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Week in Pics : Honouring the Matriarchs on Mother’s Day

Sunday is Mother’s Day in South Africa, which means it’s time to honour the matriarch of your family. And if there’s no matriarch within your kin, it’s time to show gratitude to the women in your life who’ve helped shape and form who you are today. Within the animal kingdom, there numerous matriarchal herds and powerful females that drive the success of a species. This week in pictures, our album of mind-blowing images from our camps is dedicated to the moms, the maternal women and the strong women paving the way for younger generations.

Tuskers Bush Camp and Xobega Island Camp

Things in Botswana are ticking over, as per usual. Common sightings include that of hippo, red lechwe, crocs and elephants living in harmony in the waterways of the Okavango Delta. Tuskers Bush Camp waterhole in front of camp tends to thrive with big cat sightings and, of course, is never short of elephant and plains game sightings.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Things got to next level exciting in the Sabi Sand when rangers discovered a shy and endangered pangolin ! It’s always exciting to show guests a critically endangered species. Mxabene and the Bicycle Crossing male leopards are regulars on the Umkumbe traverse and they were, once again, spotted. Occupying different parts of the reserve, there’s generally no cause for concern about a potential scuffle and blood-curdling cat fight. Aloof and not-often-seen Inyathini! decided it was his time to shine. The cheeky hyenas snatched an impala kill from one of the leopards, causing quite a scene.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

The Klaserie camps have had their spate of epic sightings, including the arrival of new lions and a nomadic male. An early morning sighting of this, as yet unknown, pride of 4 lions a little while ago gave us a good look at the 3 lionesses and 1 young male as they rested on the raised banks of a waterhole and drank at the water’s edge. Another fantastic big cat sighting was that of Ross Dam and her two cubs that appear to thriving on Klaserie turf. Ross Dam made a successful kill and our videographer managed to capture it on camera. Other than that, the Klaserie camps have been rewarded with the standard plains game sightings, gentle pachyderms and of course, breathtaking vistas of the reserve.

Ezulwini Game Lodges

The Balule Nature Reserve is never short of elephant sightings and this week was no different, offering up sightings of mainly plains game and pachyderms.

A Wild Life at nThambo Tree Camp

nThambo Tree Camp is a gentle oasis located in the midst of the wild Klaserie. Wooden chalets on stilts are dotted around a main central area and the camp is completely unfenced. A hint of a waterhole lies in front of the splash pool; and both sources of water are a major drawcard for a wealth of wildlife.

The elephant herds are particularly fond of weaving their way through the chalets in order to make their way to their drinking bowl – the splash pool. While you’re relaxing on the balcony of your chalet you’ll hear the familiar crunch of the bushveld below accompanied by excited trumpeting. That’s the call of the giant jumbos en route to the swimming pool!

The pool is on an elevated wooden deck and requires a certain dexterity to access the water. An elephants trunk contains over 40, 000 muscles, which means accessing the water is certainly not a problem. Elephant calves don’t have control of their trunks when born, so it’s always amusing to watch them attempt to soak up water. Our plains game tend to enjoy the clean water of the waterhole in front of the lodge and leave the pachyderms to enjoy the pool water.

Camp manager, Nadia, sorts out the logistics while rangers and guests head out on game drive. This means she’s always in the right place at the right time and has personally witnessed the wild shenanigans of lodge life. She’s seen it all – jostling of trunks and tusks at the swimming pool, plains game quietly replenishing their thirst and cheeky honey badgers destroying her perfect bar area. She has plenty more stories from lodge life at nThambo Tree Camp.

When the Klaserie rangers hit the open road, they can never anticipate what they’ll see. The beauty of being in a private reserve is the access to intimate wildlife knowledge form experienced rangers, the close-up sightings of predators and the ability to go off road if a sighting requires these skills. Chade, one of the rangers, managed to take a superb photo of a lioness casually strolling in front of the vehicle – just another average day in the Kruger.

nThambo Tree Camp certainly epitomises a wild life with wildlife in the Kruger’s Klaserie Private Nature Reserve.

Africa on Foot : A Romantic Destination for Adventurous Hearts

Charcoal skies dotted with glimmering crystal stars hover over the mysterious landscape below, casting a sense of peace and solitude to all those gazing into the abyss above. The eerie stillness and absolute silence of the surrounding bushveld instills a sense of wonder into the those who have a kinship with nature. And for those that don’t? You’re bound to be gripped by the mesmerising ways of the bushveld.

