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Ezulwini Game Lodges Encourage Romance

The dry bushveld of the Balule Nature Reserve is filled with sweet songs, unrecognizable sounds and magical moments. The bushveld can tell stories of love, heartache and comedy – it holds the transparency of human beings; a place that has no time for masks. The bush is real, authentic and truthful. Romantics, novelists, poets and artists have long since seen Africa as a driving force for their writing. Nature inspires words and instills a sense of love.

When you’re surrounded by the essence of raw nature, the sunsets that stir a passion deep within your soul and night skies that appear to fall onto the horizon, it’s hard not to fall in love. Providing an idyllic natural setting, not much more needs to be done when creating the scene for a romance to unfold. Ezulwini Game Lodges enhance what nature has to offer and finds secret spots to propose or simply just fall in love.

Ezulwini Game Lodges have certainly taken things to the next level in arranging an array of romantic set-ups for a variety of couples.

Paradise Camp is a perfect hideaway with a viewing deck. The team will set up a table of snacks, an array of drinks and can certainly tailor-make something to suit your romantic needs. This is the perfect place to observe the vast expanse of the Balule and watch the golden hour rapidly move into the dark hour.

While you’re sipping on a glass of the finest, you’ll find that as the day changes and slips comfortably into night, that the canopy above becomes littered with the universe’s mini-lanterns.

Of course, if the sunset and viewing deck area aren’t what you’re after, then you can always arrange private dining in an open area deep in the heart of the bushveld. Surrounded by a choir of sounds from lion roars to the whooping of hyenas and the raspy bark of an impala; this will be your romantic music accompanying you while you dine on gourmet cuisine.

If you’re not ecstatic about being out in the open and would prefer something back at the lodge, the Ezulwini team would love nothing better than to line the floor of your suite with rose petals. Then there’s the wine cellar at Billy’s Lodge – a natural cave lined with bottles of fine wine. Yet another perfect spot to pop the questions!

So many options at Ezulwini for the die-hard romantics.

Here are a few photos of stolen moments in the Balule. Proposals, declarations of love and anything romantic is encouraged! In Africa we do things with heart.

5 Leopards to See at Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Out of all the leopards whose territories criss-cross through the Umkumbe Safari Lodge traverse in the Sabi Sand, we’ve managed to whittle down the list to a ‘top 5’ for today’s leopard showcase! This region of the Greater Kruger is famous for unbeatable leopard sightings, and rightfully so. There is just no place like the Sabi Sand when it comes to these elusive, rosetted cats, and their reputation for supposedly secretive lives seems a mere myth when you set out on safari at Umkumbe. The known and the unknown, the old legends and the fresh new faces; there is an astounding variety of leopard sightings constantly feeding our big cat desires.

Lately, we’ve been introduced to new male leopard, Mambiri, while an unidentified male was also spotted in the area recently, and well known Mxabeni has also been seen scent-marking all over his territory. Another first was Little Bush’s newest cub, a little female, while her older independent cub, Kigelia, was also spotted during the last week. Take a look at this summary of 5 leopards you’ll see at Umkumbe Safari Lodge, photographed by our talented ranger, Marius Zeilinga.

Tatowa

This green-eyed girl oozes confidence and attitude. She is a real beauty, and it looks like she knows it! We’ve had some very exciting encounters with Tatowa in the past, probably the most outstanding of which was the time she caught an impala in mid air. She is the only surviving cub out of a litter of 4, and is certainly a fighter. We met her when she crossed over from our northern boundary and she’s been a highlight ever since! Her gaze is mesmerising, and watching going about her business is ultra-rewarding, especially when you’ve got a camera at the ready.

Kigelia

Kigelia was named over a year ago after she was referred to as Little Bush cub for the first year of her life. Her name comes from the scientific name for a sausage tree (Kigelia Africana), and she has completely settled into her life as an independent female leopard of the Sabi Sand. She has always had character, and has given us some of the most remarkable photo opportunities, as she reclines on rocky outcrops, or dangles her rosetted legs from her perch in a wonderful, big tree. We’ve watched her stalking all sorts of unconventional prey, from ostriches to squirrels, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching her mature.

