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Week in Pictures: My African Dream

Another week in the wild is coming to an end and now we have the opportunity to reflect on the best of the week’s photography! Capturing moments where lights, camera, and action come together in the natural world and freeze moments in time. With spring around the corner, we’re seeing the end of a very short winter and anxiously await the rain in the months ahead. The bush maintains its beauty, even in times of drought, and when dusty sunsets blanket the earth and paint it the colour of candy floss, we forgive the treacherous heat of the day and welcome the chill of the night air.

We have the privilege of traversing some of Southern Africa’s most coveted wildlife areas, and it is an honour to share the beauty of this wild continent with you. Here is a list of the Top 4 shots from a each of our select safari lodges in the Greater Kruger Park and Botswana. Enjoy the Week in Picture: My African Dream.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge, Sabi Sand Wildtuin, Kruger.

Africa on Foot, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, Kruger.

nThambo Tree Camp, Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, Kruger.

Ezulwini Game Lodges, Balule Nature Reserve, Kruger.

Tuskers Bush Camp, NG43 Concession, Botswana

Big Cats of Tuskers Bush Camp : A Quick Catch Up

A couple of weeks ago we introduced you to the leopards of Tuskers Bush Camp. We have yet to identify the individual leopards, but we can confirm that another leopard paid us a visit a few days ago. This is becoming a regular occurrence for Tuskers Bush Camp! With the aid of camera traps, we can now watch the nocturnal happenings in and around camp.

Our previous blog post highlighted three leopards navigating their way around the tents at camp. One leopardess in particular is quite fond of weaving in and out of the area around tent 2. But our cat sightings are not limited to leopards. We’ve heard the lions in the dead of night and we finally have footage of one of the males. We’re currently identifying individuals and finding out more about the lion prides of the area – watch this space!

The latest camera trap was set up on a road running through thick mopane forest. The road leads to a partially full pan of water. This time, we saw what appeared to be a lone male leopard patrolling his territory. We’re speculating that it’s a male, but we have to confirm this information. Males cover a wide territory which often overlaps with a female’s domain.

Toms will relentlessly defend their territory from other males in order to display ownership. They do this by scent marking areas and clawing trees. Toms seek out areas according to availability of females and density of potential prey. We know that there is a leopardess in our area, which means the tom may be here in search of female company!

Another interesting sighting picked up on camera was that of a huge male lion. We’ve mentioned that guests often hear the rasping, throaty roar of the lions contact calling at night, so it’s nice to finally put a face to a voice. Is this male part of a coalition? We’ll find out in due course. All we know for now is that the lions are emerging.

The small creatures also made an appearance on the camera trap. A porcupine is seen foraging and a hyena seems to be picking up on a scent. Where there are big cats, there are scavengers. Hyenas play a vital role in the ecology of an area. These notorious scavengers actually scrape up the bones and decaying meat from predator kills, thus preventing the spread of disease.

An entire array of species dwells in the thickets surrounding Tuskers Bush Camp and we’re going to keep you updated with all of our recent sightings.

In the meantime, let’s try to figure out the lion pride dynamics of the area!

Christina’s First Hand Account of White Lions on a Kill

“Something always dies when the lion feeds and yet there is meat for those that follow him” – Wilbur Smith

Seeing a white lion in the wild is rare. Seeing white lions on kill, devouring their latest meal is even more of a rare occurrence. Yet, this is exactly what happened at Africa on Foot. Only a privileged few were there to witness the event, one of them being the unstoppable wild child of Africa, Christina Blunden. She’s part of the Africa on Foot family and knows a thing or two about lion prides in the area!

Here’s her first hand account of Africa on Foot’s white lion sighting:

“At 9h15 we were sitting around the table finishing off a delicious potjie dinner when the radio crackled into action. A guide from anther lodge close by had been informed there was some lion activity close to four pans, we decided to jump into the Sun Destinations’ game viewer (Air Force One) and head towards the action.

Half way there the radio spoke again, the lions had made two different kills. Courteney, one of the owners of Africa on Foot, went on to tell us that this was the Giraffe Pride from the Timbavati, which are known to have two white lionesses.

As we approached the sighting, there were four lioness’s feeding on a buffalo cow. We were hardly able to distinguish the tawny females from the white females, due to all the dust from the dry summer months in the bush. Courteney turned the spotlight off, we sat in darkness, and while our eyes were adjusting we were left with the sounds of feeding lions to the front and rear.

The white lions began to glow under the light of the half-moon and when we switched on the spotlight, we readied our cameras to catch the action. We watched as these four powerful beasts began to rip and tear away at the flesh of the animal, gradually opening up the carcass until half their bodies were submersed in their meal.

