Sun Destinations Blog - Page 35 of 117 - Sun Destinations Safari

Mutinous Mbiri Lions Tuck into Elephant Killed by Neighbouring Pride

The ruthless Mbiri boys are like mutinous soldiers that break rules, rebel against the status quo and push boundaries to occupy new territories. The Mbiris are covering a wide range on our traverse and certainly aren’t confining themselves to one section, despite other prides vigorously advertising and claiming their portion of land. That’s just the life of a coalition – to keep moving in search of females and potentially new home grounds.

The Mbiris don’t appear to have much fear. A few nights ago they were spotted tucking into a meat filled sub-adult elephant carcass that we believe was taken down by the River Pride of lions. It appears that the Mbiris displaced the mega-pride from the kill and began their banquet of bones and flesh without giving a second thought to the hungry River Pride.

A few days back the Mbiri’s guttural contact calling could be heard penetrating the night – it was a clear indication that this dynamic duo were on the move, aggressively advertising their whereabouts as they moved swiftly through the ‘veld. The night before this commotion ranger Chade and the khaki crew spotted the River Pride eyeing out a few sub-adult elephants. It became quite clear that the pride had spotted potential quarry, despite the colossal size of a young elephant being somewhat more challenging than a medium size impala. It was clear that older lioness had ear-marked one of the juvenile elephants for the taking.

The River Pride has a number of youngsters that need to be fed, so we speculate when the time was right the older lioness took down her prey. Unfortunate for the elephant and it’s emotional matriarchal herd but such is the food chain – heartless and necessary. The Klaserie camps didn’t see the events unfold but we can only assume there was plenty of dust clouds, flaying of trunks and billowing. It’s clear that the elephant calf became the River Pride’s next meal.

Enter the Mbiris.

The following day, after witnessing the River Pride stalking the elephants, the Mbiris were spotted headed in the general direction of where the River Pride were last seen. When the team arrived at the scene, the Mbiris were tucking into a hearty meal of elephant. And it wasn’t just the fragments.

There was plenty of meat and fleshy bits available for the taking. We can only assume that the Mbiris caught wind of the kill, eagerly advertised their presence and approached the scene with a clear tactic in mind. Lions are opportunistic and if there’s a free meal available they’ll pounce at the opportunity to feast.

There are a number of healthy, growing cubs in the River Pride that need protecting. The cubs in the pride aren’t sired by the Mbiris which means they may well have been under threat during a confrontation. Male coalitions have been known to commit infanticide to thwart the genetic line of cubs they haven’t fathered.

The Mbiris are dominating !

Refurb Alert : Ezulwini River Lodge Standard Rooms Have a New Look !

The team at Ezulwini have been hard at work reconstructing and redesigning the standard rooms at River Lodge. The results have exceeded our expectations and the laborious task of building has finally come to fruition. During the course of last year we shared a few images of the building progress, and today we deliver the finished product. Natural wooden balconies, a fresh lick of paint and gentle touches to the interior have ensured a space that’s open, light and airy. Ezulwini River Lodge now has standard rooms that take full advantage of the exquisite Balule bushveld.

The standard rooms needed to incorporate more light into their space, and soft furnishings moved from African prints to a more subtle muted colours reflecting the surrounds. To enhance the feeling of space the rooms were extended in size to incorporate relaxation areas and outdoor viewing points.

A couple of the rooms were extended with an upstairs area complete with a natural wooden balcony and lounge area housing a sleeper couch/sofa ideal for kids. A gentle winding staircase with strong ropes as banisters hug the staircase that snakes its way from the ground floor to a remote, private space ideal for birdwatching and a spot relaxation.

Other rooms were extended on the ground level and small lounges created to provide a small sanctuary. The rooms with the ground floor extensions also have private outside areas with views of the surrounding bushveld. There are 4 standard rooms and 4 exclusive luxury suites that cater for a variety of guests.

The al fresco dining area is another spot that enjoyed a bit of interior and architectural attention. Dining is always an experience and guests are either treated to boma sessions including a campfire and traditional dancing or a casual al fresco dining session under the canopy of trees.

