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The Week in Pics : Let There be Light..Footed Cats

A new week has breezed past our well-worn Week in Pictures path. I feel that we weren’t given much warning that yet another Tuesday was fast approaching. The past week, we’ve been fumbling around in the dark, thanks to a few government-issued power cuts. Unfortunately, our provider (Eskom) hasn’t realised that we’re not big cat predators and that we don’t thrive under the canopy darkness. Maybe one day they will see the light. To be fair, our big cats don’t care about human-related issues like charging phones and enjoying the electrical glow from bedside lamps. The wild continues to run effortlessly and seamlessly; sometimes harmoniously and other times with a strange sense of discord. This natural ebb and flow of life in the ‘veld – without intervention – continues to fascinate us on a daily basis.

Here are a few highlights from the week that was :

Ezulwini Game Lodges

Once again, Angele sent through – literally – a soliloquy of recent sightings. The Balule is heaving, and we don’t quite know how she keeps up with photographing the ample sightings, and co-running River Lodge. The highlight of the week has to be the sighting of the leopard cub, and its mother. The cub is young, which clearly meant that the guides gave them quite a wide birth when entering the sighting. The cub is, understandably, somewhat skittish and was darting between grass spears and dense undergrowth. The cub followed its mother to a recent impala kill, which added in a nice meal time sighting for our guests.

And the Kudyela lionesses? Of course they were seen. The pride took down a kudu bull, the Machaton males were seen, and the entire pride was seen meandering down the road in the open.

Chacma Bush Camp

It’s all about the lions and buffalo at the moment at Chacma! The Maseke Pride, and their young were spotted – yet again. Em Gatland pulled her usual magic with getting a few incredible photos of the lions, together with their youngsters!

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

The Klaserie Camps have also enjoyed a leopard cub sighting. On the outskirts of their traverse, is where the leopards were spotted. There’s speculation that it was the Marula female with her youngster. Let’s hope they cross over and explore pockets of bushveld closer to camp.

The River Pride of lions seem to be hanging around the Klaserie camps on a regular basis. Enough to say we enjoy consistent sightings of the powerful pride? Possibly. What we do know is that the lions are often found lying around the waterhole, and that many hours are spent in their company. One of our roving photographers spent over 3 hours with the lions on her birthday – proof that the River Pride quite enjoy this sector of their kingdom.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

What can we say? It’s more of the same in the Sabi Sand ! The leopard sightings certainly haven’t decreased in recent weeks, and we’re back to spotting an unusual amount of unknown leopards in the area – no doubt its youngsters from neighbouring reserves pushing a few boundaries! Nweti was spotted with a kill, and seems to be the most “consistent” leopard sighting on the Umkumbe traverse.

In other predator news, the African wild dogs and cheetah have been more than active !

Enjoy your Week in Pictures, we’ll just be over here writing from underneath the comfort of our spotlights.

Getting up Close with Our Photographers : We Chat Macro!

Using your purpose-built macro lens to capture minute detail on your chosen subject, is a rather absorbing activity. The results of macro photography can be captivating, and the final product introduces the viewer to abstract and exquisite detail not capable of being seen with the human eye. With the advent of digital photography, photographer’s are now afforded opportunities to focus on the microscopic elements of fauna and flora. It’s the fine hairs on an a hard-shelled insect, the reflections of a cityscape in a pin prick of a dew drop, and the kaleidoscope of colours on the plume of a bird or posterior of an arthropod, that serves to remind us that there’s plenty that goes undetected by the human eye.

What is macro photography? In short, it’s the art of making something tiny – if not microscopic – look massive. It’s the skill of getting close to a subject, and selecting a focal point that that takes up the full frame. It takes a fair bit of skill to master the art of getting an exceptional macro shot – the shutter speed is generally quite long, and the depth of field quite shallow. Getting the perfect balance can be tricky, but practice makes perfect!

Macro photography is best done with a DSLR, and not a an in built, fixed lens on a point-and-shoot. Although possible with camera phone technology, and those point-and-shoots, you don’t have control over elements such as aperture, shutter speed and exposure. Going the DSLR route allows you to control the outcome, and is most certainly the way forward with macro photography.

Two of our passionate visual gurus, Em Gatland and Rogan Kerr, love their macro photography. Rogan loves his small creatures, and even has a dedicated hashtag and following for his #SmollFwens (small friends) series on Instagram. Em and decided to take a handful of images to showcase the minuscule mayhem that happens in the wild, and Rogan sent through one of his images. We have images of indulgent velvety termites, hardcore rhino beetles and star-trek looking plants!

We chatted briefly to find out more about macro photography.