Mxabene

This boy! Mxabene is one of the ‘old legends’. He is known all over the Sabi Sand, and he seems to stick in the minds and hearts of all who get to meet him. He has a signature scar on his top lip, and a handsome face, to top off his powerful build. Guide, Marius, is of the opinion that this male is looking more and more bulky every time they bump into him. This impressive cat has given us some of the best leopard sightings over the years; from hoisting whole impalas up into the branches of trees, to mating with females, and fighting with toms. Mxabene has a long history in this neck of the woods, and we hope to continue seeing this boy for years to come.

Little Bush Cub

Now for the newcomers: Little Bush has revealed to us, for the first time, her female cub! Kigelia is Little Bush’s last cub and is living an independent life alongside her mother’s territory, which is quite the norm for female leopards. Again, Little Bush has had a female, and this youngster is still keeping a low profile, as we can tell by these first images of her. She is lying low, still getting to grips with what it means to be a leopard of the Sabi Sand. They wonderful thing about leopard viewing in this area, is that they leopards learn from a young age to trust the presence of vehicles and people. Here, they young female looked at us, skeptically, from her hiding space in the thicket, but we are hopeful that with time she will mature and come out of her shell.

Mambiri

We introduced this new face to you last week, when Marius reported that he and his guests enjoyed the presence of a new coming male known as Mambiri! He was confident, and wasted no time feeding himself by landing a successful impala kill in his new territory. We don’t have a comprehensive history on this leopard of the Sabi Sand, but he has been seen very busily marking his scent all over the place. With Mxabene, Bicycle Crossing, Mahlatini, and a handful of other toms we see on the traverse, there is a possibility that a new male could step on some toes! Here, we enjoyed a fantastic sighting of Mambiri tucking into his impala kill, while remaining on high alert.

Week in Pics : Felidae Family Dominate Our Sightings

There has been a very definite presence of big cats throughout all the reserves. While we’re not neglecting the other incredible sightings of pachyderms, general game, the endangered wild dogs, flutterings of birds, deadly raptors and giant herbivores; it’s just that the big cats have stuck out like a sore thumb (sorry, paw) this week.

The Klaserie witnessed a white lion in the wild, a male lion fighting with a buffalo and a hyena stealing a leopard’s kill. Umkumbe saw a benevolent cheetah, a new male leopard on their turf and a leopard cub indulging in its new found freedom. The Balule Nature Reserve spied a lion pride on a kill and a leap of leopards. Our Botswana camps have had plenty of pachyderm and birding action! There’s never a dull moment in Botswana.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp : Leopard Kills and Turbulent Times with Lions

This week saw the delivery of three leopard sightings, one with a sighting of a leopard trying to enjoy a kill while the hyena were hovering in the wings plotting their thieving attack. The most heartwarming sighting this week has been the reuniting of the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses. The older of the two appeared to be quite weak and went off the radar for sometime. She has now returned and is in the protective arms of her sister.

One of the lethal Mapoza male lions will stop at nothing to prove that he is the ultimate king. The Mapozas pounced on a buffalo cow and tried to take her down. The buffalo herds are out in full force, littering the bushveld with their presence! The Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses wanted a bit of beef for themselves, so attempted to stalk the buffalo for about 30 metres and thus provided a fantastic sighting for guests.

As if that wasn’t enough big cat activity for the Klaserie, nThambo Tree Camp stumbled upon the Mapoza males enjoying the company of…Wait for it…A white lioness from the Giraffe Pride! Yes, folks, the Klaserie camps have had yet another white lion sighting!

The Africa on Foot team spent ages observing a pack of wild dogs socialising and relaxing under the shade of the Tamboti trees. This is not the first sighting of the endangered dogs over the past few months. Another rare sighting for the Kruger.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge : Leopards and Cheetah Lead the Way

Enter the cats, exit the plains game! The big cats have been dominating the sightings on the Umkumbe traverse. The plains game have scattered and many have sought refuge around the grounds of the actual lodge. Nyala, bushbuck and waterbuck always provide consistent sightings even before departing for game drive. That’s the beauty of being located on the banks of the Sand River – wildlife flocks to the area. On Wednesday evening during the #LiveBushFeed game drive, the herds of elephant and bloats of hippo were also spotted.

This week, a lone cheetah was spotted just exploring its immediate area. Guests enjoyed sightings of Mxabene on patrol, Kigelia, Little Bush, Little Bush’s Cub, Tatowa, a new male called Mambiri and firm favourite, White Dam.

With the presence of so many cats in the area, this means the scavengers are constantly on the look out for carrion and carcasses. Their presence adds an extra dimension to sightings!