Videographer Rogan and Ranger Chade Find the Klaserie Wild Dogs

The African wild dogs are quite prominent on the Klaserie traverse, and guests have been enjoying consistent sightings of these mottled dogs frolicking in waterholes and indulging in ceremonious greetings. Sightings of the dogs are considered rare, and packs tend to cover wide terrain which means it’s hard to track their movements. What we do know is that the African wild dogs are far more sedentary during the denning period which spans roughly 3 months.

The wild dogs have been known to return to the old den sites, and there appear to be quite a few on the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp traverse. The dogs have been seen outside of their sedentary period, and currently the surrounds of both camps enjoy sightings of a small pack of 6, a pack of 14 and a mega-pack of 25 dogs.

The pack of 14 dogs are the dogs that have most commonly been spotted, and there are times when rangers will only see fragmented groups of the mega-packs. However, if you observe the dogs for lengthy periods of time you will notice how the packs re-group, socialise and enjoy a rather loud-mouthed greeting ceremony with a range of vocalisations coming to the fore.

Just recently ranger Elmar Van Niekerk stumbled across the dogs devouring a recent kill. The fluffy whites of their tails were wagging as they shredded pieces of flesh from their prey, and plenty of high pitched twittering could be heard during their meal time. Prior this event, the dogs were spotted again, bringing the wild dog sighting count even higher. Just when we thought the wild dog sightings might be waning, the dogs re-appeared – and this time it was Chade from Africa on Foot who led guests into the sighting.

One of the Africa on Foot rangers, Chade, found the large pack of African wild dogs while he was out in the game viewer with his guests. After he radio’ed through the sighting, resident videographer Rogan Kerr moved towards the dogs and began filming.

Rogan says, “After guests of nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot enjoyed a sighting with the Wild Dogs on the hunt during their morning drive, I found them post-kill lazing by a waterhole. The remains of the impala they had caught lay by the waterside, under the eyes of a dozen hungry vultures. A single dog on sentry duty worked hard to keep the scavengers off their prize, but the tenacious birds had the last laugh as they picked the bones clean!”

It’s all systems go for our admirable wild dog predators at the moment.

RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp : Hefty Male Lions Devour Kill in the Selinda

The Selinda Reserve is a remote destination linking two prime game viewing destinations in Botswana. In the east you have the famous Linyanti Swamps, home to the ferocious lions, and in the west you have the world-renowned Okavango Delta, a pristine water paradise. The major drawcard of the Selinda is the sheer abundance and variety of game. The reserve is a conservation area and in the heart of the reserve is the Selinda Spillway which is home to RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp.

Over the past couple of weeks Motswiri has really delivered in terms of game viewing, with the most recent sighting being that of two hefty male lions devouring a juvenile roan antelope kill. Photographer Rogan Kerr was on the scene to photograph these big boys in action. Game drives in the Selinda are always successful in terms of big game sightings, but not much will surpass seeing these supreme Selinda warriors guarding their turf and recent kill.

The Selinda Spillway is a pocket of game viewing paradise. Game viewing most certainly isn’t sparse, and when you aren’t seeing lions, elephants or even cheetah, there are plenty of smaller creatures that fill the gaps in between big predator sightings. This is birding, predator and herbivore paradise!

You probably already know that RAW Botswana, Motswiri camp is an activity based camp offering a sense of simple luxury in wild surrounds. There are plenty of opportunities to explore the wilderness on foot, horseback, game viewer and mokoro; but there are times when you don’t even need to leave the camp to witness wildlife in their finest moments.

Guests have seen wild dog kills outside of their tented suites, cheetah gracefully meandering through spears of grass; and huge herds of elephant lumbering down to feed off foliage in the lush surrounds. While Rogan was out on game drive with the RAW Botswana guides, they managed to successfully track two burly male lions that they heard contact calling in the night.

When photographer Rogan Kerr arrived at Motswiri, he was taken aback at the high concentration of game, and even remarked “This place is insane!”. One of the most recent highlights was observing a coalition of 2 massive male lions shredding a recent kill and devouring every morsel. The two golden-haired male lions had just recently killed a juvenile roan antelope, dragged it under a bush and decided to hang around on the periphery of the kill site while Rogan observed their antics.