What type of lens do you use for macro photography?

Em : Nikon 105 2.8 macro lens

Rogan : I shoot on a Sony A7iii, and my lens is a Sigma Art 70 mm macro lens.

What is your favourite subject?

Em : There is no one species that is my favourite. It’s a whole new world when you get up close and personal with smaller creatures. The intrinsic detail in each one is mind blowing and you can spend hours just photographing one beetle!

Rogan : My lens is recent purchase, so I don’t quite a favourite subject just yet! Going forward, my focus is definitely going to be reptiles and insects!

Is it more technical than other photography?

Em : It does have its challenges. The subject is often moving and the focus mechanism on a macro is very different to your standard lenses. You find yourself in very uncomfy positions while photographing the subject.

What’s your advice for budding macro photographers?

Em : You need to have loads and loads of patience. You must remember to switch to manual focus, and for extra detail on the subject, shoot on a decent f-stop. But most of all, get lost in the small world you are capturing and have fun doing so!

A Warm Welcome to the Female Cheetah at Roam Private Game Reserve

Almost a year ago a coalition of slender male cheetah were released into Roam Private Game Reserve. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the team from Roam decided to re-introduce cheetah into an area that once formed part of their historic range. The current coalition have adapted well to their environment, and are in perfect condition. Last year, discussions were underway last to introduce a female into the reserve at a later stage. That “later stage” is now ! A week ago the team at Roam released a female cheetah into the Great Karoo. She will be in the boma area until she becomes more comfortable in her environment. In the next few years we will – hopefully – have a few cheetah cubs born into the reserve.

We chatted to Don about the new female cheetah, and gained a bit of insight into her history – peppered with a few humorous answers. Photographer Teagan Cunniffe was there to take photos of the current coalition and the rather shy female newcomer.

“Flanked by the Cape fold mountains and hugged by undulating endless desert landscapes, lies the 5000 hectare Roam Private Game Reserve. The unique scrubveld of the Karoo basin gives rise to various xerophytic flora, and is also home to abundant species of plains game, birdlife and small predators. The arid plains are dotted with a wealth of geological masterpieces such as archetypal Karoo koppies, sandstone and dolerite intrusions. With so much to offer in terms of providing endless natural habitats, the area was analysed and identified as being a potential location that could sustain the presence of cheetah. After considerable time and much research, the owners of Roam – together with leading conservationists – decided to introduce cheetah into the reserve.”

Where did the cheetah come from?

The female has come from Rietvlei near Pretoria. However, we are pretty sure she doesn’t support the Blue Bulls or listen to Kurt Darren!

Why was it necessary to introduce a female cheetah into the reserve?

Roam’s goal with introducing cheetah to the Reserve is not only to offer views of these stunning animals to our guests, but to contribute to the conservation of these animals. Two lone males are going to have no conservation value at all. Introducing a female will hopefully mean we get cubs in the future.

These cubs will then be introduced to other reserves when they reach maturity.

Where is the female now, and how long will it take for her to join the males?

She is in our predator boma at the moment. She will be kept here for about 6 weeks so we can monitor her closely and allow her to settle into the new environment. Any longer in the boma and cheetah start to loose muscle condition.

How often will you monitor her?

Whilst she is in the boma someone will check in on her daily. And this will continue for a few months after her release onto the main reserve as well.

How quickly do you think she will produce cubs?

With luck within 18 months.

How old is she?

A little over 2.5 years.

Will you introduce more females into the reserve at any stage?

Not until the drought has broken, and we can better understand what impact the cheetah are having on the prey populations.

Does she have a “personality”, or is too early to tell ?

When she arrived in the transport crate she was certainly very cheeky and let us know this when we opened the crate up. Since then we have given her some space in the boma to settle down, but I some how feel she will always be a little feisty. She will need that attitude to survive the Karoo!

The Week in Pictures : Minimalist and Monochromatic

For the “Week in Pictures” this week we’ve decided to showcase images that fit into either the minimalist or monochromatic category. These unique and varied images make us look at life in the bushveld with new eyes. Our photographer’s seek to capture different perspectives when it comes to images, and we’re pretty impressed with the results. We’ve furnished you with a few weekly highlights from camp, coupled with a number of distinct images.

Ezulwini Game Lodges

The Kudyelas and Machatons are a formidable force on the Ezulwini traverse, with a recent sighting of the Kudyela pride being a highlight. We spoke recently about the sightings of the active hyena den that has delighted both guests and guides. In a cruel twist of fate, the team recently discovered that one of the marauding lions killed one of the hyena cubs. The wild can be a torturous and cruel place! There’s a reason why big cats are at the top of the food chain.