A few meters behind the vehicle we heard a vague sound. Another tawny lioness appeared just on the edge of the road starring directly at the four lionesses feeding on the buffalo. Courteney explained that the lone lionesses was from the same pride and was coming from the other buffalo kill. Lions can be extremely aggressive when feeding so we were on the edge of our game viewer seats patiently waiting to see how it would all play out.

The lioness began to walk slowly towards the kill and received a low yet evident growl that seemed to be coming from one of the white lionesses which was now in prime feeding position on the carcass and was not willing to give up her seat.

All went well and the five females continued to feed in unison with the odd snarl here and there. We sat for a good thirty minutes, just long enough to experience the piercing of the buffalos stomach. Realising we were downwind, Courteney quickly manoeuvred us to a more comfortable position.

I can mention many moments that have been unforgettable but we are lucky to be living where we are because being able to experience what phenomenon’s the wild has to offer is an unbelievable privilege.

Mapoza Lions Take Buffalo Kill from Lionesses… Again

This is starting to look like a trend in the world of the Mapoza lions: Once again we have found them stealing a hard-earned meal from the Ross Breakaway lionesses! This isn’t news in terms of lion behaviour – lions are notorious scavengers and opportunistic feeders, meaning that they will rarely miss out on a good meal when it’s going, especially when they don’t need to do the hard work themselves! The Mapozas are a force to be reckoned with, and both are growing more and more confident in their new territory.

Last week, we found the older male mating with one of the Ross Breakaway lionesses (not the first time), and now we’ve discovered them feeding on a buffalo calf that was killed by the females!

Africa on Foot guide, Greg, found one of the Breakaway lionesses trailing a buffalo herd on afternoon game drive, and he followed her for a long while, giving guests the opportunity to witness the process involved with a lion hunt. Patience and stealth! Soon it was time to return to the lodge for dinner, so they left the lioness to her work for the evening, and returned first thing in the morning ready to see what the result of the hunt could be. Greg found the tracks of the buffaloes close to camp and decided to backtrack the herd to see what may remain in its path… Sure enough, there were the Mapoza males, sniffing around and on the scent of something interesting!

Greg trailed the two, now famous, male lions until they got to nThambo Tree Camp access road, and that’s when the drama went down! One of the Ross Breakaway lionesses had clearly succeeded in killing a buffalo calf and the Mapozas had traced the evidence right up to the scene of the crime, and didn’t hesitate in chasing the lioness off her meal.

The Mapozas fed on the carcass for a bit while the lionesses hung around on the perimeter. The younger lioness has always kept her distance from the males, and doesn’t seem to have taken a liking to them, so she remained on the outskirts for the entirety of the sighting. The males soon moved off and left the remains of the buffalo for the lionesses, and by midday – as nature would have it – the whole carcass had been cleaned up by vultures! Some more fantastic predator action for guests at nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve.

Xobega Island Camp: The Quintessential Mokoro Experience

There is absolutely no doubt about it: the finest way to see the Okavango Delta, hands down, is from inside a mokoro, and for very good reason.

Mokoros are hand-crafted dugout canoes hewn from a single piece of timber. Craftsmen often used to use the wood of the Kigelia or sausage tree for its lightness, buoyancy, and the fact that it is relatively easy to work because it is quite soft. Nowadays, different materials are used to craft mokoros due to the rapid decline of sausage trees in the area.

Unlike many other kinds of canoe found around the world, mokoros are paddled from a standing position in a manner reminiscent of the gondoliers of Venice.

There are many reasons to include a mokoro experience in your visit to the Delta. The first of these is that mokoros are absolutely silent, which means you’ll be able to approach birds and wildlife without disturbing them in the slightest. When you’re in a mokoro, you’re just another part of the natural scene; wildlife in this part of the world have been sharing space with mokoros for hundreds, if not thousands of years!

The second reason – which follows neatly from the first – is that mokoros are an authentic and long-standing part of the Okavango environment. Being inside a mokoro, without a canvas awning, windows, or a roof, and being so very close to the waters of the Delta means being just about as close to the Delta wilderness as possible, without actually going for a swim!

Timber for the mokoros is sourced locally too – every bit of the experience is local, natural, and authentic. As you pole your way through the pristine waters of the Okavango – at a necessarily relaxed pace – you’ll find yourself closer to this incredible piece of the natural world than you ever imagined was possible.

A leisurely trip through the Delta on a mokoro is timeless and unforgettable. While there is nothing wrong with seeing this area from a vehicle, motorboat or aeroplane, none of these things are quite the same as spending some time in a rough-hewn boat with the poler’s legs right behind you and nothing but the sound of his oar moving through the water to disturb the absolute tranquillity of the place.

