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The Week in Pictures : 67 Animals to Spot on Safari

This “Week in Pictures” we’d like to remind everyone that it’s Nelson Mandela’s birthday, a day that is now fondly referred to as “Mandela Day”. From 1942 right up until his death, Madiba spent 67 years fighting for social justice. He is a global icon and a change maker. On his birthday we spend 67 minutes (1 minute for each year of public service) giving back and inspiring change. Today, we thought we’d remind our readers of the number 67 in whatever small way we can. So we’re using the number to list 67 animals to spot on safari in Kruger ! We’ve also added a few recent images fresh from game drives in our Kruger camps.

Lion
Elephant
Buffalo
Leopard
Rhino
Cheetah
Honey badger
Hyena
African wild dog
Hippo
Nile crocodile
Impala
Waterbuck
Kudu
Steenbok
Wildebeest
Jackal
Marabou stork
Vultures
Martial eagle
Bateleur eagle
Tawny eagle
Ground hornbill
Rock python
Black mamba
Puff adder
African wild cat
Civet
Spotted genet
Warthog
Chacma baboon
Vervet monkey
Saddle-billed stork
Lilac-breasted roller
Southern yellow-billed hornbill
Nyala
Bushbuck
Giraffe
Zebra
Dwarf mongoose
Bushbaby
Ground pangolin
Porcupine
Ostrich
Ground squirrel
Serval
Scrub hare
Pearl-spotted owlet
Sable
Roan
Aardvark
Elephant shrew
Bats
Rock dassie
Dormouse
Dung beetle
Baboon spider
Scorpions
Golden-orb spider
Mosquito
Aardwolf
Spring hare
Herons
African fish eagle
Terrapins
Lizards
Rock monitor

Learning the craft of coffee in Uganda’s scenic Crater Lake district

The town of Fort Portal, roughly 300km away from Uganda’s metropolis of Kampala, is surrounded by a series of curious crater lakes formed over 8000 years ago. The unusual scenery, panoramic hiking opportunities and close proximity to the chimp-trekking capital of Kibale National Park makes this a thriving tourism region.

In between trekking, walking or birdwatching the avian abundance of the Bigodi Wetland, you might notice the area’s rolling fertile farmlands. Fort Portal is the heart of Uganda’s tea-growing region, and the plantations are abundantly evident, enrobing the stepped hills in its unmistakable jade shades. However, a guided community walk highlights the smaller subsistence coffee crop that’s totally unique to this East African country. Let us introduce Robusta.

Uganda’s unique coffee crop

Just beyond the moist evergreen rain forest of Kibale National Park (located a mere seven kilometres from Crater Safari Lodge) lies the opportunity for an immersive education on Uganda’s coffee bean, from crop to cup.

First, some background. While Ethiopia is famous for being the birthplace of Arabica coffee, Uganda has its very own variety. It is known to be the birthplace of Robusta coffee, where the coffee plant naturally occurs in some of the forests. However, unlike Ethiopia that produces only Arabica coffee, Uganda is a producer and exporter of both varieties: Robusta and Arabica. Uganda is also a leading coffee producer in Africa thanks to its favourable, life-giving climate and coffee remains the country’s top-earning export too. During 2018, Uganda exported an astonishing 288000 tons of coffee.

The crater lake region (so named thanks to the volcanic activity that saw their circular creation) and Kibale forest provide the perfect growing platform for Robusta. The richly fertile land of volcanic soil and plenty of rainfall make this a place of verdant hillsides where farming is still practised using traditional methods. Fields contain diverse ranges of plantlife from bananas, mangoes, avocado, millet, yams and sweet potato. Look closely, and you’ll find that among these crops, coffee bushes flourish in between.

A coffee safari in Kibale

‘Coffee is for firming up friendship’, says my community guide Patrice Ariganyira. We meet early at The Golden Children headquarters, where a variety of tourism activities are on offer, and set off, past the roadside market and down a dirt track to learn about the craft of coffee in Uganda.

Patrice explains much more besides Uganda’s unique coffee crop. Stopping at tall matoke trees, he shares the age-old process of distilling the yellow fruits into banana gin, points out the striking plumage of the Great Blue Turaco and also tells us a little bit about tea. Thanks to British influence in Uganda, this was the beverage of choice for many years.