This week, guests were thrilled at number of the leopard and lion sightings in the Balule. Leopard sightings included that of 2 unknown male leopards and 1 young male (10 months) together with his mother. Firm favourite, Thuli the leopard, also provided the team with a few exceptional sightings. Elephants, hippos and plenty of general game all put on a show for Ezulwini game drives, but the cats stole the show this week.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Umkumbe have enjoyed consistent sightings of leopards (what else is new?), but the highlight of the week has been the sighting of the 2 cheetah. A couple of weeks ago the two cheetah were seen attempting to take down a young wildebeest. The hunt was unsuccessful. This week, the cheetah were spotted conducting a successful take down of prey. They were initially spotted cruising the thickets fro prey in front of a huge herd of elephant. Eventually they found the perfect target, and guests witnessed the take down. A sighting for the books.

Another highlight for the intrepid Sabi Sand team was finding the African wild dogs causing havoc with an opportunistic hyena. These “frenemies” are constantly at loggerheads with one another!

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

Over the past few days, the team in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve have enjoyed ample sightings of the River Pride of lions. The River Pride successfully took down a zebra, and the full pride of 9 were also spotted relaxing at a waterhole. They have been spotted on a number of occasions attempting to hunt and take down prey; and guests have loved the absolute abundance of lion sightings.

Chacma Bush Camp

The team at Chacma Bush Camp were also lucky in the lion sightings department, and once again spotted the Maseke Pride. Wild dogs seem to be hanging around the traverse, and appear to gain plenty of enjoyment from trotting around the main waterhole close to camp. Day-to-day life continues at Chacma, with a constant stream of exceptional bird sightings of summer migrants flocking to our terrain.

Cheetah Youngsters Attempt to Take Down a Wildebeest

Exuding grace, finesse and exhibiting lightning speed; the cheetah is an elegant solitary cat that differs greatly from its big cat counterparts. This spotted cat doesn’t possess the strength of lions and leopards, and is (technically) classed as a diurnal hunter. While leopards and lions thrive under the cover of darkness, cheetah prefer to grab their moving meals at dawn and dusk when the air is cool, the light is right and the competition is minimal. We’re quite used to receiving reports of leopard sightings from the team at Umkumbe Safari Lodge, but the other day, reports of a couple of cheetah on the hunt for food came flooding through the airwaves.

Guide Tanya sent through a few images of their recent sighting. There was a perfect visual of two slender cats attempting to target one of the smaller and weaker calves in a wildebeest herd. Cheetah aren’t prepared to put up a fight for their food, and can’t afford to take the risk of retaliation from feisty prey. They don’t have the strength of other cats – they’re all about speed and not power. This is why they target small, manageable prey and will walk away from any sizeable species that looks like they could inflict injury. Swift, simple and easy is how a cheetah likes to conduct its kill. Put simply – cheetah don’t like to fight.

Cheetah also tend to eat quickly, and quietly. Their lack of strength means that they are unable to drag their prey into the high reaches of trees to keep it out of the way of scavengers. As a result, they need to be stealth like about their dinner table habits. Cheetah tend to hunt in coalitions, catch their prey, pause to catch their breath and then tuck into their gory delights. While one eats, the other one surveys the landscape for thieves. Hyena and other opportunistic feeders tend to be active at night, so cheetah are generally quite safe from the food thieves.

Tanya speculates that the two cheetah were a young male and female, which could actually be the sub-adults that were spotted a while ago. However, this time they were without their mother. Littermates tend to leave their mother’s side after 2 years, and then stay together for at least 6 – 8 months afterwards. In truth, cheetah aren’t particularly successful hunters until they reach the age of 3, so it’s quite possible that these two youngsters are within that age bracket.

Despite the unsuccessful kill, the cheetah sighting proved to be an absolute win for both guides and guests!

Bird-ringing Conservation Activity at Roam Private Game Reserve

We’ve spoken briefly about Teagan’s “conscious” safari experience at Roam Private Game Reserve where she became involved in a few conservation projects currently underway within the reserve. The aim at Roam is to provide a unique safari experience that combines activities synonymous with a standard safari, AND combine it with a variety of conservation activities.

Guests are afford the opportunity to “give back” to the Great Karoo’s biome and feel part of the bigger picture; an experience that taps into our conscious. By becoming involved in the variety of daily tasks and projects underway, guests will have a small hand in contributing to the overall success of the reserve. One of the array of many tasks on offer is “bird ringing” or “bird banding” as it’s referred to in other countries. This is the delicate process of tagging and releasing birds for research.