Ezulwini Game Lodges : The Lions Feast and Leopards Patrol

The massive lion prides that wander through the Balule bushveld have been up to their old tricks again. A huge pride was seen feasting on a buffalo kill in the dead of the night. A clan of hyena were circling the vicinity around the kill – but that’s nothing unusual for these successful carnivores!

The leopards were seen once again, with Chavaluthu heading up the sightings. And of course, it just wouldn’t be Ezulwini without the abundance of elephant sightings in and around the lodges!

Xobega Island Camp and Tuskers Bush Camp : Birds and Beyond

Xobega Island Camp, being located on a remote island in the Okavango Delta, is the perfect hideaway for numerous birds and beasts! There’s a resident elephant that roams the paths around the island – it’s always best to keep a look out for him. Over the weekend, while the refurb was being finished, he made another appearance. Probably just to check on the style of furniture!

At Tuskers Bush Camp all the small creatures have been out – the scrub hares, birds and plains game.

Tuskers Birding Checklist: Special Features!

Now you might think that just because these creatures don’t have a mane and an earth-shattering roar that they are somewhat less worthy of the hours we spend watching them; however, birds are decidedly more interesting than watching sleeping lions snore! Twitchers, as we are called, are fascinated by birds and their behaviour. An undeniable flutter of excitement vibrates through our beings when we see a flash of colour flit through the air, or hear the lyrical whistle of something small and feathery. The urge to photograph and identify birds is an instinct, and the satisfaction we get from ticking a new species off the checklist is immense!

At Tuskers Bush Camp – the only luxury tented safari camp in a vast 365 000 hectare concession in north-eastern Botswana – birds of all sorts can be spotted from the comfort of your balcony, the lodge boma, or out on game drive. A network of pans can be found along the game drive route, and in one 20-minute period spent at a pan in the early evening, a variety of Botswana birding specials were excitedly ticked off. The Tuskers concession is located on the eastern border of the Moremi Game Reserve and contains within its boundaries a variety of landscapes and terrains. From savannah grassland, to acacia thickets and mopane belts, there is a diversity of habitats for numerous wildlife species. Take a look at these brilliant birds spotted in a casual evening setting at a pan.

KORI BUSTARD

A truly impressive bird – and the national bird of Botswana – the kori bustard is decorated with beautiful feather patterns, and a handsome crest on its head. When the male kori bustard is in full display, his long neck inflates into a plume of fluffy, white feathers, and his tail feathers are fanned out behind him. These birds are the largest flying birds in Africa, with a wingspan that has been known to reach 9 feet in length, and an exceptionally large male can weigh up to 20kg!

These magnificent birds are seen individually or in pairs during the mating season, when the males puff themselves up to impress the females, sending out a deep, booming mating call. They are always seen on the ground, moving slowly, taking hesitant steps and holding their heads up high with their eyes darting around skeptically. If these birds are encouraged to escape danger, they begin to run and if they feel truly threatened will they take off using large, heavy beating wings. For food, the kori bustard forages on the ground for a variety of morsels, ranging from invertebrates, to small reptiles and mammals, while it has also been known to eat fruits and seeds. A true omnivore!

SOUTHERN PALE CHANTING GOSHAWK (JUV.)

This raptor is a common find in areas of semi-desert, such as the Kalahari, which takes up the majority of the country of Botswana. The Southern pale chanting goshawk has bright red legs and beak, and in its adult plumage, is a pale grey with a barred chest and belly and red-brown eyes. As a juvenile, it is vastly different with largely brown plumage and yellow eyes. The one seen here at Tuskers Bush Camp was a juvenile showing some of its adult colours of greyish-blue. These stages of maturity and the changing appearances that go with ageing are what throw some birders off course! Eye, beak, and leg colour are noted instantly in a bird-ID and one must always consider the possibility of the juvenile version of the bird in question taking on a completely different appearance to the adult.

A fantastic sight often involving these beautiful birds of prey is its symbiotic relationship with snakes, such as the Cape cobra: the goshawk’s diet consists of lizards, small rodents, and birds, and when the cobra is hunting, it may very easily disturb anyone of the goshawk’s prey species, sending them out of their hiding places and placing them ideally within preying distance of the hawk, therefore, giving it an easy meal!