After soaking up the agricultural scenery, we make a stop at Regina’s home. Outside her house, a piece of beige tarp-like cloth keeps an assortment of cherry, forest-green and ebony-coloured berries from mixing with the dirt. It looks like a multicoloured carpet of skittles, but it’s a collection of harvested robusta coffee fruits drying out in the Ugandan sunshine. Settling down beside the mat, Regina then proceeds to pick some of the duller brown berries. The driest of the yield.

First, the covering of the coffee bean has to be shed. Regina expertly tosses the kernels between basket and sky blowing the coffee fruits mid-air so that the husk separates from the green bean within. She offers one to taste, but there is little to savour. That’s why the roasting comes in handy. Stirred rapidly around a pan over a hot fire, the small beans darken to the colour of charcoal, and that unmistakable aroma of java fills the little outdoor shed. Once charred, the seeds are then pounded into recognisable coffee grinds. Added to some hot water and with a bit of sugar whisked in, it’s the taste of a morning wonderfully spent.

Where to find other cups of coffee near Kibale

The Bee Hive Bar & Bistro at Bigodi is a newly opened cafe cheerfully painted in yellow and brown and serving up a particular blend. Gorilla Conservation Coffee is a social enterprise of Conservation Through Public Health, an award-winning NGO, which pays a premium price to help coffee farmers who live beside the gorillas of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Supporting the local farmers helps to defend the critically endangered gorillas and their fragile forest habitat. Currently, the Gorilla Conservation Coffee supports 500 farmers through training in sustainable coffee farming and processing.

The Bee Hive also sells honey that is harvested from hives strategically positioned on the boundary of Kibale National Park, installed to deter elephants (and the damage they can wreak on crops).

Sit down to enjoy the earthy combination of coffee and honey between excursions (The Bee Hive is conveniently located directly opposite the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary), and you’ll be supporting two great causes as you sip.

Otherwise, Crater Safari Lodge serves up some of the best brews with a view and overlooks the second largest crater lake in Uganda, Lake Nyinabulitwa, which translates to ‘Mother of Lakes’. Crater Safari Lodge is also within close proximity to the acclaimed chimp trekking destination of Kibale National Park.

#GuestSafariReview : Megs Donati Visits nThambo Tree Camp

Megs Donati, a recent guest at nThambo Tree Camp, enjoyed a rather successful safari ! We noticed her incredible wildlife photos from game drives at nThambo Tree Camp flooding the Instagram airwaves, so we decided to catch-up with her. She sent us a review of her stay coupled with a few photographs from her time in the ‘veld.

Here is her #GuestSafariReview of nThambo Tree Camp :

nThambo is a little piece of heaven set in the middle of the African bush. Where you’re truly in the wild.

We saw so many animals in such a short space of time. All down to our amazing guide Elmar who even spotted a leopard in a tree! We saw a heard of elephants with a baby who was the sweetest little guy! He hid behind his mumma until he was sure he was safe then came out to play.

A safari isn’t only about the animals but the people who you experience these magical moments with. The staff at nthambo made sure we had the best time and I’m truly grateful to all of you.

I love it so much here I can’t wait to go back. Our time here I will never forget.

Thank you Nthambo my African home.

Step Inside Walkers Bush Villa

Discerning guests are drawn to Walkers Bush Villa because of its sense of exclusivity and grand sophistication. This is the ideal safari hideaway in the game-rich Timbavati Private Game Reserve, and offers an opportunity for small groups or families to tailor-make their own safari experience. Furnished with eclectic art and hints of Africa throughout, Walkers is certainly reminiscent of a bygone era. The villa offers its visitors an opportunity to be surrounded by luxury interiors and wild surrounds in a revered reserve. At Walkers, the villa is yours and yours only. A private chef and guide are at your disposal and will be flexible in terms of your needs.

Walkers is located in a big 5 area within the Timbavati on private land belonging to Ingrid and Howard Walker. The location is ideal for game drives and the large waterhole is a major drawcard for predators. Local lion kings like the Black Dam male lion often make an appearance for eager guests. Elusive leopards are often spotted on the outskirts of the villa and massive breeding herds of elephants frequent the small waterhole at the end of the perfectly-kept lawns. The location offers unsurpassed game viewing opportunities from both the grounds of the villa and the corners of the ‘veld.

But what about your accommodation? The place where you retire to after exploring the rugged surrounds is nothing short of stylish. We know we’ve introduced you to the ornate interior and furnished you with ample videos and photos, but our new manager has sent through a fresh batch of images from the villa. And we love nothing better than a brief visual walk-through of the rooms to gauge the kind of atmosphere expected prior to arrival.

