A Week in the Bush Vol. 585
on Mar 11, 2026Effortlessly the Golonyi female makes her way through the thick undergrowth of a dry ravine. Her head low, as she follows the faintest scents in the sand. The signs of potential suitors, enemies, or her next meal are strewn along the endless twists and turns of the ravine. Her determined demeanour being driven by hunger as she continues her search for a meal late into the morning.
Our morning safari turned into the most unexpected and special sighting. From a distance, we spotted a leopard resting on a tree branch, and we slowly moved closer for a better view. As we approached, we noticed the kill lying right in front of her. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, two small cubs suddenly emerged from beneath the tree and climbed up to join their mother near the kill.
We spent a little while quietly observing the interaction between the mother and her two cubs. Being present in that moment was an incredible feeling. We have seen these cubs twice before, but this may have been the first time we witnessed them feeding from a kill together with their mother.
Leopards are always very protective of their young at this stage, as the cubs are still vulnerable. We made sure not to overstay our welcome and left them peacefully, ensuring neither the mother nor the cubs were stressed by our presence.
During morning tea, the distant roar of lions carried across the bush. We paused to take in the sound as the sun rose, and deciding then that following those calls would shape our morning safari.
After a brief tracking exercise, we found three of the N’waswishaka males resting on an open plain. Their dark, voluminous manes stood out against the golden grass, giving them away long before we drew close. They observed their surroundings, sniffing the breeze, and then eventually lay down again to sleep in the shade of a few small bushes.
We came across three male lions and a single lioness resting beside the road during our morning safari. One of the males was lying very close to the lioness, and we knew there was only one likely reason - mating.
At first, the female showed little interest in the male and rejected his advances several times. Eventually, however, she gave in and the two began to mate. This didn’t sit well with the other males in the coalition, as they were also eager to mate with the female.
In coalitions like this, males will often compete among themselves, especially when a receptive female is involved. The most dominant male at that moment earns the right to mate, often leading to tension and occasional fights between the males.
A small flock of Oxpeckers sat in the road to have a dust bath but were unknowingly being stalked by a young buffalo calf that had a purpose of disturbing their peace.
We watched as this curious calf slowly walked towards the birds before speeding up and jumping towards them. This kind of playful behaviour is common among young animals. It helps build muscle strength, develop agility, and improve coordination. When young calves play with one another, it also helps them develop social skills and practise the movements they may later need for fleeing from danger or even fighting - all within a safe environment.
This unusual pairing between a hippopotamus and a terrapin is often seen when hippos are resting. Terrapins will frequently climb onto the hippo’s back - or in this case, its head - to bask in the sun, helping them regulate their body temperature.
It’s one of the many fascinating relationships we observe on safari. This interaction is known as commensalism, a type of symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed by the interaction.
Often surrounded and protected by the adults in the herd, young Blue Wildebeest calves stay close to their mothers for the first four months while they suckle. After this period, they gradually begin to gain independence and start forming their own social groups. By around eight months old, the calves usually leave their mothers. Young males go on to form small bachelor herds and typically disperse within a year, while the females remain within the main herd, staying close to the centre alongside the other females.
After light rain overnight, termite alates swarmed across the reserve. The high humidity and moisture in the soil create ideal conditions for these winged, sexually mature members of a termite colony to disperse, mate, and burrow into the ground to establish new colonies elsewhere.
This sudden emergence becomes a feast for many animals. It effectively creates a natural “buffet” for various species, such as the Wahlberg’s eagle that we observed taking advantage of the opportunity, feeding on the alates as they swarmed out of the ground.
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Devon Jansen, Jana du Plessis, Ronald Mutero, Ruan Mey and Viviane Ladner