The only sounds echoing through the land are lions roaring in the distance, anxiety-ridden whoops of hyena and the crunching of dry bushveld. Nights in the wild are the idyllic place to set your adventurous heart on fire and discover a sense of passion long since lost in overpopulated city life.

Africa on Foot is undeniably a romantic destination – a place to reconnect with yourself and/or your significant other. Guests propose, couples re-ignite their love for taken-for-granted partners, guests fall in love with one another and rangers find their khaki match. Being an intimate camp accommodating just a few guests means theres plenty of scope to form lasting relationships. And if there’s chemistry in the air, the wild African veld certainly helps to set the scene.

Seems the magic of the bushveld has cast its cupid spell onto this rustic, authentic and stunning camp in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. This is the romantic destination for adventurous hearts and here’s why :

1. Quality time together on bush walks :

Africa on Foot offers professional big five walking safaris throughout the Kruger’s Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Guides are highly skilled, professional trail guides. Small groups are led through the bushveld on an easy 3 hour morning walk. En route you’ll laugh while trying to identify tracks, game rangers will make you taste edible vegetation and you might even be persuaded to sniff elephant dung! You’ll get to know your fellow walkers while laughing, learning and looking out for one another. Back to basic emotions uncluttered by the trivial worries of home life. Remember – couples that play together, stay together.

2. Sunsets that shimmer like a diamond on your ring finger :

When the setting sun bathes the landscape with its domineering hues of orange and the gentle dusty pink skies urge their way through; something will stir deep within your soul. This is the perfect, albeit it cliche, moment to drop on one knee. Not to tie the shoelaces of your new veldskoen, but to propose to the love of your life. We suggest a diamond encrusted ring or bottle top (an idea for a hipster or cheap creative type) to match the reflective light of the sun. In the midst of your game drive you’ll stop for drinks and snacks, which provides the perfect opportunity for that proposal. You know the drill.

3. The open treehouse – “Hold Me, I’m Scared” :

The treehouse is a wooden structure on stilts located a stone’s throw away from the main camp. You will need to book your accommodation as per usual, but you can request to sleep in the treehouse for a night. The treehouse has two levels – a lounge and bedroom area. Camp managers can arrange a private, romantic dining session on the “lounge” level. The treehouse is an open structure and towers over the trees below.

This is the perfect opportunity to pull the old “hold me, I’m scared” act while you enjoy an adventurous sleep-out on the top level of this tastefully constructed wooden bushveld palace. Our sales and marketing representative, Lindi, found that this worked perfectly with her boyfriend Chase.

4. Outdoor showers for the exhibitionists :

There really is nothing more freeing than being naked in nature – within reason. Law abiding reasons. Africa on Foot has outdoor showers adjoining two of its room which are private yet expose you to the elements of the Klaserie. Definitely for the more adventurous couple or individual wanting to be closer to the rawness of nature.

Just you, your bae and endless skies above – #couplegoals.

5. Red wine on game drives, handholding around the campfire and more :

As we mentioned above, there is always a sundowner stop on evening game drive. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it’s the power of the grape, but red wine is always the perfect way to enhance a romantic situation. If you’re not one that enjoys the occasional tipple, then there’s plenty of non-alcoholic options while you get naturally drunk on the cab sav colour sky.

When you return to camp, the khaki-clad team will light a fire in the boma – this is your TV for the evening. It’s a place to get to know other guests, stare into someone’s bloodshot eyes (game drives are at 5am); and observe honey badgers scuttling through the boma. Enjoy the romantic setting, but just don’t play with fire.

The more? Well, you need to head to Africa on Foot to find out why we fall in love with the place each and every time. Africa on Foot? It’s an adventurous place that will stay etched into every valve in your tender heart.

Who needs Tinder when you have the bushveld?

The Week in Pictures: In the Eye of the Beholder

We’ve all heard the saying “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder”, which indicates that beauty can not be judged objectively, and that each person might posses their own idea of the concept. When it comes to nature, it is no different. Some wildlife-lovers are drawn to the silky, intricate details of a spider’s expertly woven web, while others find the unique rosettes adorning a leopard’s fur the most beautiful feature of safari. Sometimes the most common member of the bush – perhaps the humble impala, or the lilac-breasted roller – imprint our memories most significantly, while other wildlife seekers find the most beauty in the golden eye of Africa’s king cats. In this edition of the Week in Pictures, we acknowledge favourites across the board in our search to portray the photographic celebrations of the wild.

nThambo Tree Camp, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger Park

Africa on Foot, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger Park

Ezulwini Game Lodges, Balule Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger Park

