A Week in the Bush Vol. 444
on Jan 25, 2023Summer is here and the dung beetles are hard at work. We found this telecoprid or "roller" dung beetle rolling down the road with his dung ball where he will find a suitable area to either consume the dung or bury it elsewhere.
A female dung beetle of the same species will lay a single egg inside the dung ball before they bury it. When the larvae hatch, they will feed on the reserve and pupate.
This massive crocodile was basking on the sun on a dam wall, and he allowed us to get a bit closer to him. We watched him for a long time and left him as he went back into the water as a herd of impala were approaching for a drink.
Most of the time crocodiles are merely resting when they open their mouths wide, this is to improve their ventilation as they are unable to sweat, they must open their jaws to disperse body heat.
Scrub Hare are extremely vigilant animals and with their long ears, can pick up on a predator approaching from a distance away. They are amazingly agile and use their long, powerful legs to run away from any danger. When fleeing danger, they will run at tremendous speeds and in a zig-zag motion, which confuses predators and makes it very difficult for predators to keep up, giving them the ability to escape.
Tree Agamas are a large, spiny species. They are strictly diurnal, insectivorous lizards which rely on camouflage – colour blending into their environment as a means of protection from predators. When they perceive danger, they will move around the tree trunk and flee into the upper branches. In mating season, the male Southern Tree Agama’s head can become intensely blue.
You can read all the books on the shelf and these books will all have similar things to say about the behaviour of animals. One of the things Jason loves about his job is witnessing so much of this theory being proven wrong.
On this occasion N’weti managed to bring down a wildebeest and we followed up later in the day to find N’weti male and Golonyi female sharing this massive meal. This is extremely unusual behaviour for these solitary cats. Leopards are normally solitary besides when mating or with cubs. On this occasion there was no intention of mating, there was some social interaction as well as the sharing of the meal which is almost unheard of. To top this off Golonyi moved off and lay in a nearby pond, again, unusual behaviour for these big cats who normally steer clear of water. The two eventually parted ways with N’weti going on a territorial patrol and Golonyi seeking comfort high in the branches of a large tree.
The Styx Pride once again tasted success under the cover of darkness. The pride was found very content, all with full bellies in the shade of a large Mahogany tree. With water nearby and a hot day ahead, the pride settled down for some rest in the perfect location.
The Styx Pride was rolling happily in the grass surrounding a waterhole in front of Selati Camp. We watched the young lions play as the sun set. Across the drainage line, a herd of elephants was feeding; we decided to spend some more time to see how the situation would play out. Slowly, the elephants came through the crossing, heading straight to the watering hole. The pride sat tight, watching carefully as the thirsty elephants drank in the cool water.
We were fortunate to spend a lot of time with the Styx Pride over the weekend. On Saturday morning the pride was close to Selati Camp lazing around when a herd of wildebeest and zebra came down to drink at the waterhole. Within seconds the pride was on high alert. The two adult females flanked around behind through a thicket while two of the sub adult females stalked through the tall grass and got within striking distance. The stage was set, and the lions made their move. Fortunately for the zebra they got away, and the pride returned to the shade to wait for another opportunity.
As the sun set the pride got active again, this time under the cover of darkness where all the odds were in their favour. They managed to bring down a wildebeest, which was another good meal for the pride on a warm evening. The next morning the pride was nursing their full bellies in the shade. A very successful weekend for a pride that looks more formidable every day.
While enjoying a sighting of the Styx Pride, we heard a leopard vocalising from a drainage line. We followed up and found Kigelia female lying under a Kigelia plant. Before long, she was on the move again trying to find a cooler spot to settle during the heat of the day. She eventually settled in a cool drainage line.
The birds rattled off shrieks and shrills in an effort to expose her as she meandered through the long grass. We couldn’t quite catch sight of her. Her tail swished from left to right, visibly displaying her annoyance. She emerged into a clearing; her eyes set on something in the distance; locked target. She slowly moved up the termite mound and came to a halt. She settled; her gaze fixed on a zebra foal ahead.
Although zebra is not a “common” prey for leopard. We have seen a few individuals take to hunting young foals. Just last week, Golonyi managed to secure two zebra kills, one unfortunately stolen by hyena, but a second safely enjoyed.
Ntsumi’s male cub found a young Leopard Tortoise and treated it as a practice hunting toy. He would stalk, pounce, then carry it away, release it and start the process over. The poor tortoise must have been terrified but it did provide good practice and entertainment for the young energetic cub.
A large pack of wild dogs made an appearance and caused chaos on the plains sending impala scattering in all directions. All the chaos sent a lone bushbuck running and the dogs made a successful chase. A small meal for a big pack which attracted some hyena. The young pups in the pack have learnt to deal with hyena and made sure to keep the hyena well clear of the food.
A very large pack of wild dogs emerged from a Tamboti thicket in hot pursuit of impala. A rather exhilarating afternoon watching pack dynamics and enjoying the energy which surrounds these magnificent species.
Check-in for new guests at Selati Camp was rudely interrupted by a cheetah that made its way to drink from the waterhole in front of the lodge during the heat of the day. When safari time came around, the cheetah made his way to the open plains where there were large herds of grazing impala, zebra and wildebeest. He took his time approaching and with a sudden burst off acceleration took off in chase of an impala lamb, sending the herds scattering in all directions. The hunt was successful, but all the action attracted a hyena who chased the cheetah off before he could even get a bite to eat.
Until next time
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Ally Ross, Daniel Greyvenstein, Jamiel Malherbe, Jason Street and Ronald Mutero
Videos by Jason Street and Viviane Ladner