After a heavy session of feasting on a juvenile roan antelope, the fat bellied lions decided to find a spot in the shade to recover from their dining extravaganza. Lions will gorge on their meal until they cannot move, and often their breathing might become laboured because of their expansive bellies pressing against their diaphragm. Lions do not know when they will get another opportunity to eat, which is why they will devour their meal in one dining session.

RAW Botswana, Motswiri Camp forms part of our Trails of Botswana Route.

Ezulwini Game Lodges : Balule’s Machaton Male Lions to be Feared

With their hallmark swagger, burly presence and menacing incisors designed to shred meat with blade like precision; the Machaton male lions have certainly emerged the victors in terms of creating the much talked about “landscape of fear” here in the Balule. The Machaton boys make up the bulk of the male lion sightings at Ezulwini Game Lodges, and have been dubbed our resident Kings of the bushveld. They are here to stay, and have successfully ousted and dethroned previous Kings using their ruthless ways. Never fearing confrontation, actively indulging in aggressive warfare and ensuring other lions retreat into the lost pockets of the undiscovered bushveld; the Machatons have taken no prisoners in their pursuit of territorial dominance.

Last week our resident photographer Em Gatland, together with the eager team of rangers from Ezulwini, headed out in search of the notorious Machaton males, and their favourite females – the Kudyela lionesses. The recent game drives at Ezulwini have been pretty successful in terms of lion sightings, with guests enjoying sightings of the Kudyela lionesses conducting two hunts, and the Machaton males scent marking and contact calling.

It seems that the Machaton males have a close-knit bond with the Kudyelas, which would make sense given that they’ve recently sired cubs with these lionesses. It remains to be seen whether these cubs will survive, given the high mortality rate of cubs in the untamed wild. Hopefully we will catch a glimpse of the cubs in due course. In the meantime, we’re glad that Em was lucky enough to stumble across 3 of the Machaton males and photograph them in all their glory.

She observed two of them contact calling the third male who was in close proximity. Her photos clearly showcase an atmosphere of sheer power and desire to protect their land, females and recent brood.

Machaton and Mohlabetsi Low Down : The Machatons are revered and feared by their opposition, and we can confirm that they now dominate the traverse they initially sought to reign over. They were a coalition of 4 lions deeply entrenched in the history of the Timbavati Game Reserve, but now reside primarily in the Balule. It’s mainly the 3 boys that are spotted, and at times just two of them. Just over a year ago, the traverse was largely dominated by the Mohlabetsi coalition, but the bravado of the Machatons saw them challenging the previously dominant boys for their territory.

Over the past year there were a few scuffles, but it seemed the Mohlabetsi retreated for a while. If you recall, the Machaton’s confronted the large Mohlabetsi male and terrorised him for a while. At the beginning of last year the Mohlabetsi were 8, then dropped to 6; and now the coalition sits at 5 with speculation that the Machatons were responsible for the causality of the flaxen mane lion, Blondie.

You only have to delve back into our lion archives to notice the slow and subtle increase in Machaton sightings, and decrease in Mohlabetsi sightings. The 3/4 Machaton’s were born with an arsenal of tough attitudes and whatever they do in the wild, they certainly do with intent. Contact calling, roaring and displaying of power is enough to make the Mohlabetsi retreat further.

One of the sightings that stands out of recent weeks is that of the Kudyela Pride of lionesses conducting a kill. Ranger and camp manager Angele Rouillard spotted the Kudyela lionesses enjoying the spoils of a recent impala meal.

Angele said, “A few nights ago, guests were privileged to witness the Kudyela lionesses hunt using a blitz technique. From stalking to successfully taking down an impala, the entire scene was over in a matter of minutes. The lionesses have since hunted a zebra, of which the remaining spoils have gone to the Machaton males.”

The Machatons leave a cloud of dust where they roam, and there is simply no room for any burgeoning coalitions or intruders. They are fiercely protective of the Kudyela lioness litter, and the females within this pride. Of course, this could change when other males attempt to move in and prove to be equally as brazen as the Machaton leaders.

These lions are not quite the Mapagos, but they certainly boast the warrior gene that incites ferocity and fearlessness. Are they similar to the Mapogos or are these lions just being lions ?