Umkumbe Safari Lodge, Sabi Sand Wildtuin, Greater Kruger Park

Nomadic lion returns to Africa on Foot with a pride of 3 females

Remember when we reported seeing a lone male lion, wandering around the Klaserie, testing the waters and peering warily through the brush? He was said to belong to a pride in the Balule, but when we saw him he was alone. Well, now he is back, and this time he has 3 lionesses in tow! Yesterday morning, this nomadic lion was spotted with one large lioness and two younger lionesses – skittishly streaking through the bush and coming to rest in dense bush. Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp guests were on game drive, and glimpsed these cats, creating a tangible sense of excitement in the air. But the best was yet to come…

After a night filled with calling lions, our morning game drive was bound to be off to a great start. Guides and trackers searched the ground, picking up tracks and signs of lions on the move during the night. Soon, this pride was located – immediately, they were unfamiliar, as they are not a frequently seen pride – but soon enough, the details were picked up and it was established that the one young male was the same male spotted a little while back. A large lion, strong and in good condition, but with minimal growth on his mane. He had 3 lionesses with him – one adult and two younger females.

It turned into a brilliant sighting as we watched the lions lazily resting in the bush, and then rising and moving to Swart Dam to drink from the mirror-like water. The early morning lighting was fantastic, and we got to enjoy the watching each of the 4 individuals settling down for a while.

Eventually this small pride moved through the vegetation and disappeared. We have since checked back in the archives and consulted with passionate Kruger lion followers, and it seems this foursome is the same group that arrived on our turf in January this year. So, it seems they have come and gone a few times, inspecting the area, and assessing the territory before making a decision to stay. Will they hang around this time? Only time will tell, but if this morning’s tracks are anything to go by, two big males seem to have headed in the same direction as we saw the pride of 4 going…

Last week, those two young male lions we had calling and roaring right on the Africa on Foot access road have since been identified as the two younger Sumatra males, which come from northern Timbavati. Could this morning’s tracks belong to the Mapoza males? And where have these Sumatra males gone? We are excited to see what this afternoon’s game drive might hold with all this epic lion activity taking place in the area.

Umkumbe Leopard : Max, Tatowa and a Rare Sighting of Inyathini

Mxabene and the Bicycle Crossing male leopards are regulars on the Umkumbe traverse. Occupying different parts of the reserve, there’s generally no cause for concern about a potential scuffle and blood-curdling cat fight. While a sequel to Brad Pitt’s “Fight Club” might be well-received, it’s not something we’d like to witness in the world of leopards!

The Bicycle Crossing male is an old-school legend on a neighbouring reserve and graces us with his presence when he needs a change of scenery. He has been involved in plenty of battles and has always walked away victorious and with his dignity in tact. Slightly less aloof, is our star of the show – Mxabene. Dear old Max is extremely accustomed to the presence of vehicles and thinks nothing of letting a vehicle get into his personal space. Yet again, “power rangers” Geoffrey and Nadia delighted guests with a rewarding Max sighting.

Knowing that we spot the two stoic males on a fairly consistent basis, it was quite surprising to spot the seldom seen Inyathini on our traverse. Males are often tolerant of sub-adult males exploring the peripheries of their terrain, but intolerant to established males. This isn’t the first time Inyathini has brazenly wandered over onto sacred ground. He does seem to have firmly established boundaries in the eastern region of the Sand River, which is good news. Hopefully a showdown won’t happen!

A mysterious enigma, Inyathini appears to be the ultimate epitome of a leopard – a lone and vigorous leopard with little known history. What we have established is that the rakish and previously aggressive Inyathini wandered over from the Kruger National Park and has since settled into the Sabi Sand. Sightings of him are quite rare and he is seemingly more relaxed nowadays than when initially spotted. A rare leopard sighting indeed! Rangers Nadia and Geoffrey caught him in the midst of dinner – he’d just taken down a small impala. Things quickly escalated when one of the Sabi Sand’s many hyenas let out a cackle and hurriedly scurried over to Inyathini to steal his kill – always a drama around dinner time!

Females occupy a much smaller range than males and tend to seek out habitats rich with game and potential den sites. Males seek out areas rich with females ! This is probably why our ratio of females is somewhat higher. This would explain our regular sightings of a variety of females. This past week Tatowa was the star of the show, while the males dominated sightings.

Catch us next week for another Sabi Sand leopard update!

