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Hold the air traffic – there’s a lion on the airstrip!

This is one of those things you would only hear about in Africa, where rumours of pet elephants and lions in the garden circulate the globe. We landed with Major Blue Air in the blissfully jolty fashion that shook us out of a mesmerised state after having flown over this epic World Heritage Site in Botswana. The heat took over as the doors opened, and the humidity stuck in our lungs almost immediately, but we had arrived on a private concession of the Okavango Delta and were headed for the luxury of Mapula Lodge! It was only when we headed back to the airstrip in the cooler hours of an early morning game drive that we came across one particularly dangerous obstacle to air traffic – a lion on the airstrip!

The sculpted, golden male lion was enjoying the mild morning while it lasted. Removed from the obstruction of grass and trees, he lay belly-down on the cool dirt of the runway and watched us approaching, ahead of the rising sun. Like a true king, he looked fearless, and an expression of lazy arrogance took hold of his face. He was unperturbed by our presence and we sat and watched him for a while; a magnificent big cat, an apex predator, in his home in the Okavango Delta.

My thoughts were of a potential pride he might dominate, cubs he might have sired, the brothers he might have as allies. Perhaps he was keeping watch and the pride was just out of sight behind a leafy shrub; or maybe he was alone. A solo male lion drinking in his kingdom before succumbing to the wretched heat of the day. As the sun rose in the sky, this beast of a lion knew his precious time in the cool was up and he lifted himself onto all fours. We got to watch him walk in front of our vehicle and head into the tall reeds, now in search of new shade…

Wild Dog Mania

How privileged are we that the words ‘wild dog’ and ‘mania’ can be used in a sentence to describe a Kruger safari? The fact is that these incredibly specialised predators are highly endangered with less than 6000 dogs estimated to remain in the wild. After the Ethiopian wolf, these gorgeous and dynamic painted dogs are the most endangered predator in Africa.

Here we sit in our open-top land rovers admiring the activity of a pack of about 30 wild dogs as they interact with each other, playing and grooming before moving off at high speed to hunt. As fortunate as we are to see lions almost every day at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp, the nighttime huntresses known as the Ross Pride lionesses generally lie around and snooze during the day (as lions do best)! The wild dogs are an absolute treat to watch as they play like puppies and communicate with each other in excitable ‘twitters’, while their white-tipped tails also act as methods of communication. Quite like we know domesticated dogs, wild dogs’ tail positioning can represent their moods – playful, relaxed, aggressive, and submissive.

Hunters with some of the most remarkable success rates in the wild, these dogs hunt during the day and take down their prey by tiring them out during a chase, and then disembowelling them. An impala feast is over in minutes, if not seconds, as the pack members take quick bites out of the flesh until there is nothing left but bones!

Sadly, African wild dogs were once thought of as vermin due to their unusual hunting techniques, and they were eradicated by farmers and game wardens (M. Emmett and S. Pattrick, Game Ranger in Your Backpack). Nowadays, they are admired for their superb skill and their unique pack behaviour, but unfortunately their population suffers due to habitat loss and fragmentation.

What we can say is that the frequent sightings we have had at Africa on Foot over the past month make us very fortunate safari-goers. Thrilled guests have walked away with some beautuful memories and photographs, while our resident media team – Kevin MacLaughlin and John Dixon – have captured this wonderful footage for our blog.

Beautiful cheetah sighting

Guests at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp were treated to some wonderful cheetah sightings this past week. This beautiful female feline was found three times over the past few days. On one occasion she had a kill and yesterday morning she was just moving through the area.

Cheetahs are normally active during the day, especially in the cool of the early mornings and evenings, because they hunt by sight and because their main competitors, lions and spotted hyenas, are generally active after dark. They also hunt by the light of the full moon, and male cheetahs patrol their home ranges for long periods on moonlit nights.

Adult female cheetahs are usually solitary and their cubs usually stay with them for at least a year. Cheetahs give surprisingly high-pitched, bird-like chirrups and they purr loudly during friendly and social encounters.

All images below were captured by Filmmaker and Photographer Kevin MacLaughlin

Week in Pictures: Hyenas in the mud, and a leopard cub!

