Another action-packed week on safari with many amazing sightings. We hope you enjoy this week’s selection of highlights...

An old, yet very welcome face to see – Xovonekela. He was seen feeding off the scraps of a kill made by a female lion from the Southern Pride. Two hyenas came not long after and managed to steal what was left. A great sighting full of interaction!

Maxabeni was on a territorial patrol before coming to rest in some thick vegetation.

The following day, after following up on a set of male and female leopard tracks coming from two opposite directions, we found Maxabeni and Kigelia around a duiker carcass. When Maxabeni went to take a break in some shade, Kigelia quickly grabbed the kill and dragged it up a nearby tree, had a few bites and then also went to seek some shade as the heat of the morning had started settling in. This shared feeding went on for another day until Maxabeni eventually dragged the carcass into a small riverbed and started feeding. The unlucky female gazed up the tree, but nothing was left so she made her way out of the area.

On our way back to camp one night, we had stopped to view an owl. As we stopped, we heard a leopard calling, we rushed over to investigate and found the White Dam male on the road scent marking and vocalising. The following day he was seen, still scent marking before finding a cool place to rest.

The beautiful Kigelia female leopard was trying her luck hunting unsuspecting Scrub Hares along a dry riverbed, but she was out of luck as she always got spotted before the time.

We have had some amazing sightings of Scotia and her cub this week! We tracked her for quite some time and our patience paid off as we caught sight of mom and cub walking along a road. We followed them for a while, and they led us to an impala kill that was hoisted in a tree. The following day, we located Scotia again and she was vocalising quite often before wondering off, so we decided to follow her at a distance. She stood still and started contact calling again. Her little cub came walking over to her from the long grass and she then led her cub back to the kill. What a special sighting of the little one.

We had noticed a few vultures in the area and not long after that, we heard and saw some hyenas finishing the remains of a kill. Looking for some evidence as to who this kill belonged to, we noticed some wild dog tracks on the road and followed them. We found the pack of wild dogs lying in the riverbed with their pups; with all of them seemingly excited and playing amongst one another.

The Othawa male and Mhangeni Pride have allowed us plenty of sightings of them this week, even making their way past Earth Lodge during dinner service one evening...

Two of the Big 5 sharing a water break after an extremely hot day. Shortly after the elephants had their drink, passing by the Styx Pride of lions, they chased them around a little.

A Slender Mongoose stands tall, checking out his surroundings.

A massive Giraffe bull enjoyed the new leave growth of the surrounding trees.

A pair of Hamerkop were basking in the sun after they had finished with breakfast which comprises mostly of frogs, tadpoles, small fish and aquatic insects.

A Helmeted Guineafowl temporarily gets separated from the rest of its confusion. Confusion is the collective noun for guineafowl.

And plenty of elephant sightings too this week...

Until next time...