact call or two. We knew it wouldn’t be long until she would find what she was looking for - the territorial male of the eastern sector, N’weti. However, they briefly observed one another and parted ways.

As we set out on safari one chilly morning, we sat watching a herd of impala as the sun rose behind them. Little did we know, we were not the only ones watching... We spotted Maxabeni male leopard crouched in the grass and watched as he attempted to hunt in the early morning glow. He may not have been successful, but our early morning game drive sure was!

The same evening he was at it again – this time we watched as he stalked and killed a large warthog. Sadly for Maxabeni, while he was catching his breath, hyenas moved in and stole his hard-earned kill, leaving the leopard with only a taste of what could have been!

Over the weekend, the young White Dam male leopard was patrolling and marking his territory one evening. Here we witnessed him attempt to catch a Scrub Hare or two, however, seeming quite full, he didn’t put too much effort in.

Our attention was drawn to a pair of White Rhinos drinking from a small pan. As we approached to get a better view, we discovered an old male leopard – Xovonekela - resting alongside the water’s edge observing the two large herbivores. The following day we had another sighting of him, his presence given away by an alert herd of male impalas as he drank at a small water source.

Moving onto the lions...

The Southern Pride has been seen a lot this week! Shortly after leaving Little Bush Camp for morning safari, we were pleasantly surprised to discover a lioness on an open area. She had been spotted by a herd of Blue Wildebeest and soon made her way towards another three lions in the tree line nearby. They continued to move over the open plains in search of breakfast. They pursued a dazzle of Zebra who quickly made a getaway and began alarm calling.

The following day we located the pride again, resting a short distance from a waterhole. They must have had a successful hunt in the night as they all had rather round bellies. We watched as they relaxed in the early morning sun, occasionally grooming and playing with one another.

On Saturday afternoon after a lengthy tracking exercise, we found these two beautiful male lions (Hilda’s Rock male and his coalition partner who we believe is known as “Shy Boy”) who were quite content and rested in the shade of a Magic Guarri bush after drinking from a small seasonal pan. Later, into the evening, the calls from a male leopard were heard not too far away and in a matter of minutes a mature territorial male leopard, Xovonekela, came strolling past. Waiting in suspense to see what would unfold, both large cats seemed oblivious to one another until Xovonekela caught scent of the lions but hesitated to investigate further and carried on his way, keeping the peace for the evening.

Until next time...