Teagan spent time with Don, learning about the process involved in this task, and helped to tag migratory and endemic birds. She visually documented her bird-ringing experience, and furnished us with insight into this research activity.

What is bird-ringing/bird banding?

Bird ringing, or bird banding, is the process where individual birds are captured, tagged and released for research purposes. Bird-ringing gives us vital information about a bird’s migratory patterns and their history. Armed with this insight aids us in understanding various species, and ultimately allows us to form an important foundation for successful conservation measures. The ringing process involves trapping birds in mist nets where they are collected, fitted with an identification tag and released. During this ringing process the sex, age, weight and measurements of the bird are all recorded and sent to a central database (in South Africa SAFRing manages this database).

Here are a few examples of how bird-ringing is used :

Information dispersal
Migration patterns
Understanding longevity
Monitoring behaviour
Survival rate
Reproductive success
Population trends
Identifying how many chicks from one population survive
What environmental conditions are favourable and detrimental to birds.
Insight into biology and demographic changes over time

How does Roam do their bird-ringing?

The team at Roam have set up a regular bird-ringing program, led by Don. Guests are invited to join Don on a bird ringing outing where they will help to capture and tag birds, which is what Teagan did during her time at Roam. It will be an early morning trip out into the reserve to find a suitable trapping site, and the capturing process normally runs into midday, unless a specific species is being targeted which means evening sessions will be conducted. A gazebo and mist nets will be set up in preparation to catch birds. The nets are checked regularly for birds, which are subsequently processed and then released back into the wild. Guests will help with the release process, while the rest of the time is spent soaking up the wild Karoo atmosphere and learning about the biome.

The team at Roam says, “The data recorded can then be linked back to individual birds should they be caught again in the future. Historic data from bird ringing has helped ornithologists answer important conservation questions like “how long a particular species lives for?”, “where migratory birds go when they leave for the winter?” or “How large is a particular species territory?”. Whenever ringed birds are found dead, or re-sighted (in the case of colour-rings), they can be identified and their movements can be tracked. This helps to identify the critical sites along their migratory routes (flyways) and provides fundamental information for conservation planning and site management.”

Head out on game drives, enjoy gin and tonics during golden hour, return to luxury lodgings, choose your level of involvement and become part of the bigger picture. You won’t be disappointed.

The Week in Pictures : A Feast for Your Eyes

We’ve been a bit delayed with our launch of this week’s “Week in Pictures”, but we’re sure our photographer’s mesmerising images will more than make up for our tardiness. Yet again we’ve enjoyed a veritable feast of sightings. From leopard kills to herbivores gorging on greens, and lion cubs practicing their take-down techniques; we’ve witnessed a broad spectrum of natural behaviours. We trust you’ll enjoy this week’s delayed delivery of images – an absolute feast for your eyes.

Chacma Bush Camp

Behold the lion cubs ! The Maseke lions cubs have – yet again – been spotted while out on game drive. The cubs are in good spirits, and are engaging in plenty of playful antics. Their play fighting will stand them in good stead for when they are fending for themselves in the wild. Dominant play tactics are vital for learning take-down skills and it also increases the bond between pride members.

Ezulwini Game Lodges

Ezulwini continue to wow us with their wealth of sightings, and recent sightings of the Machaton male lions and the Kudyelas have been an absolute highlight. The hyena den is another highlight on the Ezulwini traverse, and guests are afforded ample opportunity to sit and observe the growing cubs.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Nothing unusual for Umkumbe this week in terms of sightings – just the standard, consistent sightings of leopards! Ntsumi the luscious leopard lass was spotted with a duiker kill. She led the vehicles to her meaty stash, and clambered up the tree to devour her meal. Plains game in the Sabi Sand is out in full force, and certainly adding bulk to sightings.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

The Klaserie camps have had a good balance of big cat sightings, with the stardom being shared by both lions and leopards. Firm favourite, Nyeleti, was spotted enjoy a kill at the base of a tree. Hunger dictated her hunting actions, and she took down a prey that was simply to heavy to hoist up into the tree. The lion pride dynamics always provide a sense of mystery to the traverse, and guides are constantly playing CSI when it comes to predicting their next movements. nThambo guide Reinhardt reported that the Mbiri male lions are spending ample timeon the Timbavati/Klaserie road, and the River Pride have also been spotted pushing through the traverse. About 4 days ago the African wild dogs were spotted close to camp where they were seen chasing impala. The elephants are still around camp, and there’s a bounty of big tuskers in the area.