Week in Pics : Gliding into the Long Weekend

Like a hungry vulture gliding through the skies, we’re gliding into the long weekend. Monday is an internationally celebrated public holiday known as Worker’s Day or May Day, which means our short stint of a weekend gains an extra day. In the bushveld time has no meaning – a slow and exquisite pace of life continues as per usual. This week we focus on the “work horses” of the Kruger and Botswana. The wild ones that roam free but work hard to survive and forge their place in the wild, despite often torrid times.

May Day is set aside to commemorate the working class. The roots of this bank holiday are in the fight for the right’s of workers, that began circa late 1800s. Workers demanded a standard number of hours of work per week in line with their well-being and overall health.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp :

Highlights: The highlight of the week has most certainly been the return of the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses. Coupled with that, two unknown male lions arrived on the Klaserie turf. We are still finding out their history. Then there was a second sighting of one of the male coalition. Duma is nowhere to be seen, so there’s potential that these young and virile boys could target the Ross lionesses.

Ezulwini Game Lodges

Highlights : Chavaluthu, our sparkle-eyed leopard of the Balule Nature Reserve is most certainly a part of the furniture on the Ezulwini traverse. He was spotted enjoying a drink at one of the pans and a mere 50 metres away, a lone lioness was patrolling her neck of the woods. If they’d collided we may well have had a big cat fight on our hands!

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Highlights : Mxabene, our dominant male leopard, came crawling out of the woodwork this week and has regained his status as lover of the limelight. Watching him devour a kill was certainly an enjoyable moment for guests. Tatowa, the gentle leopardess, was also seen during the course of the week. The Sparta Pride of lions emerged from the darkness and guests observed them patrolling the winding roads during nocturnal hours.

Tuskers Bush Camp

Highlights : The lions of the Kwatale Conservancy are making their presence known. Photographer Dan has spotted them on numerous occasions patrolling their environment and engaging in many mating sessions.

Ross Dam and Bundu: Leopards on a Kill

Yesterday morning we were woken up by the territorial calls of unknown male lions, and this morning began with tracking the paw prints of a leopard! Greg and Kevin put their heads together and followed the tracks into the bush where Bundu had been spotted the night before. Scouring the ground for signs of the direction in which this leopard had moved, the rangers were hot on the leopard’s trail. Sure enough, Greg caught sight of Bundu in a tree! There he was; an incredibly sleek, beautiful cat, completely at ease in the branches and clearly finishing off the remains of something tasty. Greg and Kevin rejoined their guests and revealed the exciting news. The most elusive member of the Big 5 was just off the beaten track, and we were headed right for him.

The previous night, Bundu had been spotted drinking at a dam with a full belly just before disappearing into the bush. This morning, the follow up had been a success, and we were all in for a treat. Greg pulled up at the tree he had seen Bundu in, and fortunately, the magnificent young male leopard gazed down from his position in the branches. Cameras were clicking, guests were gasping, and memories were being made!

Bundu posed perfectly before descending gracefully and sniffing the ground at the foot of the tree. He soon picked up on the scraps of an impala kill he had clearly been feasting on the day before, and began to gnaw away at the remains of the skin and bones. An incredible leopard sighting for both old-timer and first-timer guests… But it was just about to get even better!

nThambo Tree Camp joined Greg and his guests in the sighting, and a few minutes’ into the fantastic scene, Bundu’s mother, Ross Dam appeared from the veld. This leopardess is always relaxed in our presence and she has taught Bundu the same habits, and now we were being treated to both of these beauties in one sighting – something we have enjoyed since the early days with this duo. She crept in, sniffing the ground and glancing up into the tree Bundu had had his kill in, cautiously entering the scene and looking around for scraps. Soon, she approached her son and lay down beside him, but the teenager was not keen on the idea, and proceeded to snarl and growl at Ross Dam.

An incredible interaction between two of our frequently seen leopards, clearly showing how the two are still trying to feed off each other, but at the same time Bundu is growing more mature and is not embracing his mother’s presence. Superb morning with these wild cats.

Two Unknown Lions Marking Their Territory in Klaserie

Interesting lion dynamics have hit the Klaserie recently, and this morning was no different! While Africa on Foot guests were out navigating the bush on their morning walking safari with Greg, nThambo Tree Camp guests were trundling through the bush on their game drive, and resident photographer, Kevin, was editing footage in his safari studio. All of a sudden, the distinctive sound of lions calling in near distance alerted the teams listening from their various positions in the veld.

The calls were thought to be coming from the area near nThambo Tree Camp, where camp managers and staff would have been hearing the roars loud and clear. Kevin picked up two individual male voices – could it have been the Mapoza males? They have not been picked up in the area and it would have been unexpected for them to turn up at nThambo without having been tracked. These voices belonged to unfamiliar males who were bravely announcing their presence in the Klaserie.