One thing’s for certain, the Balule’s Machaton male lions are to be feared.

Chacma Lions Defeated After a Failed Attempt at Taking Down a Wildebeest

The intrepid khaki team spearheading the game drives at Chacma Bush Camp in the Maseke Game Reserve have certainly enjoyed their fair share of lion sightings of the past few weeks. There have definitely been leopard sightings breaking up the prolific lion sightings, but it’s a known fact that lions like to dominate turf and are innately designed to create a landscape of fear where they roam.

Their powerful presence makes the other more solitary felines retreat, and with coalitions and prides it’s best that the lone cats avoid confrontation. So, at the moment, the lions have decided to show our game rangers that they’re the dominant cats at the moment.

On Chacma’s traverse in the Maseke Game Reserve has 2 main prides/coalitions that have been spotted over recent months. It’s quite clear who the Maseke males are – they’re a group of 6 burly male lions easily identifiable due to their size, impressive manes and the fact that they always seen together.

Then there is a pride of 3 youngsters and one older female. The naming convention has begun, and we believe this pride is now called the Lamai Pride. A pride which is commonly spotted close to camp, and were recently spotted devouring a baby buffalo kill. The crew were a bit reluctant to be photographed, but our resident photographer Em managed to at least capture their journey from the natural meal table to the closest watering hole.

Michelle, one of Chacma’s rangers and camp managers, spotted the older lioness and her sub-adults attempting to take down a young wildebeest calf. Unfortunately, the pride left feeling rather defeated and the young wildebeest left with its life in tact. Michelle managed to photograph the whirlwind of dust and aggressive ambush tactic of the lioness attempting to smash a wildebeest.

The team at Chacma have been quite content with the numerous lion sightings that the Maseke have produced, but were rewarded with yet another lion sighting literally a stone’s throw away from the grounds. This time it was two lone lionesses chilling on the banks of the waterhole. Two lone lionesses and the virile Maseke males in the area – we can only hope what the next lion sighting will entail !

With so many neighbouring reserves, these two lionesses could have crosses boundaries from anywhere. Or are they locals that we just haven’t spotted or ID’d as of yet?

Stay tuned for our next instalment of the Chacma lion saga.

Walkers Bush Villa : Guests Go Birding in the Timbavati Game Reserve

There are over 500 species of bird fluttering about in the Timbavati Game Reserve, and birders can delight in knowing that among the olde world prehistoric birds and raptors there dwell some delicate light footed passerines and graceful water-loving waders. There are those with colourful plumes that add bursts of colours to the grey-green and taupe colours of the bushveld, and then there are those that only seek to say hello to the lucky few. Whether you’re a birder or a bird watcher, the Timbavati most certainly has a few winged species just waiting to be photographed.

Avid birders will migrate to remote areas of the Kruger or known regions where opportunities of spotting lifers and rare birds present themselves. A few of the rare ones might include the endangered ground hornbill, Pel’s fishing-owl and more. Walker’s Bush Villa, our exclusive Timbavati villa, offers private daily game drives and if there’s a group of twitches staying at the villa, game drives will be focuses on bird watching. Recently we’ve seen abundant birdlife. With the change in season and the downpour of rains, it always delivers new sightings and emergence of interesting birdlife.

The Timbavati habitat accommodates a complete smorgasbord of birder’s delights. Water birds such as herons, storks, plovers, spoonbills, and sandpipers are common along dam edges; kingfishers, orioles, robins, chats, larks, cisticolas, and coucals are some of the veld and woodland birds around; while birds of prey are seen and heard throughout the day.

Don’t forget to bring the essential tool for Twitchers – binoculars !

Here are a few images from our most recent bird sightings at Walkers Bush Villa.

African Hawk Eagle

This large and regal raptor is a striking bird, and is easily identifiable by it’s white plumage flecked with brown spots. Amateur birders might mistake this looming bird for a marital eagle; but the martial has more of a white head. These birds of prey thrive on a diet of medium sized birds, which would include the guinea fowl.

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

The brown-hooded kingfisher has similar markings to the woodland kingfisher, but has a plume of brown on top of its head. This is not a migrant species and is actually a resident bushveld bird with a wide distribution. It is mainly found in marshy and wetland areas where they have easy access to prey – but interestingly enough, only rarely eats fish.