CRIMSON-BREASTED SHRIKE

This brightly coloured bird is rarely seen staying still, although it is not an uncommon species in the Kalahari basin. The stark black and red colouration, interrupted only by singular white streaks on each wing, make it an unmistakable bird, but once again, the world of ornithology throws a spanner in the works with a bright yellow variation of this species! The yellow morph crimson-breasted shrike is a very rare sight, and could be considered a ‘lifer’ to any birder, but the commonly occurring red-breasted variation is not easy to capture on camera either. These flashes of colour can be seen jumping and dipping between the tangled branches of trees and low-lying shrubs, as they hunt for insects. Here at Tuskers Bush Camp, the crimson-breasted shrike was seen on the ground where it is often spotted foraging for ants and fallen fruit.

SHIKRA

This bird of prey is also known as the little-banded goshawk and it is one of the most impressive hunters of the hawk family. Its interesting name actually means ‘hunter’ in a variation of the Urdu word shikari, giving us a good idea of just what an efficient predator this diminutive bird is. It has striking colouration with telltale rust-red barring on its breast all the way down to its belly and can be spotted perching in the limbs of trees with its characteristically long tail dropping down behind it. These are diurnal hunters and are even known to kill dangerous snakes with a sharp talon to the head.

RED-BILLED QUELEAS

When we said birds are more interesting to watch than lions, we weren’t joking (*we hereby acknowledge that this might be a matter of opinion)! At the edge of a the waterhole where we were enjoying a classic Tuskers Bush Camp sundowners, a large flock of red-billed queleas arrived in a mass of tiny, tawny feathers and dipped down to the water to drink. These small birds have very prominent red bills and are frequently seen flying in almost swarm-like density. The liquidity of the flock’s movement is incredible to watch and it is only when we are treated to a scene such as this that we truly see the birds as individuals.

Red-billed queleas are a part of the weaver family, and if you look closely at this photo, you might spot a different kind of weaver in among the masses! The iridescent starling is a Cape glossy, which is a commonly occurring bird in the area.

RED-CRESTED KORHAAN

This inconspicuous ground bird transforms into quite the flashy mate when breeding season comes around! The male red-crested korhaan hides a vibrant red crown of feathers at the back of its head, which emerge only when he is in full display. It is very rare, even for the most avid birders, to see this korhaan showing off its crest. The courtship display put on by the male is what gives it its nickname, the suicide bird. Usually, the first sign of the red-crested korhaan is its ascending call that rings out, high pitched, from the seemingly empty bushveld. As soon as the call reaches a crescendo, the bird pelts straight up into the air before folding its wings and tumbling back towards to ground; hence, the name we affectionately know it by is the suicide bird.

LITTLE SPARROWHAWK (JUV.)

The little sparrowhawk is aptly named, considering its diminutive size. It is quick in flight and can be seen darting off its perch and catching prey in flight. It is very nimble and can move swiftly between branches and heavily wooded areas, which is generally where this beautifully patterned bird of prey is found.Small birds, rodents, mammals, and insects form part of the little sparrowhawk’s diet, while it has to be on the look out for larger raptors and reptiles that might see this small bird as a tasty morsel!

RED-BILLED HORNBILL

One of Southern Africa’s most common residents is the red-billed hornbill. The yellow-billed and grey hornbills are also some of the most prevalent of Botswana’s feathered friends, and they can become quite habituated to the presence of people. Zazu – the character in The Lion King – popularised the red-billed hornbill and has assigned this bird lifelong endearment. Rather fascinating is the hornbills’ nesting behaviour. When breeding season comes round, the female hornbill will occupy a vacant cavity in the trunk of a tree and the male will seal her in there using mud and plant material to block the hole with only a small opening through which she can receive food.

While the female nests, she loses all her feathers, which then become the lining of the nest, and her mate will continue to bring her food until her eggs have hatched, after which point both parents will fly back and forth from the nest bringing morsels for their chicks. Eventually, the chicks will flee the nest and spend a few months in the parents’ territory before moving off in seek of an independent life.

Meet Em Gatland, Wildlife Photographer

Em Gatland has a unique way of looking at the wild world around her and her unwavering passion shines through in the work she produces. Em’s photos reflect the true spirit of Africa, an Africa that is filled with emotion, passion, turbulence and warm heartedness. Anyone can take a photo, but injecting emotion into each shot truly reflects a person that knows how to own the lens.

