A Week in the Bush Vol. 563
on Sep 10, 2025This past week on safari has been packed with incredible wildlife sightings and memorable moments. From early morning game drives to evening sundowners, each day brought something new to see and experience. In this recap, we’ll share the highlights from the week and some of the standout encounters along the way.
Golonyi rested on top of a prominent rocky outcrop, her rasping calls echoed all around her as she was calling her cub. Not far from where she was perched, the young male was on an outcrop of his own. He heard his mother's calls and cautiously made his way toward her voice.
During a morning safari, the western section of the reserve was alive with activity. Before long, radio chatter confirmed the source: a female leopard and her cub feeding on a fresh kill. True to form, an opportunistic hyena lurked nearby, snatching whatever scraps it could from the remains.
The sighting revealed the exquisite Golonyi female and her striking young male. Once they had fed, the pair moved off in search of water. It was a breathtaking scene - mother and son crouched side by side at the edge of a pan, drinking in the soft, golden light of morning.
From there, they crossed an open clearing, Golonyi calling softly to encourage her cub forward. Their journey ended in the western drainage line, where, remarkably, Golonyi had secured yet another kill!
The Msuthlu Pride emerged from a dense thicket onto the road just as one of our guides rounded the corner. As the day’s sweltering heat gave way to cooler air, the pride moved with quiet determination in search of water. Eventually, they reached a nearby watering hole, where they drank their fill. The sound of their tongues lapping up the water filled the night air, and we watched in awe as they lined up side by side – a display of strength, grace and unity.
Not long after leaving Earth Lodge for our afternoon safari, our tracker spotted vultures circling near the spot where the Msuthlu Pride had last been resting. With the heat of the day still lingering, we weren’t certain this was a true sign of a kill - after all, lions often lie dormant during the hottest hours. Still, curiosity led us to investigate.
As we rounded the corner, the scene revealed itself. The young lions were crowded around the remains of a wildebeest, jostling and growling as each fought for a place at the carcass. Every scrap of meat was fiercely contested, while the vultures lingered nearby in patient anticipation, waiting for their own chance to claim what was left.
Around midnight one night, the soft chorus of nocturnal sounds drifted across the darkness-shrouded landscape. Then came the distant, laboured calls of a male lion - first as whispers in the air, then growing in intensity as they crept closer. The vocalisations continued their approach with a degree of familiarity yet remained cloaked in mystery.
The Gijima males have been elusive of late, pushing their territory further north after recent clashes with rivals. By morning, our plan was simple, and it wasn’t long before fresh tracks of two large males confirmed our suspicions.
We followed steadily until we found them resting in a nearby clearing. Both bore the raw marks of recent battles, although it was the blonde male who carried the heavier toll - his condition noticeably worse for wear.
On one of the plains of our beautiful reserve, a cheetah mother showcased a pinnacle of survival skill - successfully taking down an impala ewe while her three sub-adult cubs watched intently from a distance. Every calculated move, from the silent stalk to the explosive sprint, becomes a powerful lesson in the art of the hunt. For these young cheetahs, this moment is not just a meal - it's a masterclass in independence, preparing them for the challenges of life on their own in the wild. The mother cheetah had to catch her breath after the hunt, but the three sub-adults did not let that stop them before gorging themselves with the meal mother took down.
Often seen grazing side by side on the open plains, zebras and blue wildebeests share a remarkable symbiotic relationship. Zebras feed first on the taller grasses, trimming them down and making way for wildebeests to enjoy the shorter, more tender shoots they prefer. Beyond grazing, their companionship offers safety in numbers—zebras contribute their keen eyesight, while wildebeests rely on their acute sense of hearing. Together, they serve as an early warning system, alerting one another to approaching danger.
On this particular morning, however, the scene was a little different. A solitary male wildebeest, usually alone while guarding his territory, found himself accompanied by a dazzle of zebras. As he rolled in the dust, resting and reinforcing his territorial claim, the zebras grazed nearby, simultaneously keeping watch for potential threats.
As its name suggests, the waterbuck is a water-dependent antelope, most often found near rivers, dams, and other water sources. These habitats not only provide a place to cool down but also serve as a refuge, as waterbucks can escape predators by swimming to safety.
On this crisp morning, we encountered a magnificent bull grazing quietly along a riverbed. Moving slowly as he fed, he wandered closer to the water’s edge, offering our photographic guests a perfect, picturesque opportunity to capture his striking presence against the scenic backdrop.
Because of its striking plumage, the Lilac-breasted Roller is often called the most photographed bird in Africa. Across Africa, this bird carries deep cultural and spiritual meaning: a symbol of joy, freedom, good fortune, bold living, a messenger between realms, and a reminder to fully embrace life.
These beautiful and bright colours are used by the Roller family during their aerial acrobatics in flight, to show off their bright colours from all sides, when performing territorial fights or courtship displays.
On Sunday, 7th September, we witnessed one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles: a Total Lunar Eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon. The moon’s usual bright white glow was transformed into a deep crimson hue as it passed perfectly through Earth’s umbra (shadow).
This remarkable colouring occurs because sunlight is refracted through Earth’s atmosphere, scattering shorter wavelengths and allowing only the longer red and orange wavelengths to reach the lunar surface - painting it with its iconic blood-red glow.
This occasion was particularly special as it was one of the longest in recent years, lasting around 82 minutes. Every moment was savoured, knowing that at Sabi Sabi the next viewable total lunar eclipse is not until New Year’s Eve 2028.
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Devon Jansen, Jana du Plessis, Jan Nel, Ronald Mutero, Ruan Mey and Viviane Ladner
Video by Jan Nel