It’s getting hot, hot, hot up in the African bush, and the summer rains bring added humidity to the climate. In both Botswana and the Kruger we are seeing changes in the environment, the presence of wildlife, and animal behaviour. Migratory birds continue to fleck the air with new colours and sounds; one of the most prominent in the Kruger being the woodlands kingfisher, whose call is distinctive and consistent. Baby impalas are getting a little bigger and more steady on their feet, although their instinct to escape still makes them difficult to photograph. The contrast of zebra stripes against the green foliage is marvellously striking, while the overgrown trees keep the elusive animals well-hidden.

At Africa on Foot in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, the summer heat has taken its toll on the hyenas, which have recently been seen acting like dagha-boys and rolling in the mud to keep cool! Their usual spotted appearance taking on a more camouflaged brown, these incredible predators looked like they were thoroughly enjoying the mud bath.

Also at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp, the coalition of 3 male lions known as The Trilogy has been hanging around the area. Known to mate with the breakaway Ross Pride females, guides and guests are keeping a keen eye out for some activity that might result in cubs later on! Sadly, the one remaining cub belonging to one of the lionesses is presumed to be dead, as there are no longer tell-tale signs of it being around. It is wonderful to see these big, scarred males in the area, and as always, the resident lionesses.

Another water-lover is becoming more present in the Klaserie now that the rains are filling the dams and waterholes – the waterbuck. Known for the unique markings on its backside (like it sat on a freshly painted toilet seat), the males have very regal and powerful looking horns. The females don’t have any horns, but both animals have particularly furry necks and possess quite an odour. Beautiful to see them in the bush!

Little flap-necked chameleons are popping up all over the show (although it takes some skill to spot these brilliantly green creatures on green, leafy branches!), and they provide some wonderful entertainment for guests on game drive, awkwardly balancing using their 2-toed hands and feet. One much-loved mammal – impossible to miss – is the elephant. Celebrating in the abundance of vegetation and water, big breeding herds and bachelor herds are frequently seen around Africa on Foot and nThmabo Tree Camp, and they are often the reason for game-drive traffic jams!

The Sabi Sand can almost promise leopard sightings! Although that is a dangerous thing to say in the bush – this esteemed game reserve is easily one of the most popular spots for leopard. At Umkumbe Safari Lodge, a female leopard, known as the Notten’s female (pictured in front of the game viewer below), has been seen frequently with her young cub in tow! Guide and photographer Cameron Engelbrecht puts the cub at about 9 months old, which is just about the cutest age for the little guy. Guests have seen him relaxing in true leopard style in the forks of trees, and the rangers at Umkumbe have been lucky enough to see him grow up.

Some more Umkumbe magic is found in its superb rhino sightings, which are becoming more and more precious every single day, as the poaching rate reaches new highs. Zebras – forever photogenic – graze happily on the new grass, and the wonderful leopard tortoise makes slow progress through the bush.

Up in the wildly fantastic lands of Botswana, nature is bursting with energy and exuberance. The rural beauty of the country is unmatched anywhere else, and the style of safari there is refined. It is what Botswana is about, and the environment seems to be designed to enthral. At Camp Savuti and Camp Linyanti in the Chobe National Park, and at Mapula Lodge in the Okavango Delta, the presence of all creatures great and small is overwhelming. Some of the most interesting sightings have been enjoyed there (check out this video of a python eating a mongoose at Camp Linyanti), and some of the most awe-inspiring moments are witnessed by visitors. Here are some sights from the last week in Botswana.

Wildebeests in the Savuti. Image by Kevin MacLaughlin.

A greater-striped swallow pauses for a photo in the morning light. Image by Kevin MacLaughlin.

A Burchell’s coucal in the rain. Image by Kevin MacLaughlin.

A big dagha-boy enjoying the Delta. Image by Kevin MacLaughlin.

Kudu cow listening intently. Image by Kevin MacLaughlin.

A white-fronted bee-eater showing off its colours. Image by Kevin MacLaughlin.

A young male lion in the Savuti. Image by Chloe Cooper.

Elephants are all over Linyanti, dwarfing you with their presence. Image by Chloe Cooper.

Week in Pictures: Sabi Sand splendour and a kill in the Klaserie.