Em has a knack of photographing neglected moments – the ones we miss. She always puts a quirky spin on her subject. Whether it be a herd of elephants or a lone cheetah; her creativity knows no bounds. Lines, motion, colour and the stark reality of her surrounds create an ethereal beauty which she so magically captures through her lens.

Em is one of the Sun Destination’s photographers, a photographer we decided to track while she was going about her day-to-day snapping in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, one of her favourite reserves.

Our talented videographer, Kevin MacLaughlin, followed Em as she traversed her way through the Klaserie. He filmed her every move and she in turn documented the wild. Our writing team decided that they also wanted to know more about Em and delved into the heart of what makes her tick.

We hope you enjoy this interview and epic video collaboration between lens legends Kev and Em!

1. We’ve done our research and you’re quite the action sports photographer. How did you find your way into wildlife photography?

I enjoy anything outdoors, my passion lies in open spaces and nature is truly one of earth’s greatest gifts to be treasured. I have always had a close connection with wildlife and my desire to share to the world and the raw beauty of Africa is why I love to be in the bush photographing wildlife.

2. We’ve noticed an exceptional amount of creativity and unique angles in your photos. What do you look for when taking the perfect photograph?

I look for something that tells a story, to depict the relationships in nature that are similar to humans. I strive to achieve the unknown. I am always on the search for new angles. To create a still that hasn’t been produced before is the biggest challenge. Creativity comes with time, practice and most importantly passion – both for your subject and the love of photography.

3. How would you describe your style?

I would say it is story telling, creative and fresh. I like to use various out the box methods of motion, freezing a frame and pushing settings to new levels to create a different feel. I enjoy showcasing wildlife in a different light; yet having it remain true to its character.

4. Tell us about your camera and software editing equipment…

I use two camera bodies, one that is of high shutter speed, full frame and excellent in low level light. My second body is a crop sensor to gain extra zoom on lenses and a little lighter on the cost side.

My lenses include a variety from very wide 16mm to a 500mm zoom. Its always important to have a wide angle which can be great in landscape visuals. On the post production side I LOVE Adobe Lightroom. This is a form of Photoshop, but is also file management system.

You can often shoot nothing less then 3000 images a day and Lightroom helps to process the files and has all that one needs in terms of creative editing, Taking a photo is 50% of the job and post production is where the exciting magic can also take place!

5. What is your favourite time of day to photograph wildlife?

I love what most photographers know as the “Golden Hour”. This takes place early dawn and at sunset. To catch something significant in this light really makes the heart skip and jump.

6. What is your favourite species to photograph?

I absolutely adore elephants. They are constantly mobile and have amazing detail in lines and texture. To top it off, they have an incredible interaction between family members.

7. What is your dream scenario to photograph?

This is a tough one. I have often dreamed of a rainbow in open plains with game in the foreground. But I love the smaller creatures too – an owl in a full moon would be a prize choice.

8. What do you love most about the Klaserie camps (Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp)?

The Klaserie Camps to me are the “real Africa”. Their unfenced luxury and sophisticated feel create an atmosphere that creeps under the skin and makes you long to come back for more. The staff, guides and wildlife all combine to make it a truly luxurious safari experience. I have been visiting the Klaserie camps for two and a half years now and hope to make it many more in the future.

9. If you could travel anywhere to photograph just about anything, what would it be?

I would love to visit East Africa for the migration and the majestic gorillas of the Congo to experience their connection of love and humbleness.

10. And finally, where can we find your photographs ?

I am a big fan of Instagram and this is where I share a lot of my final pics and a few behind the scenes photos. I also have a FaceBook page and enjoy sharing the beauty of the wild there, and of course you can find plenty of my work on the Sun Destinations Facebook page. My social media handle is @emgatland and I look forward to connecting with you there.

Interview with Innocent, the Manager of Xobega Island Camp

Innocent Modise, with his friendly demeanour and warm smile is the perfect addition to Xobega Island Camp. With his range of expertise in the tourism industry, local knowledge and experience in the hospitality industry; Innocent was the obvious choice to fulfill the role as Xobega Island Camp’s manager. Innocent looks after the day-today running of the camp, makes sure everything runs smoothly and attentively tends to guests’ needs. Oh, and he also ensures the curious resident elephant on the island is observed from a safe distance by guests.

Xobega Island Camp has recently undergone a build and a refurb; and is currently in the process of adding the finishing touches to an already secret, tropical paradise in the middle of the Okavango Delta. Innocent is lucky enough run a rustic, yet simplistic luxury camp surrounded by untouched wild.