Pearl-spotted Owlet

The pearl-spotted owlet is a small and adorable bird with no ear tufts. It has a distinct call that starts off quiet and slow; and ends up being loud and fast. They have a false set of eyes on the back of their heads which confuses potential predators.

Spotted Eagle-owl

This commonly spotted owl generally watches over the landscape below in the dead of night. The large eyes are normally yellow in colour and they’re perfectly adapted to see in the nocturnal hours. These owls have a roost where they spend their daylight hours, and emerge at dusk to perch themselves on branches to survey their landscape.

White-backed Vultures

Vultures are prevalent in reserves where there is a high predator count. This means there are plenty of decaying carcasses lying around for these scavengers to feed on, and feeding time is always an affair. There are normally a number of different vulture species at a kill site, but the white-backed vultures are the loudest and certainly most comical.

Searching for the Solitary Serval at Motswiri Camp in Botswana

The serval is a slender wild cat with an appearance that could best be described as the missing link between the leopard and archetypal domestic cat. The leopard is an elusive and tricky cat to find in the wild, and it requires expert tracking skills and hawk-like eyes to locate these predators. Our small in stature serval certainly bears a striking resemblance to leopards in terms of behaviour – it is also a solitary and aloof species.

While the leopard has a fairly wide distribution, the serval remains is really only found in certain pockets of bushveld and tends to favour riparian zones, making the terrain around Motswiri favourable. The serval is seldom seen in the wild; and when spotted is often mistaken for the African wild cat.

Witness, a guide from RAW Botswana Motswiri Camp, knows his wildlife and easily identified the serval. He said there is a serval family that dwells in deep in the marshlands of Selinda terrain. The young serval he managed to photograph moves with grace and certainly made use of its inherent agility to dart up trees.

Here are a few facts about the serval :

Servals rely on their hearing when it comes to flushing out prey. Their large ears account for their acute hearing and are certainly a hallmark feature of this unusual looking cat. They will remain dead still when they hear a rustle, and then pounce on the quarry which meets its fate through shock or a swift bite to the neck. These quiet cats are notorious for devouring their meal at a rapid rate!
These crepuscular cats thrive on a diet of rodents, amphibians and birds. They rarely eat carrion and don’t really have a need to scavenge due to their highly efficient and successful hunting skills. Did you know that they are one of the most successful hunters in the Felidae family?
A serval has a variety of calls, grunts, yips, squeaks and purrs. These vocalizations express a range of emotions, but their most high pitched call is used to call out for other servals.
Much like the leopard, serval are solitary creatures – expect when accompanied by a mating partner or a female with her young.
Serval kittens are stashed in a lair and taken care of by their mother. The mother will move the litter at strategic intervals to avoid

We are very lucky that guide Witness managed to snap these photos of this delicate spotted carnivore. Not only is it elusive, but also notoriously shy.

Rangers Review Launch : Monthly Highlights and Happenings

This is the first instalment of our monthly Rangers Review, a blog that highlights a few major events and our rangers’ favourite sightings from the month. This is the kick-off edition and we hope to document each notable occasion with a portfolio of images and video where possible. Below are a few of our highlights and happenings for the month of Feb.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

Witnessing an older male leopard killing a younger male; and then eating the lifeless body. A clear sign of territory control.
The sighting of a mega-pride of lions on the outskirts of our traverse on two occasions. Initially we believed them to be the Western Pride but have since confirmed it’s the River Pride. The youngsters were on a buffalo kill and were clearly displaying all the bravado that youth brings.
Seeing an increase in the presence of the two Mbiri males and the two Ross Pride lionesses.
Abundant leopard sightings, that have been on the increase from the end of last year. A few of the leopards spotted include Cleo marking her territory, the Sunset female and her cub; and an unknown male.
Death of the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses, and subsequent sightings of the hyenas ripping apart one of the carcasses.
Chade’s highlight of a sighting was a male leopard slowly moving into new territory, and clearly starting to scent mark and take over.
Increase in wild dog sightings with pack of 6, a pack of 14 and a pack of 25 dogs.