This week comes with a farewell to one of our incredible rangers at Umkumbe Safari Lodge. Angele has sent us a message and some wonderful photographs from her last week in the Umkumbe bush, and what a week it has been! All the best Angele, and see you back in the bush soon.

My final Week in Pictures. It is hard to believe that this is my last contribution. What a way to end and what a send off!

The bush did not disappoint this week. Guests were enthralled by the smallest to the biggest creatures. Even the rains could not dampen spirits. Green and alive and full of new life, the highlights of the week included the Styx Pride traversing our boundary, both male & female cheetah relaxed at separate sightings and of course, we can’t forget to mention our leopards… Nottens female on the hunt, Nottens cub in a tree, Maxebeni patrolling his territory, Bicycle Crossing male crossing the river in front of the lodge and White Dam on the hunt. What’s more, guests were also treated to wild dogs making a kill on our river front!

With all the leopards around, the hyenas have been just as plentiful and in hot pursuit of their scent trails. The heat of summer has also enticed many reptiles out of aestivation. We’ve had beautiful sites of monitor lizards, leopard tortoises, boomslang and rock python to name a few. If that doesn’t convince you to come to the Sabi Sand, then perhaps experiencing 80+ elephants surround the vehicle this week just might do the trick. Lastly, with the rains, comes not only new growth with a veritable kaleidoscope of flowers, but also new life… Impala lambs, zebra foals, elephant & gnu calves, to name a few. Let’s just say that this week has been the best farewell I’ve ever received. Thank you mother nature!!! – Angele

Cameron Engelbrecht, Umkumbe’s second expert ranger, also mailed through some of his stunning images from the last week’s sightings. Leopard cubs galore, as well as the big male leopard, Maxabeni. A rhino and a buffalo have a staring competition at a wallowing hole, while a pair of plated lizards bask in the sun.

Meanwhile, in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, guests at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp have been treated to wild dog and lion sightings almost every day! It has been an exceptional week in the green bushveld and the earth has become alive with the wild. This morning, the 3 Trilogy male lions were seen panting in a mopane block with extremely full bellies. Scarred faces, and one male sporting a limp, these guys are tough, and it is great to see such ferocious lions out there. The Ross Pride females are always accommodating with our vehicles offering some beautiful lion sightings. Earlier this week they were seen with one cub, photographed here by Conraad Loubser.

Image by Conraad Loubser

Image by Conraad Loubser

Image by Conraad Loubser

Image by Conraad Loubser

On a sad note, there was a leopard found dead near Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp this week. A young female that is assumed to have fallen victim to the two female lions was discovered on game drive. Here are some photos taken by Kevin MacLaughlin in the state that we found her, and a link to the video documenting the story and the aftermath, here.

The death of a leopard in the Klaserie

Survival of the fittest means only one thing; that those who are weaker will succumb, and those who succeed will prosper. When predators take down prey, we call it the circle of life, when predators take on predators, it is a vicious and brutal fight, often to the death. Competition in the wild is rife. It’s every man for himself, and each pride for their own.

This week the Greater Kruger Park lost a leopard; a young female we had seen with her kill just the night before. Her belly was still full as she lay motionless in the grass, her fur slightly dishevelled, and evidence of bite marks puncturing her neck.

The two Ross Pride lionesses dominate the area around Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp, and currently they are hiding one small cub. The instinct to protect their young, and the determination to eliminate the enemy would give these lions enough reason to kill a leopard in their path.

Perhaps she took a turn into lion territory that night and had no chance to escape the ruthless lionesses as they set out to hunt. The next morning the lions were found triumphantly feeding on their buffalo prey, while their faded tracks led back to the lifeless young leopard in the distant grass.

The recent rains have flushed the evidence from the ground, but it seems that the Klaserie Reserve saw a battle between cats in the early hours of the morning. One youthful leopard no match for a team of ferocious lionesses with a cub to protect.

Enoch and Patrick from Africa on Foot discovered the upsetting sight on morning game drive. A golden pelt decorated with ebony rosettes – a vision so sought after on safari that even in death she was majestic. By nightfall last night, her scent had been detected, and she did not go to waste. A camera trap we set up captured hyenas in the darkness, dragging her body away.

