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My Cycle Highlights – October/November 2019

on Nov 28, 2019

Summer has always been my favourite season. I always look forward to watching the savanna come alive in the morning with the sound of Woodland kingfishers calling in the bright green Marula trees; and the loud shrills of cicadas, frogs and toads calling at night.

Another thing to look forward to is the arrival of the impala lambs. I will never forget the first time I witnessed an impala give birth and watched the baby take its first wobbly steps. But nature can be both beautiful and cruel at the same time. Predators also seem to look forward to their arrival but with a more sinister intent; food. The abundance of impala lambs equates to an “eat as much as you can” buffet for leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs.

Over the past few weeks have had the privilege of witnessing this amazing circle of life and it has opened my eyes to the delicate balance that Mother Nature must maintain.

On this occasion we found wild dog pups feeding on an impala and while watching them, one of the adults came back with another impala lamb.

01andries Ndlovu Wild Dogs 151119 5 Final

One of the pups chasing away marauding vultures.

02andries Ndlovu Wild Dogs 151119 2 Final

What might seem to be a game of tag is, in reality, a skill the pups will need for the survival of the pack.

03andries Ndlovu Wild Dogs 151119 8 Final

As an Olympic sprinter would do a victory lap with her gold medal, we watched this female cheetah parade the plains with her kill.

04andries Ndlovu Cheetah 191119 1 Final

Yesterday morning we witnessed yet another impala lamb fall victim. A mother to one cub; this femme fatale stalked a herd of impala. As she dashed in, all we heard were alarm calls as the impala scattered. Once the dust settled, the leopard had a lamb in her clutch. Within a few minutes, two hyenas arrived to investigate all the commotion and at this point she hoisted her prize to safety in a tree.

  • Blog by Andries Ndlovu (Bush Lodge Ranger)
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