We always say – nothing in the bush is predictable and no one knows what awaits you around the next bend... The young Mhangeni Pride proved just this when we found them one morning feeding on a kill... and not their normal prey either – a leopard!!!

Predators will not usually seek out, hunt and feed on other predators however these young males were obviously desperate for a meal. It saddens us to have lost a potentially territorial leopard but mother nature is unpredictable and it reminds us that we are merely observers in a natural and wild environment.

We can confirm, due to the size of the leopard’s skull, that the victim was a female leopard. We are slowly starting to see the resident leopards around the reserve and at the time of writing this blog, in the area where the leopard was killed, only Little Bush female and Msuthlu female are yet to be seen.

A large herd of 300 – 400 Cape Buffalo have been seen moving throughout the property from waterhole to waterhole in search of grazing opportunities, however, this has been an interesting time as multiple prides/coalitions of lions having been not too far off their trail.

After picking up on two sets of lion tracks – that of some Southern Pride lions and 5 Mhangeni males, we followed them which led us to this large herd of Buffalo whom the two were stalking. After passing less than 40 meters from each other and sharing a few glances, the group of 5 moved past the young male and female, focusing on their next meal, rather than a dispute.

Just before daybreak, during morning coffee we heard lions roar in the distance. Very excited, we decided to go and investigate into the direction they were vocalising. Upon arrival, we were very pleased to find these two male lions bathed in beautiful morning sunlight. A great experience for all of our guests.

Waterholes on the reserve have been a hive of activity this week – from birdlife to antelope to plains game to elephants and other Big 5 members, with the regulars and safari favourites being seen...

The endangered Southern Ground Hornbill is definitely a favourite among many rangers. Seldom seen, this unusual looking bird takes 6 years to reach full maturity and can normally be found walking around hunting for a variety of different prey species including mice, snakes and insects.

After watching a large herd of elephants mud bathing, we turned the corner and were met by Maxabeni who made his way down to the water before cautiously making his way over the muddy bridge. The following day he was seen resting with a full stomach, with his warthog kill safely hoisted up a tree a few meters away. Later in the week he lost his impala kill to some Spotted Hyenas.

We observed Kigelia female leopard stalking a bushbuck in a thicket. It was incredible to witness firsthand, her patience and determination, however it was the bushbuck’s lucky day as the leopard was unsuccessful in her hunt.

The Ntsumi female was lucky enough to secure her impala kill in a Marula tree just before some Spotted Hyenas arrived on the scene. They camped out at the base of the tree while the Leopardess filled her stomach. Just after sunset she wanted to climb down to go for a drink of water but had a whole clan of Spotted Hyena at the base of the tree, hoping for some scraps to fall. She was seen scouting every angle, planning her escape route, staring down at the Hyenas, waiting for a gap.

Until next time...