A Week in the Bush Vol. 500
on Apr 24, 2024Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly recap blog…
Driving through the eastern parts of our reserve we were looking for any tracks and sign of leopards. Coming around the next corner our tracking was cut short as we found Ntsumi making her way further east when she heard impalas rutting in the distance and immediately went into the long grass trying to stalk closer but with no luck, she continued into the thickets looking for her next opportunity.
With rutting season for impalas in full swing now, leopards often target these males as they let their guard down and only focus one each other, trying to establish dominance for breeding season around the corner, leopards use this to their advantage and strike when it's least expected from the impalas.
Ntsumi was making her way back to the last area we saw her cubs and knowing that we waited for her on a small open clearing. She continued and as expected started contact calling, trying to get the attention of her youngsters to have them come out of hiding. We were spoiled by the reuniting of mom and daughters as they were very playful, stalking and jumping on one another as they moved deeper into our reserve.
We often see how cubs are very playful when the mom is around as they know they need to get rid of their energy before being stashed away again. Without mother’s protection they are still very vulnerable and need to avoid being found by other animals. They will spend the warmer parts of the day resting, before getting active again after dark, trying to hunt and secure food for the three of them.
Through the inky blackness, whispers abound as an unknown face strides through the wilderness, her presence electrifying the air with anticipation. With each graceful step, she ignites a spark of curiosity and excitement. The young Xikhova female enters the Sabi Sabi story promising new adventures and tales to unfold in the untamed beauty of her newfound domain.
We were fortunate to come across the Nottins male while he was hunting warthogs. He was going from burrow to burrow, inspecting for any movement until he got his eyes locked on a group of warthogs slowly getting active, unfortunately the wind was against him, and they picked up on his scent. With no luck he carried on into the thickets where he would spend his day and try hunting again after dark.
With winter slowly rolling in, these cats will be active for longer periods early in the morning as the temperatures are low and animals usually bake in the morning sun warming their body, creating the perfect opportunity for them to hunt.
On our way back to Earth Lodge we spotted a male leopard off the road. As we approached, we could hear this male was not happy as he was growling. We switched the vehicle off and heard another growl further into the bush and immediately realised there was another male. Khulwana was having a stand-off with the larger Mawelawela male who is the territorial male of this western sector of our reserve.
Both males started scent marking heavily, declaring their dominance. Khulwana moved off into the thickets later leaving the area and Mawelawela behind. For now, Mawelawela has won this stand-off but with Khulwana starting to scent mark and vocalise, his confidence levels are rising, and he will be trying to take this territory over. Over the next couple of months these males will be going at each other until one can declare his dominance and strength over the other and chase him out.
Finding a lioness moving with her young cubs is a heartwarming sight in the wild. Lionesses are devoted mothers, carefully guiding and protecting their offspring as they travel together. The lioness leads the way, with her cubs following closely behind, learning essential skills for survival. This bond between the lioness and her cubs is crucial for the cubs' growth and development, setting the foundation for their future as apex predators in the savanna ecosystem.
The Gijima males have been spending a lot of time in our reserve. With all their cubs around this is a vulnerable part of their territory at the moment as they know if rival males should enter this part of their kingdom, their cubs will be at great risk.
Male lions often kill cubs which are not their own to declare dominance and to have the possibility to mate with the females as they go into oestrus again shortly after because of the depression they experience from losing their cubs. These males have been doing a fine job so far of keeping their females and cubs safe as their dominance is becoming greater by the day.
Spotted hyenas are known to utilise burrows dug into termite mounds as denning sites. After four months of gestation, a female will usually give birth to one or two blackish cubs. These cubs will stay in and around the den until the age of 6 months, accompanied by either the mother or an appointed babysitter. Fortunately, these little teddy bear-like furballs are also very curious and are quick to explore new additions to their environments, offering us an up-close experience.
The glass-like morning waters is shattered as a Yellow-billed Stork wades through in search of a tasty morsel. It wades through the water with its bill ajar and semi-submerged in search of small fish, frogs, and insects. The bill is extremely tactile and will snap closed should it feel anything that comes nearby.
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Benjamin Loon, Devon Jansen, JP van Rooyen, Marco Vietti, Ronald Mutero and Ruan Mey
