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Interview with Christina, the Ross Pride’s human equivalent

Mufasa is the name of the most revered lion in the movie “The Lion King”. Coincidentally, Mufasa is also the nickname given to Christina Blunden who is the latest addition to the team at the Africa on Foot Camp in the Klaserie.

Christina’s hair is wild, unruly and resembles a lion’s mane. This is why they call her “Mufasa”. The famous Ross Pride of lions has recently given birth to a recorded five lion cubs and the pride is growing from strength to strength. Dominated by two bountiful characters, the Good and the Bad; we’re hoping they don’t find Mufasa’s mane too much of a threat. Christina may have to start using hair straighteners as she firmly believes that her mane intimidates the Ross Pride males.

Today I’ll chat to Christina about the Ross Pride and find out how she ended up becoming a part of the Africa on Foot team.

Christina Blunden – Mufasa !

What is the origin of your nickname, Mufasa?

My uncle, Courteney, gave me the name when I first arrived at Africa on Foot back in 2010. I was young and wild and had the big hair (mane) to match. So the name Mufasa stuck.

Where did you work before Africa on Foot?

I left Africa on foot in 2011 to gain experience at a few other lodges but stayed close to home. My favourite place during that gap was at Tanda-Tula in the Timbavati Nature reserve where I gained valuable experience from some amazing people. But the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve holds my heart and I always knew I would end up here.

What has been your most unusual experience while in the midst of the Klaserie?

I have had many unusual experiences here at Africa on Foot ; but by far my most memorable was getting my little Honda stuck in a rather big muddy hold about 6km from camp. It was mid-day so I knew there was still a long time before the afternoon game drives began, so I decided to walk to the closest lodge to get help.

As I jumped out my car and started walking I noticed sea of grey in front of me – elephants for as far as the eye could see! Trying to avoid a panic attack, I jumped back into my car gave myself a little pep talk. I tried to remember everything my uncle Courteney had taught me about walking through the bush. I put my shoes on and looped round the back of the herd and made my way to the closest lodge. Eventually I got my car out and set off to start my first day of work at Africa on Foot – what a brilliant start!

Let’s talk about lions. What has been your favourite lion sighting in the Klaserie?

Yes let’s chat about them! My favourite sighting happened about three years ago with the old Ross males Fabio and Tyson.There were no guests in camp and the two boys and two female lionesses made a kill about 1km from the camp. We had the old land cruiser called Beast, so three of us at camp went to find the pride.

Before long we were sitting a metre away from the pride watching the 4 lions feeding on a buffalo. We sat at the sighting until 12h00pm and then decided it was time to head back to the camp. Unfortunately we had kept the spot light on which caused the vehicle’s battery to go flat. We ended up sitting there until 4h00 a.m. when we finally managed to contact a ranger to come and tow us out. It was the most Adrenalin filled experience sitting with the lions in the pitch darkness listening to them feeding.

Do the lions ever walk through the camp?

We often have lions walking through camp. A while ago, the “Bad” walked through camp letting off a roar while walking down our access road. Fortunately, we managed to catch him in the act with all our guests in tow on the vehicle.

Have you seen the Ross Pride’s five new lion cubs?

The five new lion cubs are a beautiful introduction to our Ross pride. I have only had one sighting of them so far but they were very playful. I’m very excited to watch them grow strong with our pride.

What is the best time of year to see lions?

All year round is the best for lion sightings. You can never put a time frame on when we are most likely to see our lions. Right now we are having amazing sightings – female lionesses are creating dens for their cubs on the property.

Courteney says the Ross Pride is growing from strength to strength. In your opinion, what is the future of the Ross pride?

I do agree with Courteney. Our Ross pride is growing. This is partly due to our ranger and tracker team with their ethical guiding and giving our lionesses time to introduce their cubs to the pride and not apply unnecessary pressure. Because of this I see a bright future for our lions and look forward to watching them dominate and grow stronger as a family unit.

On that note, below is a video of the new cubs being introduced into the Ross Pride. Can anyone spot Christina in the pride?

Sango Safari Camp Khwai River

The Sango Safari Camp lies comfortably on the edge of the Khwai River in the Okavango Delta and borders the world-renowned Moremi Game Reserve. Sango is located in a prime positio; offering the best of both land and water safaris. Wildlife roams freely throughout the Khwai Concession and the Moremi Game Reserve – the Khwai River forms a natural border between these wildlife rich regions. Guests can enjoy traditional Mokoro trips in dug-out canoes, night game drives and even adventurous bush walks. There is also a cultural village nearby for those interested in local customs and cultures.

Sango Safari Camp can accommodate 12 guests in six en-suite classic meru style tents. There are open-air bucket showers, hand-crafted furnishings and guests can expect a simple, classic camp.