Soon, the guttural shrieks of panicked impala rang out much closer to Africa on Foot where Kevin was listening and communicating with teams out on safari with their guests. The alarm call is a dead giveaway that there is something dangerous putting the impala at ill-ease. Knowing the lions were only a kilometre or so away at nThambo, there was no doubt that the cats had moved closer to Africa on Foot and spooked the antelope, setting them off into a chaotic panic. Kevin grabbed his camera gear and jumped into his bakkie, heading the couple of hundred metres towards the open area at the Africa on Foot access road to where the impala were calling from.

Sure enough, there were the two culprits who had been heard calling near nThambo only a short while before. Kevin watched as the pair of them sniffed at a patch of ground for a long time, expressing their interest and engaging the Flehmen grimace, which is an odd-looking expression allowing the lions to pick up on the pheromones in urine. It is possible that they could smell the urine of other lions and were trying to decode any information they could. The pair of them had enormous bodies and underdeveloped manes, but their faces were fiercely scarred (one more than the other), indicating a history of fighting, as is the norm in the lives of wild male lions.

The two males continued to sniff and explore the area. They marked their territory and started roaring – a clear sign of their intention to hang around and declare their territory. These big cats have arrived right on the Africa on Foot property, and we do not yet know who they are or where they come from, but they seem to be prepared to stand their ground. Both Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp guests pulled in to join Kevin in the sighting and watched the amazing scene unfold. Hopefully we will receive some intel from neighbouring reserves and land owners and find out who these boys are! They might have ambled in from the Kruger National Park, but they seem determined to stay where they are.

Leopard and Hyenas : A Toxic Friendship

The prevalence of leopards within the Sabi Sand is a well-documented subject and eager safari-goers flock to the reserve to seek out this mysterious rosette patterned cat. The abundance of drainage lines, access to prey, water sources, and a varied habitat provides the perfect breeding and hunting grounds for leopards. The Sabi Sand, sharing unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park means plenty of new leopards crossing over in search of new territory. There are many reasons as to why the Sabi Sand is a hotspot for leopard sightings.

A high concentration of leopard means an equally high concentration of scavengers – in particular, hyenas. The more leopards, the more kills and the increased opportunity for easy access to food for hyenas. The hyena is a vital member of the clean-up crew of a reserve and they play a huge part in the ecology of an area. Over the past week, we saw the emergence of Mxabene and Tatowa. Their presence attracted clans of hyena and made for epic photographic opportunities.

Needless to say, leopards and hyenas are the ultimate “frenemies” and their relationship is best described as a toxic friendship at least. When we receive a flood of leopard images from rangers, you can guarantee that it is accompanied by a folder of hyena images.

Find the leopards, find the hyenas! They’re always together, but theirs is a toxic relationship.

According to a number of psychology websites, there are a few definitions of what constitutes a toxic friendship. In essence, you find yourself being in competition with each other, you’re walking on eggshells in each other’s company and you’re riding an emotional rollercoaster on a day-to-day basis.

Let’s see why we feel these two species qualify as having a toxic friendship :

1. Being in competition : The competition for food in the wild is high. The ones that survive are the strongest and the sneakiest – they generally come out tops. When a leopard carefully stalks, ambushes and takes down their prey in one swift motion; the art of the kill becomes nothing short of beautiful. Plenty of concentration and energy is expended during this hunt. The leopard realises that, after all its hard work, that the hyenas may swoop in and steal the kill. With this in mind they very swiftly move the kill up to the top of a tree for safekeeping. Hyenas will normally circle the base of a tree waiting for morsels to drop to the ground. Competition for the meal? At an all time high!

2. Walking on eggshells : Even when a kill is a safely stashed in the fork of a tree, there’s no guarantee that the leopard might knock the kill out of the tree accidentally. When this happens, the clans will emit an anxious high-pitched laugh and attempt to run off with the kill. Of course, there are times when a leopard will put up a fight and other times let the kill go. However, this does not stop the cat from gaining revenge. Rangers from Umkumbe have often watched leopards descend from a tree and quietly stalk the thieving clan in an effort to retrieve the kill. Leopards are constantly walking on eggshells around hyena clans!

So yes, the relationship between hyenas and leopards is a constant battle and emotional rollercoaster. And, in fact, hyenas serve such a purpose in the wild that our big cats actually need them to clean up their meal-time mess.