Tell us a bit more about yourself, Innocent. We’d love to know more!

My name is Innocent Modise. I am a young and active gentleman from Mochudi, where I grew up in rural areas and finished my education in Gaborone when we relocated. When I finished my Cambridge at Ledumang Senior Secondary school, I became interested in hospitality because I was doing Home Economics at school. I actually went on to further my studies at Gaborone Technical College where I studied hospitality, customer care and a bit about food and beverages.

I started off working behind a bar, became a supervisor and also ran a banqueting department. I eventually ended up working as manager for a bush lodge and have even had experience in lodge maintenance.

I’m very well equipped and excited to be at Xobega Island Camp!

You’re located in an area teeming with wildlife. What is your favourite species?

My favorite animal? I love the vervet monkeys, so tiny and beautiful. They keep me busy in camp. I often have to stay in my office because they monkeys might come in and destroy my computer!

What is your favourite thing about Xobega Island Camp?

Xobega the beautiful island! The beauty about this island is that it can only accommodate 20 people maximum, therefore it’s not crowded. Even when we have a full camp, it’s not crowded. We have new furniture that gives it a perfect, awesome look. I also love that the birds calls during the day and the hippos and elephants make noises at night, which makes it feel like an adventure.

What do you love most about your job?

I like my work because it gives me challenges day and night. I meet different people every day from different continents. I get to know their lifestyles and their languages – not everybody knows English.

To be a manager you have to be responsible, you must have the skills to solve all problems and how to handle everything. You have to know the skills on how to build a strong team that will provide a good quality service.

Breakaway Lionesses Reunite!

We all love a happy ending, and last week we were confronted with the possibility of losing one of the Ross Breakaway lionesses, only to discover both lionesses well and side-by-side over the weekend and again this morning. This is how the story went…

Last week, Africa on Foot guide, Greg Moran, found the older of the two Ross Breakaway lionesses looking worse for wear. She was stumbling as she walked, and looked disorientated. Without knowing what had happened, Greg considered the possibility of a snake bite, which could show symptoms similar to the ones she was showing. Photographer Kevin MacLaughlin arrived at the scene as Greg departed to continue with game drive, and Kev watched the lioness lie down and stay still and silent for a long time until he left her in peace.

A black mamba is one of the most venomous and quick-to-strike snakes in the Lowveld, and they have a neurotoxic venom, which affects the nervous system and results in paralysis and respiratory failure. The bush is full of danger, and snakes have a right to be there and defend themselves just as much as lions do, so it’s not unlikely that the two might clash and one or the other could come off badly. If this was the case for the lioness, we didn’t have high hopes for her survival through the night. Having only the ability to look at her and judge for ourselves, we could only speculate, so fully understood that perhaps she had merely eaten something poisonous or been stung by a poisonous creature. Either way, we were nervously anticipating finding her the next morning…

Kevin returned to where he left her the night before, and the lioness was nowhere to be seen, which he immediately took as a good sign, because clearly she hadn’t fallen into an eternal sleep, and had indeed moved during the night. The second lioness (the younger one who recently bore and lost cubs) was spotted on her own, which is not the norm for these lionesses. They go way back and are estimated to be around 10 years old, and have spent their lives as a duo. That evening, Greg and his guests at Africa on Foot saw the younger lioness calling for her sister at dusk. Her roaring call sung into the darkening air unanswered, and we hoped that what we had heard was true; that the unwell lioness was in the neighbouring Timbavati.

After what felt like weeks, but was only a matter of days, the news broke that the lionesses were together again. The older sister was still a little weak, but in much better condition than we had last seen her! Relief. This morning, nThambo Tree Camp was out on their morning safari and were treated to the sight of the two Breakaway lionesses relaxing together as usual, looking content and healthy. We’re taking this reunion as a reason to celebrate, because what would the Breakaway lionesses be without one another?!

A Big Hello to Mambiri the Male Leopard at Umkumbe

Two unidentified leopards traversed their way onto Umkumbe territory, giving no indication of where they were headed. Like ghosts in the night and passing ships, the elusive disappeared without a trace. Both leopards were seen on different occasions and sightings were sporadic. There are often random sightings of new leopards and ones that don’t hang around long enough to I.D. It’s what makes the Sabi Sand an interesting destination for leopard activity. While these were once off sightings, there has recently been another sighting of a new leopard – one that has been identified and apparently quite at ease on its new turf. Here’s a big hello to the Mambiri male.