Sometimes jubilant, at times, devastating, the African bush is a combination of celebration and destruction. Standing next to the silent body of a leopard in all her glory was a reminder of the brutality of it all. Watch Kevin MacLaughlin’s video on this story, taking a look at the unforgiving nature of the wild, and the aftermath of this big cat battle.

That lucky leopard sighting… on video

Enjoying that ideal leopard sighting on safari quickly becomes one of the most memorable parts of one’s trip. There is something unbeatably beautiful about the leopard; glimpsing its rosetted pelt, yellow-green eyes, and the white flick of its tail is what puts one the the edge of their safari seat. The hunt for this exceptional cat was on at Africa on Foot last week when game vehicles trundled through the veld, hot on the path of a male leopard.

Kevin MacLaughlin and John Dixon positioned themselves in the shade at Nyala Dam, patiently awaiting the arrival of the leopard they predicted to be moving in their direction. It is always a gamble in the bush, but this time they were right. A few minutes later and the graceful shape of this big cat emerged from the bush and approached the water to drink. Camera ready and alive with anticipation, Kevin and JD captured this beautiful footage of the cat marking its territory and finally settling down to drink.

Shortly after this video was filmed, the leopard moved into the path of a herd of elephants and received a stern warning from the matriarch. What an incredible sighting here in the Klaserie!

Week in Pictures: One little lion cub and scenes of safari

Image by Luan Oosthuizen

It’s back to the bush we go with this week’s edition of the Week in Pictures! Transported back to the nooks and crannies of Kruger and Botswana that we love so much, this collection of photographs reflects the beauty of the wild and leaves you longing for a safari!

Some sad news on the Klaserie front is that the Ross Pride female who started out with 2 adorable cubs has only one remaining. It’s a tough life for lions, and these 2 breakaway lionesses do it all alone. Luan Oosthuizen from nThambo Tree Camp snapped these gorgeous pictures of mother and baby on game drive with both nThambo and Africa on Foot guests.

Image by Luan Oosthuizen

The Trilogy – the coalition of 3 big male lions that parades through the Klaserie – has been seen out and about, looking brutal as usual. An African wildcat was seen at Africa on Foot, representing the smaller cat population of the Greater Kruger, and a herd of buffalo was photographed enjoying the new presence of water after the rains. The birdlife in the Kruger is magnificent, making binoculars a necessity! Here, Luan captured a brown snake eagle in flight beautifully.

Image by Luan Oosthuizen

Down south in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, Umkumbe Safari Lodge religiously churns out fantastic sightings and with rangers taking incredible photos, it makes for a fantastic Facebook feed! Photographer Mariana de Klerk visited recently and kindly shared some her outstanding photographs. A curious looking rock monitor, an elephant having a dust bath, a yellow-billed hornbill with an interesting meal, and couple of buffaloes in the dusk.

Image by Mariana de Klerk.

At Nokana Safari Camp, based in a private concession neighbouring the Greater Kruger, guests have the luxury of visiting the National Park itself, as well as a number of the Big 5 game reserves in the area. With game drive privileges in so many places, one is bound to see some unique wildlife activity. In Nokana’s back yard, this infant vervet monkey was captured latching tightly onto its mother. An elephant takes a drink at a reservoir in the Kruger National Park; a white-fronted bee-eater poses in lovely light, and the big cats came out to play!

All the big herbivores this week… and a little one! At nDzuti Safari Camp in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, the Klaserie River is keeping these water-lovers happy. A mother rhino was spotted with her young calf on game drive, while an elephant got a bit frisky with the vehicle. Hippos, as usual, stay cool under water during the day, exhaling loudly and grunting even louder.

Image by Jochen Van de Perre

Marakapula Reserve is an absolute gem. Luxury African-inspired accommodation right on the Selati River, and only a 2o minute drive to the Phalaborwa gate of the Kruger National Park. The reserve itself is Big 5, so there is no reason to go anywhere at all, but when South Africa’s most celebrated wildlife haven lies only a few kilometres away, why not venture out for a day trip? These spectacular shots were taken in the Kruger by photographer, Em Gatland, on a recent trip to Makubu Lodge in Marakapula.