There are 4 bedrooms at Walkers, one of which is the master bedroom and the other 3 the standard bedrooms. Each of the 3 bedrooms surround the courtyard and offer a sense of privacy. In total, the plush rooms sleep 10 people.

High-thread count linen and the highest quality mattresses are kitted throughout. Expect a maximum level of comfort while being surrounded by untamed surrounds and mysterious bushveld sounds.

The master bedroom, the pies de resistance, adjoins the main house and boasts an indoor bath and shower; and an outdoor bath in private area. There is also an adjoining sleep-out room that is also accessible from the patio.

We trust you’ll enjoy Shirell Lynch’s visuals of the interior of Walkers Bush Villa, the exclusive safari option in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.

Roam-an History

Roam Private Game Reserve is not only home to a veritable kaleidoscope of flower species, and harbour to thousands upon thousands of endemic animal, bird and insect species, but it is also an area steeped in fascinating history.

Until the other day – around 250 million years ago – a vast inland sea stretching more than 400 000 square kilometres covered what is the Karoo today. As the planet’s climate slowly changed, the water evaporated and left a lush basin crawling with reptiles and amphibians. Later on, it was inhabited by the types of plains game and predators that can today be seen, for instance, on the savannas of the Serengeti.

A combination of further climate change, and more recent ubiquitous sheep- and cattle farming as well as changing weather patterns caused the verdant grasslands to recede, slowly morphing into the semi desert that it is today.

The Karoo, covering nearly 40% of South Africa’s land surface (the largest plateau of its kind outside of Asia) and straddling four of SA’s nine provinces, is also an archeologist’s and paleontologist’s dream. Rich fossil beds spanning more than 600 millions years of history suggest we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface, so to speak. It has also been suggested that the Karoo, out of all the world’s many fossil-rich areas, may hold the highest number of evolutionary secrets and the answers to many questions.

The people that lived here, the hunter-gatherer people of the San, among others, thrived in this area for many millennia and lived in perfect harmony with the land and the creatures that roamed it. As a matter of fact, people inhabited this area for more than 100 000 years, and digs that found early Stone Age tools suggest human occupation here go back as far as a million years. Exciting archeological finds of animal bone- and plant traces have also led to important discoveries regarding the diets of early hominids.

Rock art and other signs of the San people that lived in and around the area of Roam Private Game Reserve, give further insight into the fascinating lifestyle and habits of these people. In fact, it’s no accident that the team at Roam introduced a coalition of cheetah to its 5 000 hectares of Karoo scrubveld, as the only known San painting of a cheetah can be found not far east of Roam. A cheetah’s biggest edge in the hunt is its phenomenal pace, and it is this quality that is so tailor made for the flat arid plains of the Karoo. And it’s no wonder the Roam coalition has adapted so seamlessly.

Point is, it is an area dripping in extraordinary history, and on a visit to Roam one gets a sense of ‘if only these koppies could speak’… An awareness of some ancient mystique that lies buried among its gentle undulations, and a consciousness of the countless untold mysteries burnt into the memory of this scorched piece of earth. Add to that the Karoo’s blazing night skies and a Milky Way that glows like nowhere else in South Africa, and one’s own worldly problems become instantly negligible, and a sense of perspective is restored.

Chapter 1 : The Discovery of Margaret’s Den and the Hyena Cubs

While Rogan and Gem were out on their routine morning drive in the Klaserie exploring the thickets for felines, they came across an active hyena den. Stumbling heavyset cubs came tumbling out of the den, rewarding “Rogem” with a glimpse into the world of hyenas. A somewhat excited Rogan (he’s naturally an excitable fella) sent news our way about this thriving den site, ensuring that it’s on our radar. The den is known as “Margaret’s Den”. There is clearly an alpha female of the clan, who is also the bearer of beautiful cubs. The community den, which is a large termite mound, appears to be home for a number of cubs born from a few females. In the next few days we’ll share a series of videos created by Rogan, which journey from the first sighting of a juvenile through to the sneak peek of a baby and beyond.

Interestingly enough, the strong and dominant name Margaret is derived from the ancient Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers. It appears that this communal khaya is the place to see hyena cubs of varying ages engaging in play and aggressive behaviour synonymous with these bone-crushing youngsters.

