A Week in the Bush Vol. 475
on Oct 04, 2023The excitement amongst guests before heading out on safari is electrifying, most often sparked by the possibilities of finding certain animals that some have only ever dreamt of. Big male lions are always high up on the ‘to-see’ list and for very good reason. Their sheer size and intimidating stares are enough to get any heart racing, especially in a heated moment of passion.
We were fortunate to come across the magnificent Gijima males and one Talamati female in an open area just north of Bush Lodge. Not long after arriving, we were witness to several moments of attempted seduction from the female until the dominant male obliged, and copulation occurred. A moment in time that is so special that it will forever be captured in the memories of all those present.
In another sighting, the other three pride females successfully hunted a warthog. As we drove, we saw a big group of vultures circling an area, gliding to the ground and surrounding trees. Upon investigation, we found the three lionesses busy feeding on their kill. The warthog kill was finished quickly, not leaving much for the vultures to scavenge on.
Having passed a big herd of buffalo on Friday evening, we couldn't help but wonder what may happen during the night. With all the lion activity we have had over the past couple of days, it was only a matter of time before one of the prides tried their luck hunting a buffalo. We found the two Gijima males on a small buffalo carcass the following day. Not much was left of their kill when we got there, meaning they might have caught it the night before or early that morning.
Faint echoes of a lion's roar resonating from the mist sent us searching toward the West. The origin of the distant roars, the nomadic Nkuhuma male gently calling while soaking up the warmth of the morning sun.
Although Nkuhuma is no newcomer to traversing other lions' territories, it was unusual for him to vocalise as this would draw the attention of the Gijima males who patrol the area. As expected, we soon received news that the Gijimas were steadily heading North towards Nkuhuma. The Southern wind was his saving grace as he caught a whiff of the Gijimas as they made their distant appearance over the horizon and swiftly maneuvered his way North to safety.
A lone set of tracks moved down the road; a female leopard was on the move. We searched the area but there was no sign of her. The air was soon pierced by alarm calls of Vervet Monkeys nearby, a very reliable informant that a predator was nearby. It was not long before we came across the Golonyi female as she sat amongst the long grass before moving on top of a termite mound to assess her potential prey options.
Early morning and the pleasant surprise of the imperial N'weti male leopard. He moved purposefully, looking for this favoured delicacy, warthog. He searched mound to mound for a meal but with no luck. His presence at Sabi Sabi is always a sight to behold; his size and power is a memorable moment for guests and guides alike and is one of the reasons he’s a favourite of many guides.
Safely tucked away in a thicket, Ntsumi and her two cubs were found late on our afternoon safari. Ntsumi sat on a termite mound, watching her two cubs playing with one another in the tall grass. Not letting them out of her sight, she would call when they got too far away, and they would come running back to their mother, giving her head rubs.
A few days later we spotted fresh tracks of a female leopard and found Ntsumi as she navigated her cubs to a secluded spot along a drainage line. The cubs are in phenomenal condition, playful and energetic. All the playing soon had the cubs hungry, and they proceeded to suckle from mom before she needed a drink and wandered off to the nearest watering hole.
With dark clouds gathering in the distance, our afternoon safari had many scenarios of how it could play out. Keeping a close eye on the clouds, we ventured into the Southern sector of the reserve. Not too long into our safari, we got the call over the radio about a male leopard not far from where we were. Upon arrival, we saw that the Khulwana male leopard was on a hunting mission, making his way from termite mound to mound. He checked every warthog burrow, but with no success, he kept on moving.
The young Nottins male was on the hunt, weaving through a drainage line. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, he used termite mounds and fallen over trees to get a better vantage point of the area around him, which gave us the perfect opportunity to have a good look at him, admiring his presence. We are privileged to still have him around on our reserve and cannot help wondering where he will set up a territory of his own.
These creatures are remarkably intelligent and highly observant of their surroundings. After passing this troop, we heard them alarm calling and quickly turned around to go and investigate what the commotion was all about. This time we found a female leopard walking deep in a dry river basin, as the vervet monkeys remained high up on the highest branches out of harm's way.
Inquisitive and entertaining, a troop of Chacma Baboons woke from their resting spots on the branches of a Sycamore Fig tree. Spending their days foraging, grooming, and playing, the troop is led by multiple potentially dominant males. Within this oligarchy, the dominant males compete for seniority by winning over the 'vote' of breeding females. These males will groom and care for these prime females and will go as far as to nurture and protect the young of these females to gain their trust.
It is incredible what a difference a few minutes can make on safari. We saw one young male elephant drink water and decided to sit with him for a while. Watching him spraying himself with the cool water, we almost didn’t see the rest of the herd emerging from the drainage line. Suddenly, we were in the presence of a large herd of elephants, from tiny babies to the matriarch, enjoying a drink.
This Crested Barbet was unusually relaxed as he was perched on a dead tree stump a mere meter off the road. He seemed to value his perch in the warm morning sun a lot more than the presence of our large vehicle. He spent a few minutes warming up before moving to a large Fig tree.
This White-backed Vulture was accompanied by many other vultures as they covered the bare trees surrounding the carcass of a giraffe. They did not seem to be feeding on the rotting meat and soon began taking to the sky, quickly rising with the thermals with no effort at all.
The Southern White-faced Owl is known to use old stick nests built by hawks, and a breeding pair might even evict raptors from active nests. This breeding pair had successfully fledged two chicks which were roosting on a nearby branch. They will continue to stay with the parents for around two weeks before moving off to fend for their own.
We were lucky to see a juvenile Lilac-breasted Roller catch and feed on dung beetle. It went to sit on a branch close to the road, allowing us and our guests to photograph the beautiful bird.
Once the sun has set and the blackness of the night begins to set in, many different and wonderful animals start to emerge; they take comfort in the darkness and have perfected night-time living. A special and rare sighting is that of the African Scops Owl. Perched on a leafless tree, it surveys the darkening savannah, using its mesmerising yellow eyes to locate any movement for potential prey.
Until next time…
Blog by Wendy Claase
Images by Daniel Greyvenstein, Devon Jansen, Jason Street, JP van Rooyen, Macs Toich and Ronald Mutero.