Image by Em Gatland

Into the land of Botswana we go! Camp Savuti, superbly located on the Savuti Channel, offers some of the best game viewing in Botswana (which is saying a lot!). However, sometimes it’s the small things that catch your attention, and the scenery could make any photo look good. Here is a handful of some beautifully captured, slightly more ordinary members of the wild…

Image by Jochen Van de Perre

Image by Chloe Cooper

Image by Kevin MacLaughlin

Mapula Lodge in the Okavango Delta is a birding paradise – as anyone who knows the Okavango Delta will tell you – and any time of day or night the sounds of the wild will lull you into a safari slumber. When you hear the high-pitched twittering of a wild dog’s call, you wake right up and get out on game drive! The African wild dog is the second most endangered predator in Africa, and it is an exceptional treat to see them in the wild. Here, Kevin MacLaughlin photographed a pack of wild dogs when he was lucky enough to enjoy the sighting.

Image by Kevin MacLaughlin

All the big cats this week at Nokana Safari Camp

With game drive privileges on 3 private Big 5 game reserves, and access to public roads and exclusive off-road trails in the Kruger National Park, it’s no surprise that game viewing with Nokana Safari Camp is always exceptional. In a week’s stay at this luxury tented lodge located in the Greater Kruger region, guests visit the Kruger Park, twice; Thornybush, Karongwe, and Tshukudu Private Game Reserves; and the Olifants River for a boat cruise in Big 5 territory. Each destination has its own unique appeal, and animal sightings encompass the whole spectrum of Africa’s finest.

This last week, it was all about the cats – as well as an immeasurable number of elephants, and buffalo, rhinos caked in mud, giraffes and zebras rejoicing in the new season’s leafy produce, and of course the baby antelopes that have been born in the last month. The Kruger Park is teeming with excitement and activity, and these lucky big cat sightings were just the cherry on top.

Wild dogs on film at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

Image by Kevin MacLaughlin

African wild dogs, also know as Cape hunting dogs, and painted dogs are purely carnivorous, and they are very good at it. Their co-operative breeding behaviour and incredible social structure means that the whole pack (can reach up to 30 individuals) works together to support the breeding effort and the strength and survival of the pack. It is quite unique, especially considering that only one female (the alpha female) breeds at a time, and that usually only the alpha male sires the pups during his reign. Sadly, these remarkable canids are severely endangered (2nd most endangered carnivore in Africa) due to habitat fragmentation and conflict with humans, and it is estimated that not more than 6000 individuals (an optimistic number) exist in the wild.

Recently, at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, these rare predators were seen gallivanting through the area, and guests were lucky enough to get them on game drive. A short video capturing the scene was taken by John Dixon from Africa on Foot:

Wild dogs are known to move through the area fairly often; however, their presence is unpredictable, as their home ranges are very large. In the Kruger, the average home range occupied by one pack is 450 square kilometres, and in larger areas like the central Kalahari in Botswana, the home ranges can extend up to a staggering 4500 square kilometres!

With an innate instinct to protect and strengthen their pack, wild dogs readily and quickly adopt pups whose mothers have died, and have even been known to feed captive pups through the bars of a cage during a reintroduction operation (Wild Ways, Peter Apps, 2014). The pack consists of the alpha pair and subordinate family members, which take turns to act as ‘babysitter’ when there are young pups in the den. Once the pack returns from a hunt, the babysitter will ‘beg’ for food by whining and licking its peers’ faces. The begging evokes an involuntary act of regurgitation and chunks of meat are brought up to feed the babysitter.

Image by Kevin MacLaughlin

Image by Kevin MacLaughlin

Image by Kevin MacLaughlin

Image by Kevin MacLaughlin

Image by Kevin MacLaughlin

3 Months after the birth of a litter of pups, the pack will begin to move around their home range again, starting at about 5-10 kilometres a day. Only at 2 years old are the pups ready to take part in hunts, but only at 3 years old will they be effectively participating in the feeding activity. Wild dogs can live for up to 12 years, and each litter of pups averages at around 7-10 individuals. They are predated on by lions, leopards, and hyenas; however, their diurnal hunting preferences keep them out of the way of the competition.

Here’s to many more African wild dog sightings in the years to come!