#GuestSafariReview : A Peek into a Safari at Africa on Foot

We love it when our guests share their safari images on social media. It gives us the opportunity to witness first-hand what our guests are seeing at camp, and it’s a peek into their version of the safari lifestyle. We follow a bunch of camp related hashtags on social media, and it gives us insight into what our guests are experiencing in a particular place and time. We noticed that Martin Rebel (catch him on @digitalframez) took delight in photographing both the predators, plains game and small creatures. We got hold of Martin and asked if we could share his images with the world; and he kindly furnished us with a bit of feedback about his stay along with his mesmerizing images.

Here is Martin’s guest safari review :

During our stay at Africa on Foot we have seen all kinds of wild animals you can think of – from the Dung Beetle, Wilderbeest, Giraffe, Elephant, Steenbok, Lion, Rhino and many more. The highlight was completing the Big 5 with a beautiful Leopard just on our last game drive. With Mauritz and Juan Carlos we had two exceptionally well experienced rangers on our side and felt very safe at all times. Another highlight to experience in Africa on Foot are the morning bush walks. This is a totally different feeling, being part of that wildlife, although the safari vehicle is fully open as well.

Go where Martin went : www.africaonfoot.com

The Week in Pictures : Hello Kitty

Last week we enjoyed an array of sightings, and there were no dominant species that stole the show. Hints of cats, overt displays from playful elephants, and a flurry of plains game provided a unique mix of highlights for last week’s “Week in Pictures”. This week our common denominator is…Cats. The creeping cats decided that today they’d own the “Week in Pictures” and continue their often dominant theme presence in our portfolio of images from the week. Cats – regardless of size or species – like to be in command of their surroundings.

Things are continuing to tick over in terms of big game sightings. Umkumbe enjoyed a cheetah sighting this morning with a youngster and its mother attempting to take down unsuspecting prey. The cheetah sightings were surpassed only by the wealth of leopard sightings enjoyed during the week. Leopards taking centre stage this week included : Ntsumi, Nweti, and Kigelia. It goes without saying that there was a heavy presence of hyena clans in the area. Find the predators, find their clean-up crew!

The Klaserie camps are enjoying abundant sightings of wild dogs, and the River Pride of lions also seem to be establishing themselves on the traverse. The intermittent rains have continued to soak into the landscape, which means the elephant sightings are still as prevalent as previous weeks. Ezulwini is enjoying the carpets of greenery in the Balule, and sightings of the Machatons and Kudyelas continue to flood into our digital department. Chacma’s predator sightings of the week have included that of the African wild dogs. We’ve decided to also throw in a few of AD’s images of the Maseke lion cubs because…well…we love celebrating their presence. Walkers Bush Villa is never short of sightings, and its prime position in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve ensures a consistent influx of big game sightings.

Gorilla Portraits from Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

If you walk a mere 8 minutes from Gorilla Safari Lodge you’ll find yourself at the briefing point for a gorilla trekking safari in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This primeval forest and its hilly volcanic, jungle-laden terrain provides the perfect habitat for a variety of primates, of which include abundant gorilla family groups. Gorilla trekking is a holiday of a lifetime, and Gorilla Safari Lodge is the perfect base to enjoy your sought after bucket list experience. There are two types of experiences available, which include : gorilla trekking and the gorilla habituation experience. Photographer Em Gatland spent many memorable moments capturing a range of gorilla expressions experienced while observing their antics in the wild. The experience is humbling !

Gorilla Trekking is an unforgettable experience, and guests can choose the level of difficulty when it comes to trekking. At the briefing point of the trek you will meet like-minded adventurers, all there for the same reason. You will be briefed about your gorilla trekking adventure and the etiquette/rules for when you’re in the presence of these powerful primates. You will be assigned a gorilla family that you will track and observe. Experienced gorilla trackers and porters will lead the way on the slopes of the volcanoes.

You will start from the site where the gorillas were encountered the day before and from here the gorilla tracking begins. The hike can be easy and it can be physically demanding. This all depends on the hike you’ve chosen, and where the gorillas are located.

Follow the mountain gorillas as they move freely in the impenetrable forest, and observe them while they feed, communicate and vocalise.

You are allowed an hour with the gorillas before heading back to your lodge.

The Gorilla Habituation Experience is slightly different to the trekking experience. It involves the trekking and hiking part, but you become part of something bigger. You will be out for the day, heading deep into the depths of the jungle to find the gigantic wild mountain gorillas. This is an intimate experience, where you are afford the opportunity of spending up to 4 hours with the gorillas. Porters, guides and researchers will accompany you on your trek. The aim is to habituate the wild gorillas to the presence of humans.

This experience is only available in Uganda (Rushaga) where Gorilla Safari Lodge is located. This incredible experience is all part of getting a gorilla family used to human presence, a process which takes 2 – 3 years.