A Week in the Bush Vol. 476
on Oct 11, 2023The week got off to a sombre beginning with a sighting of a hyena that caught our attention midway through the morning drive. A delightfully uncommon animal to have about with the heat of the day starting to bear down. From afar it seemed busy, chewing on something perhaps. We went for a closer inspection and were staggered by what we came across. The outer skin of a Pangolin was being eaten by the powerful, bone-crushing jaws of the hyena. While the sight of losing one of our most special creatures is tough, it is nature’s way. We watched on into the morning as the hyena continued to crunch into the sharp scales of its most unusual of meals.
The normally elusive Jasiri female leopard sat atop a beautiful boulder in the Southern part of Sabi Sabi. She kept a close eye on a nearby herd of impala that was unaware of her presence. Waiting for the sun to set, she waits patiently before moving away from her perfect hiding spot to start hunting.
During our morning safari, we heard the distinctive sawing of a female leopard in a drainage line. Keeping our eyes and ears wide open, we carefully comb through the area with determination to find her. Driving past a seasonal pan, tracker Sam casually pointed to the mud and said, “Leopard,” almost as if he knew she would be there. It took the rest of us a few seconds to find her right in the middle of the nearly dried-up pan where Ntsumi was having a drink. It shows you that even in a wide-open area, leopards are the masters of disguise! We followed her as she effortlessly weaved her way through the bush and eventually took refuge in a big tree where she would most likely spend the rest of the hot summer morning.
We spotted the Khulwana male leopard on one of the rocky outcrops near Earth Lodge. After some difficulty moving through the area, we managed to find him as he was going from rock to rock, clearly in search of prey to hunt as the light was fading away. He disappeared for a minute, and we heard the commotion as we tried to reposition. A warthog stormed out from between the rocks with the male leopard giving chase. Grabbing, overpowering, and suffocating the warthog, the leopard secured the meal. Before we realised what was happening, it was all over in a flash, and Khulwana lay down next to the kill to get his breath back before starting to feed. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something very few people get to see, especially right next to you, totally unexpected.
After a little rival spat with the Tengile female on Saturday morning, we found Golonyi retreated more to the western side of her territory the next day. Marking her area as she went along, she would stop on a few termite mounds to scan her surroundings. With nothing in sight, she moved through a Tamboti thicket to stay hidden from any potential prey towards a drainage line. With it being a much cooler day, cats will use this opportunity to be more active as they don’t use as much energy as on a hot summer’s day.
The summer sun beats down on the savannah, and many animals seek cover until the sun relents, colouring the landscape in beautiful vibrant hues. Emerging from the safety of the cool shade, the N'weti male leopard began his evening’s activities. Many animals prefer to move during this twilight period, cooler temperatures, while still having enough light to watch for predators or prey. He moved towards a termite mound where, once he summited, he lay down to catch the cool breeze and perused his home for a possible early meal.
The surprise appearance of the Tengile female caught us all off guard. She moved along the road until she came to an abrupt halt; sniffing the ground, she caught the scent of another female, the Golonyi female. She broke into a swift jog before slowing and sniffing again to see where this territorial intruder had gone. She caught the scent and continued her search. She stopped where Golonyi had sat only a moment earlier; the trail seemed to have gone cold until she broke into another jog heading towards where Golonyi had moved too. We caught up with her, still sniffing the ground. The trail had gone cold, and as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared into the dense foliage along a drainage line.
Deciding to follow up on the Southern Pride from the morning, we made our way into the area where they were last seen, and we knew they shouldn’t have moved off too far as it was a hot day. We were right; they were close by and still sleeping. Sitting in the presence of these Lions is always spectacular, something that never gets old. Soon enough, as the beautiful African sun greeted us, they started yawning and giving extensive stretches before moving deeper into the thickets. Lions will sleep most of the day, but as soon as the temperatures drop, they will start to yawn and stretch, enhancing oxygen and blood flow in their bodies to prepare for the activities ahead.
Exploring the African bush is an experience, but not complete without a lion male. As we drove through the bush we saw vultures sitting in the trees and decided to follow up. We were spoiled by finding the Southern Avoca male heavily panting, and it was clear he had a meal as he was trying to sleep it off and digest it. Still, with no sign of his brother, he looks very healthy and seems to be adapting well by himself.
Early morning, we drove over one of the big open areas on our reserve, and a strange figure immediately caught our attention. We found the two large Gijima males overlooking their surroundings, yawning now and then before they started moving further east. They were scent-marking and constantly smelling on the ground. There is a big possibility that they might be following up on other females in the area, hence them clearly following a scent that other lions left behind. These lions later rested in a thicker area where they will spend some time before moving on again.
Sightings of Cheetah are few and far between, due to their large territories, regular movements, and low numbers. Over the past couple of safaris, we have been treated to separate sightings of a lone male as well as two brothers.
These two young male cheetahs have been seen a couple of times, providing an incredible glimpse into their world. They moved steadily upwind always on the lookout for potential prey and rival predators. After a cold evening, a brief stop atop an advantage-viewpoint allowed them to bask in the early morning light and simultaneously scan the surrounding area. This was then followed by a quick drink in a murky pool of water and then, once again, they pressed on.
This lone male cheetah was moving through the open and had us all pinching ourselves in disbelief. Having seen the two young males previously, here in front of us strolled a large powerful adult male. It was an absolute privilege to spend the morning around one of these rarely-seen speed machines, a truly special morning for us all.
It is sometimes hard to believe that with all the tens of thousands of Zebras that you find in Southern Africa, every individual has a unique set of prints. When you see one with a unique mark or pattern, you will always look out for it in the hopes that you will see it again. This is exactly what happened with this stallion and his one-of-a-kind mark. Ranger Daniel first spotted this male zebra in June 2022 and noticed the almost perfect circle on his forehead. More than a year later, the same male zebra came across her path again, and this time she was ready to take the perfect photograph of him.
There is a time in the day that photographers call “The Golden Hour.” A soft, low light is produced during the last hour before sunset or the first hour after sunrise. A male kudu was the main subject this time, creating a beautiful golden outline on his mane and horns.
We were pleasantly spoiled by this sighting of a male and female Ostrich with all 10 of their chicks! Ostrich chicks will stay close to their mom and dad for the next seven months as they are almost helpless in defending themselves against predators. These beautiful birds only have around a 15% survival rate as every single predator, including eagles and even owls, will go for an easy meal like a helpless chick.
Driving past a certain waterhole, ranger Daniel always goes a little slower to see if she can find the elusive Greater Painted-Snipe tucked away in the vegetation. This was her lucky day when she found a male sitting on the water's edge, casually grooming himself.
Greater Painted-Snipes prefer waterside habitats with exposed mud among the vegetation. They feed on worms, grasshoppers, crickets, crustaceans, snails, and sometimes seeds.
We have been lucky to see Southern Ground Hornbills almost every day around the extensive open areas and marshy areas, especially after the big rains we received a week ago. New shoots of grass, that symbolise the beginning of summer, lure many insects, attracting these big birds. They are a diurnal species that wisall feed or forage in pairs or big groups.
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Daniel Greyvenstein, Devon Jansen, JP van Rooyen, Macs Toich, Ronald Mutero and Ruan Mey