Rogan and Gem’s initial drive led to a sighting of a few youngsters, and the days following their initial sighting they were rewarded with sightings of even younger cubs! Over the coming months we’ll deliver a host of updates about Margaret’s den site and the dynamics in play beneath the intricately built termite mound serving as the cubs’ home for the time-being. There are bound to be a number of stories to emerge from the den area. Our Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp guides will furnish us with information as the weeks pass – keep watching and we’ll keep posting!

Rogan says, “So there was one massive termite mound with what appeared to be 3 entrances. We spotted what seemed to be 4 different moms with cubs of varying ages, some were nursing with their mother and others were older”.

Staking out Margaret’s khaya gives the team an opportunity to observe textbook behaviour of hyenas in action.

Hyenas are intelligent and resourceful, displaying a high level proficiency when it comes to both hunting and scavenging. They’re basically all round successful carnivores. To maintain such a level of skill in such an unforgiving environment, a high level of bravado, aggression and industriousness is needed. Hyena cubs are born with these personality traits in tact and are aggressive from the moment they enter this world. Complete with canines in tact and an eagerness to fight for dominance, cubs are most certainly “born ready”. Despite their readiness for the wild, cubs will remain in the den area for quite sometime and are actually only weaned at about 14 months. The older females are generally spotted outside of the den area, on guard and ready to ward of predators. If you hang around long enough the cubs will eventually emerge.

So that’s chapter 1, Discovering Margaret’s Den and the Hyena Cubs. Stay tuned for Chapter 2 where even more shall be revealed, along with the videos released.

And the upcoming story? We don’t have one just yet – the wild will take care of the narrative.

Week in Pictures : The Wild of Winter

The thing about winter in the Kruger is that it really is prime game viewing time. The sparse bushveld makes it easy to spot game and the lack of rains means that wildlife congregates at waterholes. We know (generally) where to find game – and the bushveld is far easier to scan for signs of life during this drier season. Over the past two weeks we’ve spotted a variety of happenings in the bush, with no particular dominant theme. We trust you’ll enjoy our general catch-up and images from our recent Week in Pictures.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

The past two weeks we’ve enjoyed the occasional sighting of Nyeleti. She’s been somewhat elusive, but this has created space for other leopards to creep out from the bushveld – most notably an unknown male and another young leopardess. The male leopard’s tracks were seen side-by-side with a female’s tracks, which led to plenty of speculation about their origin. There is a theory that the male is Nyeleti’s suitor ! As for the unknown skittish young leopardess, there’s even more conjuncture that it’s the Sunset Dam cub.

Our very own tree-climbing lioness was spotted again, in the same area where she likes to climb trees. Guide JC says that she is a lone lioness that appears to be doing quite well on her own. She’s actually the same cat that was filmed growling at a clan of hyena a few weeks back. The Mbiri boys were also spotted, just relaxing on the dam wall at the waterhole. But in true Mbiri style, the lions wandered off into the thickets.

In other cat news, both a male and female cheetah were seen in the Klaserie in separate sightings. The cheetah sighting really elevated the big cat sightings of the Klaserie !

The latest development is an exciting one and we’ll be sure to share the story during the course of next week. Videographer Rogan has spent a bit of time observing a local hyena den site belonging to none other than Margaret the matriarch; an alpha female hyena known in the area. Rogan even managed to catch a glimpse of a young cub that cheekily came out of hiding. The hyena den is definitely one that we’re going to keep you posted about.

A full cat and scavenger week for the Klaserie !

Ezulwini Game Lodges

The guides at Ezulwini tracked and spotted 20 lions on their traverse. Needless to say, the lions were a combination of the Machaton kings, the protective Kudyelas and their entire brood. The cubs are now healthy juveniles, and Angele is often afforded opportunities to photograph this mega-pride and its offspring. But you know what she hasn’t managed to photograph just yet? The new litter of little lion cubs ! When they’re ready to be introduced to the wild, we’re pretty sure Angele will stumble across a moment or two to snap a few images of the latest cubs.

The lions weren’t the only predators to dominate the sightings log. In an interesting turn of events, the team noticed a pack of wild dogs darting and dashing about. We’re in the midst of the dog’s denning period, which potentially means an increase in sightings.

On the scavenger front, the standard bone-crushing hefty hyenas seem to be in abundance. A clan was spotted feasting on the remnants of a giraffe leg. No doubt a stolen meal!

Hippos, elephants and buffalo are still found in high concentrations on the traverse.