For rates and reservations please contact reservations@sundestinations.co.za

Activities

Camp and Accommodation

Wildlife

LIVE Safari Diary: Honey Badgers at Africa on Foot & nThambo

The honey badgers are back in full force at Africa on Foot and nThambo. I left the door of my chalet open (a careless error on my behalf) which was an invitation for this ratel to pop in and say hello.

Luckily, my room mate closed the door in time and thwarted a potentially dangerous situation with a creature that resembles a backyard gangster. Compact, muscular and small, these badgers will not back down. They’ve been known to confront large predators, sleep off cobra venom and gnaw their way through wooden floors.

While we were eating dinner at Africa on Foot the badgers ran through the kitchen and bar area at lightning speed. They’re quite fascinating and are industrious creatures when it comes to opening draws. If you’re eager to learn about honey badgers, then I recommend you stay at Africa on Foot or nThambo Tree Camp.

Shortly before we were transferred through to nThambo tree camp we heard that one of the badgers had destroyed the outside toilet. Gawie, the lodge manager of nThambo, sighed as he made his way to repair the guest toilet. Apparantly the honey badger was trapped in the bathroom !

Despite wreaking havoc, I still think the honey badger should be revered. Boasting the confidence of a lion and deviousness of a hyena, the honey badger is one of the wildlife kingdom’s bravest beasts.

Whether you love them or hate them; they don’t really care.

Honey badger Spotted at Africa on Foot Camp. Photo by Zeena Ponto

Honey badger Scuttling in the Night. Photo by Zeena Ponto

Photo Diary of a Cheetah Kill at Africa on Foot

The past few days I have been staying at Africa on Foot in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Whenever I visit the camp it feels like I am coming “home”. The highlight of my stay was witnessing a cheetah kill.

So far, I have experienced the following while staying at Africa on Foot:

Honey badgers trying to get into our room.
Getting my car stuck in a sand bank and having to be towed out of the bush.
Large Tusker drinking from the swimming pool.
Stayed overnight in the treehouse – felt so close to nature.
Had an emergency wake-up call in the night from the tracker, Enoch, to come and see the lions on the road outside camp.
Cheetah kill. I am at a loss for words !

Below is the photo diary of a cheetah kill at Africa on Foot:

Cheetah Kill – Male Observing a Steenbok. Now the Fun Begins

Silently Watching the Steenbok

Stalking the Steenbok

On the Move – Deciding to Make the Kill ! Poor Steenbok

Got It ! The Two Males with Their Kill

Two Males Dragging Their Kill

Dinner Time for the Two Boys

Cheetah Always Guard Their Prey While Eating

LIVE Safari Diary: Road Trip to Umkumbe Safari Lodge

After a gruelling 7 hour journey driving a rented car from O.R Tambo to the Kruger, we finally arrived at our destination: The Umkumbe Safari Lodge in the Sabi Sands. It’s not the most pleasant of self-drive journeys, but it certainly is straightforward. The only area that is problematic is White River, where the road markings are as feint as a fading felt-tip pen. If you use the GPS co-ordinates for Umkumbe you’ll be fine. Make sure you have enough cash on you for when you enter Shaws Gate (seriously, don’t try Newington gate) which is the easiest. The conservation/gate fee is R240.

The road sign to the entrance fo Shaws Gate does not actually say “Shaws Gate”. That is because, in South Africa, we can be a bit obscure. It’s in our nature. There is a massive wooden board listing the camps that are accessible via the gate and you simply need to follow the gravel road. It’s one of the most simple reserves to traverse. From this gate you can actually access Lion Sands, Savanna, Singita, Mala Mala and a host of other lodges. I have zero sense of direction, so even for a haphazard driver like me, it was smooth sailing.

The majority of the lodges within the Sabi bear a hefty price tag. This is where Umkumbe Safari Lodge differs. Umkumbe offers afforadble rates for the more budget conscious guest and boasts unparalled game viewing opportunities. Fine, I may not get Foie Gras for lunch but I did notice an elephant, a herd of buffalo and a hyena having a party in the riverbed outside of my rustic room.

Jason, Courteney and Lotje are enthusiastic, young guides who managed to find plenty of wildlife for the duration of my stay. The Sabi region has prolific wildlife, but there seems to be strong presence of hyena, leopard and rhino.We saw rhino mingling with wildebeest, zebra following a tower of giraffe and even a community of dwarf mongoose.

Just your average game drive with the Umkumbe rangers!

Follow Umkumbe’s Facebook page for updates

Wildebeest and Rhino Living in Harmony

Buffalo Outside the Umkumbe Safari Lodge

View from the Pool at Umkumbe Safari Lodge – Notice the Buffalo !