Observations : The rangers have said that the leopard sightings are definitely on the increase, but ranger Chade said it’s also because of their expert tracking skills that they’re able to locate the leopards. The Sunset cub and female are slowly moving into the turf around camps, and we expect to see plenty more of these two. The Mbiri males have been mating with the Ross Pride lionesses and we’re bound to see more of this happy foursome.

Chacma Bush Camp

Managed to watch a pride of lions and its youngsters prey on an innocent barn owl.
The bloats of hippo also started to make their presence known, and have been moving around a lot.
Increase in buffalo herds coming to the waterhole in front of camp – the elephant numbers drinking from the waterhole at camp remain the same.
Ranger Calvin mentioned that they’ve spotted the Maseke male lions (6 of them), a female with 3 cubs, 5 males with one female, and then another female with 4 cubs.

Observations : With the increased sightings in terms of lion prides, there has been a clear shift in the dynamics in the reserve. It is now time to work together with the other lodges to begin the naming convention of these many lions.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Sighting of the Birmingham male coming close to the vehicle – this is not the first time we’ve enjoyed up close and personal sightings of this powerful lion.
Dudley Riverbank female’s cub and then Little Bush’s cub, Natumi providing plenty of viewings for guests.
Ranger Geoffrey Haslam said that his highlight has been spotting the “posing leopards”, with a particular focus being on Natumi and Mxabene.
An unusual sighting of an unknown leopard with its cub during the night game drive.
Ranger Jade Dobrowski’s highlight was that of a young elephant calf born without a tail. And a sighting of a cheetah on a kill was certainly a unique cat sighting for Jade given that the majority of Umkumbe’s cat sightings are dominated by lions and leopards!

Observations : There haven’t been any significant observations, but the sightings of leopard cubs appear to be on the increase. New leopards are making their mark and exploring territories. Always a good thing !

The Beastly Mbiri Male Lions Kill a Kudu Calf in the Klaserie

The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, home to Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp, has been rife with big cat activity. The leopards have risen to power and are taking centre stage in terms of cat sightings while on game drive. That’s not to say that we haven’t enjoyed generous viewings of our burly lions, it’s just a case of our leopards showing face. The lion pride dynamics have shifted at a rapid rate, and this is largely due to the natural passing of the long-int-the-tooth Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses. These two ladies made up a bulk of our lioness sightings, and with their passing it has opened up space and turf for new prides to occupy turf.

To date, it appears that two of the younger Ross Pride lionesses are making headway on our traverse. Sightings of these two ladies have increased, together with sightings of the easily identifiable Mbiri male lions. The eager and virile beastly boys tend to hover on Klaserie and Timbavati traverse, and clearly have expert craftsmanship when it comes to taking down quarry. The Mbiris, their ladies and another mega-pride of lions have been our most recent lion sightings. The mega-pride we initially thought the be the Western Pride, but we’ve since confirmed that they’re the River Pride of lions. This pride hovers on the outskirts, so sightings are pretty sporadic. The Mbiri and Ross sightings we can classify as consistent.

This Mbiri coalition are stirring up things in the Klaserie, and there have been numerous notable occasions of them copulating with the Ross females. The Ross girls haven’t quite made our traverse their domain just yet – they tend to occupy neighbouring reserves, but they do filter into the Klaserie quite often – especially when they hear the echoing contact calls of the Mbiris.

Ranger Chade Gelderman says, “We got the Mbiri males yesterday. Isaac and I tracked them all afternoon and eventually heard them in the distance, making a kill. We radioed through the commotion to Mike and Elmar, who came to fetch us in the vehicle. We then discovered the coalition on a baby kudu kill. Those Ross females weren’t far off, but they were being independent and doing their own thing”

Our team holds high hopes that the Mbiris will sire cubs with the Ross females, and that they won’t succumb to the cruel hand of the ruthless ways of the wild and the vociferous competitive predators that seek to thwart the development of newcomers. Whether it be through opportunistic elimination or infanticide, cubs unfortunately have a high mortality rate in the bushveld. The Ross Pride Breakaway females had many cubs spanning across the years but they bundles of fluff never saw maturity. We now have a potentially new lineage and so much possibility with these Ross lionesses.

The times they are a changin’!