Leopards remain somewhat elusive these past 2 weeks, but the team did enjoy a sighting of a skittish unknown leopard.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

This week, Umkumbe reinforces its reputation as being “leopard central” with its reports of N’weti sightings. Nweti has come out of the shadows during recent game drives, providing guests with prolific sightings. Couple with the leopard sightings there have been sightings of serval, civet and even an unknown leopard eating a civet!

About a week ago the entire Kambula Pride strutted past the lodge – a fantastic sighting that left guests with a few memorable safari moments.

Chacma Bush Camp

The highlight over the past two weeks for Chacma Bush Camp has, without a doubt, been the rare sighting of a wild dog swimming after its prey. A young kudu met its untimely fate at the hands of a pack of wild dogs. A noteworthy sighting for the books! The leopard sightings within the Maseke are on the increase, and recent Wilderness Trails guests enjoyed two sightings of a leopard within the area. Other than that the normal beasts, bovids and birds continue to provide exceptional sightings.

Game Drives at Umkumbe : A Visual Journey with Our Safari Guides

Our highly-qualified guides at Umkumbe Safari Lodge spend months observing the natural behaviour of wildlife in the Sabi Sand, a haven for predators. The khaki-clad crew spend days eagerly tracking lion prides, attempting to predict their next move. Their arsenal of knowledge about the wild is eagerly shared with guests that arrive at the lodge thinking they’re just here to view game. Truth is, guests walk away with so much more just a game viewing experience. With Umkumbe, it’s not only about photographing and looking at general game, birds and predators; but it’s also of paramount importance to educate guests about the gentle harmony within the wild and how everything is intertwined; from the heart-wrenching to the heartbreaking. The ‘veld is a place where you learn, feel, experience and absorb.

Umkumbe guests walk away from their safari experience having learnt unique facts about the wild. My first safari experience at Umkumbe – many years back – I learnt why a hyena’s faeces eventually turns white after time. I learnt about herbivore middens and how to determine if the herds were close. I even learnt that a leopard’s scent marks smells a little bit like popcorn (apparently). The team taught me that the vegetation blanketing the earth beneath my feet could be used for various medicinal purposes. I learnt how there are quiet, unspoken messages between trees that “talk”, in particular acacia that release tannins to warn neighbouring trees that the giraffe are approaching. This tannins create an unpalatable dining experience for the giraffe and they eventually move off in search of other trees to conquer. These are things I would never have Googled prior to embarking on a safari and most certainly wouldn’t have looked up in a textbook.

How lucky that these adventurous experiences form part of the daily lives of the team at Umkumbe Safari Lodge? A team so passionate about their place in the Umkumbe family and the wild surrounds. Guides and trackers have relocated black mambas, chased leopard out of the lodge grounds and have plenty of stories to regale about the this part of the Greater Kruger. The pool deck is a firm favourite with guests, who love to chill on the deck chairs, take a dip in the spalsh pool and watch the life unfold on the banks of perennial Sand River. An Umkumbe guide and tracker always has an update to keep us informed and entertained!

While we’re on the topic of Umkumbe guides, we’d like to welcome a new guide to the tight-knit group of wildlife enthusiasts working at the lodge. Waldo started off his new job with a bang, with ample sightings of N’weti the leopard. It’s evident that he has a creative eye for photography and after only being there for a few weeks, he has already sent through a collection of leopard images. It’s crystal clear that he’s found his place in the wild, and we hope to see many more of his images thrown into already awesome images we receive from the team currently guiding at Umkumbe. Today we’re sharing a few of Waldo’s images of N’weti together some of Shaun Atkinson’s images, one of our other talented photographers at Umkumbe Safari Lodge.

Form the primitive to the pretty, Umkumbe offers that authentic and real-life lodge safari experience where the focus is on game viewing and the simple bushveld life.

Wild Dog at Chacma Swims to Catch Prey

May – Sep is the most common time of year to spot rare African wild dogs trotting through Greater Kruger. These nomadic wanderers cover a wide range and rarely remain sedentary in an area, unless its their denning period. Their denning period is generally between May – Sep, a period of time that delivers numerous sightings of wild dogs engaging in behaviour typical of their species. The pack is governed by the alpha male and female, a breeding pair that demands help from the pack to guard and raise their young. This is called co-operative breeding. It is during this time of year that guides and guests report fairly consistent sightings of wild dogs. From ceremonious greeting rituals, to take downs of epic proportions and observing cantering through the wild; the African wild dog sightings certainly vary.

