A Week in the Bush Vol. 556
on Jul 16, 2025It’s been another exciting week out on safari, filled with memorable sightings and incredible moments in the bush. Here are some of the highlights from the past few days - a snapshot of the action and wildlife encounters our guests and guides experienced.
We picked up fresh tracks of a pride of lions heading toward the Sabie River. As we got off the vehicle to investigate where the tracks were leading through a nearby drainage line, we heard the unmistakable contact call of a lioness. Wasting no time, we followed the sound.
Soon, we found a young lioness from the Southern Pride, vocalising and sniffing around as she searched for the rest of her pride. Later, we came across tracks indicating that the rest of the pride had moved out of our reserve. This young female will likely continue trailing them until she reunites with the group.
It's not unusual for individual lions to fall behind temporarily. Members of a pride often move at different paces due to varying energy levels, health conditions, or roles within the group. These brief separations are a natural part of their social dynamic, with contact calls serving as a vital tool for reconnection.
News that the Gijima males had crossed into our reserve sent a palpable wave of excitement through the air. When we finally caught up with them, they were on the move - purposeful, intense, and full of energy. But as the late-morning heat settled in, their momentum gave way to stillness, and they soon lay down to rest.
As we meandered through the reserve on a crisp winter morning, the stillness was suddenly shattered by the sharp alarm call of a baboon. Instinctively, we altered our course, heading toward a nearby watering hole to investigate the disturbance.
There, to our delight, we encountered the familiar faces of the Msuthlu Pride, basking in a moment of carefree joy. The lions, in high spirits, played and groomed one another with an almost familial tenderness - a rare and intimate glimpse into their tightly bonded world.We watched in quiet awe as they shared this playful interlude before eventually slipping away toward the riverbed below.
Before departing Bush Lodge for our afternoon safari, our goal was clear: to find a leopard.
As we boarded the game drive cruiser, a chorus of alarm calls from nearby chacma baboons cut through the stillness, filling the air with tension. Responding to the urgency, we headed swiftly to Bush Pan in front of the lodge, where a group of giraffes was drinking at the water’s edge.
Towering and elegant, the giraffes stood frozen in cautious alertness. Their long necks craned toward the riverbed below the lodge — something unseen had clearly unsettled them. Moments later, vervet monkeys joined the alarm chorus, their shrill cries intensifying the atmosphere.
Suddenly, the giraffes bolted, galloping away from the waterhole and drawing our eyes with them. But as we turned back toward the drainage line, a breathtaking sight greeted us: the regal Ntsumi female leopard stepped into view.
She moved with graceful confidence to the water’s edge and paused to drink, lifting her head now and then as the alarm calls echoed on.
During our morning safari, we were fortunate to catch a fleeting glimpse of a leopardess in the western section of the reserve — but nothing more. Naturally, that brief encounter left us yearning for more, and our plans for the afternoon were immediately set.
Moments after resuming our safari after our sundowner stop, word came through that the Ntsumi female had been found — and she’d made a kill. We responded swiftly and arrived to witness her finishing off a scrub hare; the scene lit beautifully by the last light of day.
The regal Ntsumi devoured her prize with efficient precision, yet her body language told us she wasn’t entirely at ease — ears pricked, gaze fixed beyond the glow of our spotlight.
Then, as if conjured by the night, a hyena appeared from the shadows. With barely a sound, Ntsumi vanished into the darkness, leaving behind only the memory of a rare and thrilling encounter.
After having seen the Ntsumi female the night prior, we were surprised to encounter her again the following morning. Although she has been spending much of her time near Bush Lodge, we have also been seeing her further afield. Her behaviour suggests that she is getting ready to den, both scent marking and picking up on scents as she moves across her territory.
Out of the cold inky darkness the dominant and infamous Mawelawela male appeared. He seemed uneasy as he paced back and forth along the dirt track, constantly sniffing the ground in search of something. It was not until he raised his head and all became clear, long streams on uncontrollable saliva hung from his powerful jaws, clear signs another male was in his territory, and he was on a mission to find the intruder.
After searching the entire afternoon, the Golonyi female made an appearance after dark. She moved cautiously through a thicket before resting on a termite mound while planning her evening activities.
We were treated to a stunning sighting of a majestic giraffe bull as he strolled gracefully across an open clearing, bathed in perfect morning light - ideal conditions for photography. He was making his way toward a nearby waterhole to quench his thirst before the midday heat began to set in.
In the bushveld, Euphorbia plants play a vital role for insects during the dry winter months. While most vegetation ceases flowering in winter, Euphorbias thrive in the dry conditions, producing vibrant clusters of tiny flowers rich in nectar and pollen. As one of the few plants to bloom during this season, they attract a flurry of activity from bees, butterflies, wasps, and other insects. Without these winter blossoms, many insect species would struggle to survive, and their populations could decline significantly before the arrival of spring.
Elephants have been observed exhibiting a remarkable and poignant behaviour: they carefully investigate, touch, and sometimes even carry the bones or tusks of deceased elephants. This interaction goes beyond mere curiosity - it suggests a level of emotional intelligence and possibly an awareness of death.
What makes this behaviour especially striking is that it is not limited to the remains of close family members. Elephants have shown similar reverence toward the bones of unrelated individuals, indicating a broader sense of social connection or species-wide empathy. Such actions have led researchers to consider whether elephants may experience a form of mourning for their dead.
We stopped the safari vehicle to let a herd of impala cross the road, bathed in the golden light of the afternoon. A few stragglers lingered behind, still needing to catch up. We watched as they quickly ran to join the herd, bounding and skipping in the golden light as they went.
A dramatic moment as the red moon slowly emerged above the horizon — a breathtaking finale to a day in the African bush.
Fire plays a vital role in the natural dynamics of the savannah ecosystem. However, when left unchecked, it can become dangerously destructive. To safeguard guests, lodges, and wildlife in and around the reserve, annual firebreaks are established - creating crucial physical boundaries between infrastructure, reserve edges, and the dry winter bushveld.
During one of these maintenance efforts, a zebra was seen taking full advantage of the recently cleared firebreak, using the fine ash for a dust bath - a natural behaviour that helps control ectoparasites.
The cloudless winter skies create a beautiful backdrop for which to capture some of the stunning birds that are prepared to persevere through the cold winter. One such bird is the large and powerful Brown Snake Eagle, perched high up in the limbs of a dead tree, it scans the thinning bush for any potential prey.
This curious hyena cub is growing bolder every day and gaining the confidence it will one day need. The cubs are spending more time investigating the area around their den.
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Benjamin Loon, Devon Jansen, Jamiel Malherbe, Jan Nel and Ruan Mey
Videos by Jan Nel