This male was aggressively patrolling and scent marking areas and wasn’t in any hurry to flee the vicinity. We’d like to establish the history of this leopard and we’re obviously hoping to see what happens. Mxabene, Tatowa, Kigelia, White Dam, White Dam’s male cub and Little Bush’s female cub have also been spotted this week, which has added even more of a varied collection of leopards to Umkumbe’s sightings.

Why are there unknown leopards and new leopards congregating on land dominated by other leopards? Although leopards are territorial, males cover a wider area than females and thus their territory can overlap with a number of females. When females raise their cubs they let the cubs begin their solitary lifestyle at around 12 – 18 months. These youngsters will often hang around on the periphery of their mother’s territory. When a range does overlap, this may be between related females – it’s all about keeping it in the family!

A leopardess is particularly patient and tolerant to other newly independent youngsters crossing over into her area in a bid to establish their own homeground. Often, leopards will explore and then move-off. They’re not known for enjoying confrontation and will sneak off silently instead of engaging in a showdown. Both males and females actually defend same-sex territories, but are very much averse to fighting and would far rather ensure their energy is spent clawing trees, marking bushes and patrolling their range.

Mambiri seems to be settling in and even conducted a kill! He was seen with the kill on the ground and it was relatively hidden in the dense shrubbery. Let’s hope he takes his fresh meal up into the fork of a tree for safekeeping. The Sabi Sand is rife with hyena activity and one can never be to sure if notorious Toothfairy will approach the area to do what she does best, bare her toothy grin and steal a leopard’s newly acquired meal. With so many leopards in the area, food comes easy to hyenas – a simple smash and grab normally does the trick.

The one to watch at the moment? Mambiri of course!

Snake Eating Bird’s Egg Seen on Safari with nThambo

This is a fantastic example of how unpredictable a game drive can be, and how paying attention to the signs and sounds of the bush can lead to an epic, once-in-a-lifetime sighting! Regular guests, Mike and Fiona Clark, are back at their familiar holiday spot in the Klaserie – nThambo Tree Camp. After plenty of spent on safari, the Clarks have seen their fair share of special sightings, but in this case, even nThambo’s legendary tracker, Issac, who has spent his life in the Lowveld, was breathless with excitement! The source of the commotion was the sight of a rhombic egg-eater (snake) swallowing a speckled egg belonging to a crowned lapwing. Take a look at Fiona’s account of the experience…

During morning game drive from nThambo a really unusual sighting got Isaac really excited.

We were parked viewing a nice herd of buffallo grazing in an open clearing. As we all viewed this, taking photos, there was a comotion on the other side of the Landcruiser. A pair of Crowned Lapwings were alarm calling, so Isaac got of the game viewer to investigate. To his surprise he came across a snake eating one of their eggs. The snake was a common rhombic egg eating snake. Isaac was so excited , as in all his years in the bushveld he had never seen this before – Ryan our ranger had also only seen this in books.
Therefore we all got off the game vehicle (carefully as the buffallo were stil grazing on the opposite side) to have a closer look. Sure enough, there on the ground was a small snake, with its mouth extending over an egg – it’s skin stretched so far that you could see the speckled egg through it. It was amazing to see how this small snake could actually swallow this egg, which then gets crushed by the muscles in the snakes body and ingested!

This just goes to show that it’s not all about the Big 5 on safari – often the smaller , less known sightings, are often far more exciting and informative. Back in camp, we got out the text books to look into this in more detail.

Week in Pictures: African Nostalgia

It’s a tough job having to select the best photographic captures of the week; sifting through folders of outstanding safari moments and bookmarking the ones that evoke emotion, admiration, and nostalgia. We are tasked with the job of flipping through albums of wildlife action caught on camera, sunsets that warm the soul, and quiet moments shared through the lens of a camera. The #FOMO induced by the job is real, but as per our Friday tradition, we get to lighten the load and spread, far and wide, this niggling feeling of “wish I was there”. We get to sprinkle the essence of safari to the recipients of this blog post, and bring that yearning urge to travel to Africa to the forefront of your mind. Without further ado, enjoy this selection of the week’s top shots, and try and ignore the singing in your heart… The Week in Pictures: African Nostalgia.

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