A Week in the Bush Vol. 463
on Jun 21, 2023We had plentiful sightings of the Southern Pride, Gijima males, and their 3 adorable cubs this week.
Our first sight of the three adult females was of them hunting in the afternoon. They walked with noses held up high, to get the slightest scent of any potential prey that might be in the area. The oldest female took the lead and decided in which direction they will move, with her two daughters following close behind her. With no luck they decided to take a break and enjoy the last warmth of the setting sun and try again later when it is completely dark.
The following day, they were resting close to a waterhole near Earth Lodge – all lying with full bellies and looking in excellent condition.
The cubs are a delight to watch as they play and jump around with anything and everything around them, including mom and dad!!
Over the weekend we were spoilt with various sightings of them once again. Occupying the southern parts of the reserve around our private airstrip, they moved during daytime where they were successful in bringing down a big warthog that served as a sufficient meal. After the males and females had their share, they moved to the side panting heavily. The cubs saw this as their opportunity to get their piece of the kill. They were very active trying to get meat off the carcass but with their teeth still developing they couldn’t get much. They soon moved closer to their mother to drink and fill their bellies with the right nutrition.
The Styx Pride was spread across the reserve where 3 females were feasting on a Blue Wildebeest kill, and the rest of the pride is slowly making their way towards them. We can only speculate that they got separated from one another with an interaction with another pride of lions.
They have now reunited. The face rubbing and playing between these youngsters clearly indicate the joy and comfort found in the whole pride being together.
In the beautiful afternoon light, we followed up on lion tracks that were seen close to one of the dry riverbeds. We followed the tracks but lost all signs of the lions and thought we were fighting a losing battle, all until we saw movement - it was the head of a young male lion peeking over the top of a small termite mound. We found the Kambula Breakaways lying in an open area. They were lying so still and flat that we drove past them several times before spotting them. We watched as they would get up and move a little but never far.
The following morning, we found them again, very close to our private Airstrip. They had moved a fair distance from where we found them the previous night. Having not made a kill during the night, they will start looking for an opportunity for food. Being close to a waterhole, they are in the perfect place to spend the warm winter's day in the hope of animals coming down to drink, providing them a good opportunity.
Our last sighting of them for the week was of them on the trail of some buffalo. We hope they will be successful as this would be a big meal for them and sustain them for a few days.
We found Golonyi very close to where the Styx Pride made their kill a few days ago. Being very brave, she tried to steal what was remaining of the kill but was completely unaware of the Styx females hiding away in the bushes. Just as she got close enough, the lions chased after her, giving her the fright of her life. Fortunately for her, she quickly scurried up into a tree that was close by.
Leopards will occasionally scavenge if the opportunity is there, but in most cases, they will hunt for themselves.
We found Kigelia as she was strolling down the road marking her territory. She was highly alerted of her surroundings, and we sensed that she was following the scent of something. Not long after, we had a quick glimpse of a fully grown male leopard who we later identified as Mawelawela. She was trying to meet up with him, but he was constantly running away without providing a clear visual of him. Kigelia later ventured off into the same drainage line where we last seen the male and as it became extremely thick, we decided to let them be. Only time will tell if the two of them will meet up again.
It's been a while since we last had a sighting of the Jacana female, so it was exciting to find her close to Bush lodge on the way back from our afternoon safari. Jacana is easily identified by her unique, rich hazel-coloured eyes and her 2:2 spot pattern. She eventually moved on to hunt in a drainage line where we decided to leave her in search of her next meal.
With only a few tracks to work with, we were determined to find the female leopard that was walking down the road not too long before we got there. With only a general direction, we looked for any other sign indicating her whereabouts. After a few minutes of tracking, we saw a quick glimpse of a white tail tip in a Tamboti thicket, not too far from where we found the first set of tracks. Returning to our guests with the good news, we went to the area where we last saw her, just for her to disappear again. We did not give up on our mission. Just as we turned the corner, Ntsumi sat patiently on a termite mound, gazing at a herd of impala in the distance, providing us with a fantastic sighting and incredible tracking experience.
After not seeing the Makumu male leopard for some time, we found him as the sun was busy setting. He was very opportunistic as he was moving through an open area hunting warthogs, but with no success, he moved deeper into the vegetation. With the evening ahead, he still has opportunities to make a successful kill; only time will tell if he gets lucky.
This buffalo bull was keeping a close eye on a nearby pride of lions making sure he is not caught off guard. He later moved on safely to live another day.
This Large-spotted Genet was searching for a meal on a fallen tree. Genets are efficient hunters of rodents, small mammals, and birds. These nocturnal mammals prefer areas with lots of water and cover to hide in.
We found two African Barred Owlets enjoying the sun early on a cool morning. Reaching a size of about 21cm these owlets feed mainly on invertebrates and small birds. They are fairly common and can often be heard calling during the day with a series of loud purring notes.
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Coenraad Stapelberg, Daniel Greyvenstein, Devon Jansen, Jason Street, JP van Rooyen, Ronald Mutero, Ruan Mey and Viviane Ladner
Videos by JP van Rooyen