The team at Chacma Bush Camp have been rewarded with quite a few sightings of a pack of wild dogs, but sightings have dwindled over the past few months. The most recent sighting, however, completely astounding both guests and guides. Dogs favour diurnal hunting methods and often seek out potential prey in the mornings and evenings when its cooler. They hunt using a method called coarsing, which means they identify, target and chase prey until the point of exhaustion. Mild trots turn into canters – they truly are the marathon runners of the wild ! It’s not uncommon to see this textbook behaviour in action, but what is uncommon is to see a WILD DOG SWIMMING AFTER ITS PREY.

Here is Cherie Bredenkamp’s account of the events, complete with video and images.

This sighting had many events leading up to it. If we’d taken a different route we would not have been able to witness this amazing hunt.

We were standing next to a tower of giraffe when we heard some baboons alarm calling in the distance. So we automatically thought it could be a lion, leopard or any other predator.

But we also had the choice of a buffalo sighting which was much closer. Therefore we had a decision to make.

We decided on the buffalo first as it was closer and then we would follow up on the alarm calls.

As we were enjoying the buffalo sighting there was another strange sound in the background not too far away from the vehicle. One of the guests quickly asked Ad what that could be. And with no hesitation Ad said “something is dying”.

We left the buffalo and drove off. About 50m away a guest yelled “Wild dogs!” First I thought it was impossible, as we have not seen any wild dogs for a couple of months. But luckily for us it was a pack of three wild dogs busy hunting a young female kudu.

This is a new pack to the area. We have never seen them before.

The kudu launched into the small dam while the wild dogs kept circling her. At last a brave wild dog dove into the dam and started swimming towards the kudu, pushing it into the direction of the other two.

These sightings are quite rare and magnificent to experience but at the same time it can be cruel and insensitive. Therefore our guide Ad asked all the guests if they are willing to stay and witness what was about to happen.
All the guests were quite keen as they understood the upcoming events.

Once the wild dogs got a hold of the kudu it was all down hill from there for the kudu. The wild dogs dragged her out to the side and started feasting.

There was also a small fight amongst the three wild dogs to establish a pecking order.

Guide JC Spots a Tree-climbing Lion in the Klaserie. That’s Right.

One of the major drawcards of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania and the famous Serengeti, is the presence of rare tree-climbing lions. Spotting a stocky and powerfully built lion clumsily clambering up a tree, is indeed a unique wildlife sighting. Leopards are our textbook tree-climbers, but lions – not so much. There’s no denying that some lions within prides do climb trees, but overall it’s considered a sighting for the books and certainly one worthy of documentation. The tree-climbing individuals within prides are only seen in less than 5% of documented lion pride observations (stats ref : Discover Wildlife BBC).

There’s no definitive blanket answer as to why lions climb trees. Lions climb small trees for a number of reasons. Clawing your way up a tree might just provide the shade needed from the blistering heat of the plains of East Africa. That’s one reason. Another reason is that lions may also desire an elevated view to scan the landscape for potential prey. Another common school of thought is that a lone lion might retreat upwards if they feel overpowered from a violent skirmish at ground level.

So what do these tree-climbing lions of East Africa have to do with the Greater Kruger? A love for tree-tops ! We noticed a similar behaviour with the lions of East Africa and a lioness within the Kruger. We cast our minds from the open plains of East Africa and travel back to Africa on Foot’s traverse in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, where the tree-climbing lioness was spotted by guide JC.

It was the efficient and much loved guide, JC, who broke the news to us about the tree hugging lioness. JC is always in the thick of the action, with his camera poised. Here is his account of the event :

A few mornings ago I returned to an area where an unknown, shy male leopard had secured an impala kill in a knobthorn tree the previous day. Upon arriving, there were five hyenas pacing underneath it. The leopard was nervously adjusting its kill in the tree when it unfortunately dropped it on the ground.

The hyenas cackled with delight while the leopard took the opportunity to leave the area. As we watched the hyenas fight over the remains, I heard impalas alarm calling in the distance. Thinking that we’d get another chance to see the leopard, I followed the sound only to find a lone lioness approaching. She cleverly assessed the situation and quickly climbed a marula tree before the hyenas had a chance to attack. Ultimately, the hyenas lost interest and the lioness descended the tree unharmed.

As it stands, the unknown pride of 6 were actually seen on Friday night, and a few of the Sun Destinations team jumped in the vehicle this morning to track the pride. We’ll let you know the outcome when the on-the-ground ‘veld loving team gets connected.