Lilac-breasted Roller

Tom and Jerry Duo at Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Vervet Monkey at Umkumbe Lodge – Cheeky Creatures !

Jason and Moses – Guide and Tracker form Umkumbe Safari Lodge

An Arty Shot of Giraffe

Rhino Calf – 2 Weeks Old, Spotted While on a Game Drive

Vervet Monkeys – a Common Sight at Umkumbe Safari Lodge

LIVE Safari Diary: Just Seen Cheetah at Africa on Foot

I arrived at Africa on Foot late last night. While en route there was a curious incident with an elephant’s backside. I won’t go into too much detail but if you’re self-driving to Africa on Foot, be prepared to stumble across strange animal encounters. However, this is not the crux of this blog post. I have been here for one night and this morning we saw cheetah. Two cheetah were relaxing in the bush – quite content for us to take photographs and observe their behaviour. September is the ideal time of year to visit the Klaserie. The guests here are extremely happy with “Ginger” the guide an Enoch the tracker.

Cheetah Spotted in the Klaserie

Cheetah in the Klaserie

Male Cheetah Spotted on a Game Drive with Africa on Foot

Cheetah Spotted at Africa on Foot

What is Happening with Sightings in the Klaserie?

It seems the lion prides are prevelant in the Klaserie at the moment. Guests have recorded a variey of predator sightings in the past few weeks. The sightings in the Klaserie have been in abundance and the reserve comes highly recommended for any guests wanting unparalleled game viewing experiences – especially large cats.

I spoke to Christina, from Africa on Foot, who sent in this brief report of what has been happening in terms of sightings in the Klaserie.

Just an update over the last few days, we had lions on foot this morning along with giraffe and zebra. Last night the ross pride made a buffalo kill and we also saw elephants. This morning after walk the guests went to see cheetah. Yesterday morning 3 rhinos, herd of elephants and a herd of buffalo.

Rein’s guests supplied us with these incredible pictures. The images are taken by Christopher Altendorfe.

What a beauty ! The Giraffe Pride boys.

One of the males from the Giraffe Pride

Male Lion from the Giraffe Pride

Video Clip of the Ross Pride Cubs

This has a cuteness factor of 100 %. Brett Thomson, our director, took this video clip of the Ross Pride enjoying family time. There’s an elephant feast and cubs practicing their pouncing skills.

What is Happening with the Klaserie’s Ross Pride of lions?

If you’re a fan of lion pride dynamics and follow the various prides within the Greater Kruger area, you’ve more than likely heard about the famous Ross Pride of lions that traverse the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. I’m not going to delve too deeply into the history of the pride, but rather focus on the current state of the pride and the changes within the pride. Courteney, owner of Africa on Foot, has written an informative piece about the history of the Ross pride if you need a bit of background info.

In short, it is rumoured that one or more of the males from the Ross Pride carry the white lion gene. The two dominant males, the Good and the Bad, have become infamous throughout the reserve. They’re tough boys that rule the pride and you’re either a fan of the Good or the Bad. The Bad is tough and scarred, the Good is clean-cut and well-groomed. The good news? The pride have been spotted with two new cubs – a great start to 2013! Guests were privvy to a fantastic sighting – they saw the females introducing the litter to the rest of the pride. Courteney suspects there are other cubs which have not been introduced into the pride.

In the past few weeks there have been two massive kills. One an impala, another a rhino cow. The Ross Pride seem to be going from strength to strength and guests have reported cub sightings and witnessed them feasting on carcasses. The Klaserie is delivering in terms of lion sightings!

If you’re passionate about lions, then follow the Africa on Foot and nThambo blog where the rangers will update you about the progress of the Ross Pride.

Long live the Ross Pride !!

* Lion cub images were taken by guest Mr Robert Weis who stayed at nThambo Tree Camp

Lion Cubs Being Introduced to the Ross Pride

Ross Pride Cub Feasting on a Rhino Cow

Feasting on a Rhino Cow

Mapula Lodge Okavango Delta

Ideally located in a hippo lagoon in the tropical, wildlife-rich Okavango Delta, Mapula Lodge is perfect for guests wanting to experience the untouched wilderness. From birding safaris, to canoe trips in traditional Mokoros, and night game drives; guests are never short of safari activities. Each of the rooms has been built on stilts and boasts a deck protected under the shade of low-hanging trees. There are 7 twin rooms, 2 double rooms and 1 family unit.

Located in the seasonal floodplains of the north western area of the Okavango Delta, Mapula is not short of remarkable game viewing opportunities.

For rates and reservations please contact reservations@sundestinations.co.za