Xobega Island Camp, situated in the heart of the Okavango Delta, is the perfect place make use of the advantages of the mokoro, surrounded as it is by lagoons and serpentine waterways teaming with bird and wildlife. Mokoros have a special significance here too: the word xobega translates as “crossing” in the Wayeyi (river bushman – the original inhabitants of the Moremi region) language.

There is a long history of human activity in this area, and Gcobega Island was once a stopover during seasonal movements of livestock herds and the people dependent upon them. The mokoro was a – if not the – most important tool in their arsenal as they navigated the waterlogged landscape of the Okavango long before the advent of motorized boats and light aircraft.

This practice – the seasonal movement of people and livestock, primarily cattle – is called transhumance, and it was the most common form of animal husbandry practised in Southern Africa prior to the arrival of Europeans. The first Europeans in fact adopted this practice themselves!

To experience a trip on a mokoro around the Xobega lagoons is also to experience a little piece of living history, to see the world through the eyes of the landscape’s original inhabitants, if only for an hour or two. There is no better way to interact with this landscape or environment and there is certainly nothing as peaceful and unobtrusive. This, combined with the thrill of viewing animals like hippopotamus and elephant while perched just a few inches above the water puts the mokoro experience right where it belongs: near the top of the good old bucket list.

Week in Pics : Colour and Camouflage

The week in pictures has tied in quite nicely with “World Photography Day“! Thank you to all of our rangers, photographers and those who capture moments in nature at our camps. Without you, this journey would not be possible.

We certainly have an array of colourful species peppered throughout the Kruger. Their bright display of colours attract potential mates or ward off predators. The more subtle khaki and tan hues of our big cats are a necessity when it comes to hiding in the thickets. This week, we’ve got the full spectrum of colours that make up the safari world. Welcome to the “Week in Pictures”, a kaleidoscope of Kruger colour.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

We’ll never of the endless leopard sighting enjoyed by Umkumbe Safari Lodge. This week, firm favourite, Mxabene strolled past the vehicle. The most exciting news of the week is that graceful leopardess Tatowa was caught mating with Mxabene!

The affair has been going on for close to 3 days. In other big cat news, the Mhangeni lionesses were seen relaxing on an elevated area of land and a lone cheetah was conserving its energy while resting under a tree. In other news, Marius managed to photograph a pair of side-striped jackals intertwined while mating. An African scops owl remains well hidden adjacent to the trunk of a tree. These owls are endemic to southern Africa and have quite a distinct call.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

Our Klaserie camps have been monitoring the antics of the Mapoza males quite closely. The one with the thick mane has put on quite a show while mating with one of the Ross Pride lionesses. There’s been plenty of lion activity in the Klaserie. Ranger Bjorn enjoyed his first pangolin sighting, which is incredible news given that these endangered mammals are notoriously shy. This is actually the Klaserie’s third pangolin sighting over the past few weeks. There’s been a flurry of birdlife in the bushveld and Nadia managed to delight us with a few birding photos. Elephants, buffalo and giraffe appear to be enjoying the current Kruger climate. All in all, another epic week in the Klaserie.

Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge and Ezulwini River Lodge

The lion pride dynamics in the Balule have become quite the soap opera. The Mohlabetsi coalition appear to be dominating many turfs and they’re looking for trouble. There are 4 testosterone fuelled males in search of a kingdom. The lion sightings are a regular occurrence, but that doesn’t mean we should let the big cats distract us from the other fantastic sightings.

This week, Ezulwini have had plenty of elephant sightings, with huge bulls visiting camp. A newborn giraffe, still with its umbilical cord in tact, was spotted while on an evening game drive. The pod of hippos together with their young are also seen regularly. The plains game are always waiting to be noticed by our photographers and they make for great subjects when lighting is right.

Boys of the Balule: Power Hungry Mohlabetsi Lions

The lion pride dynamics of the Balule Nature Reserve are fast becoming an intricate minefield of power, bravado and nervousness. There’s always a shift in dynamics within prides when sub-adult males become testosterone fuelled beasts ready to mark their mark in the “jungle” and claim territories. This is exactly what has been happening on the traverse covering the central and southern parts of the Balule Nature Reserve. The lions we’re referring to are the Mohlabetsi coalition of males, a group of 4 males from the Mohlabetsi pride who seemingly reign over the Mohlabetsi, River and Impalabos Prides. At the forefront of the coalition is the big Mohlabetsi male, a rugged, rough and handsome lion – Duma’s brother in fact.

Continue reading Boys of the Balule: Power Hungry Mohlabetsi Lions

Week in Pictures: Born to be Wild

This time, the Week in Pictures falls on World Elephant Day, a day dedicated to the celebration of the world’s largest land mammal. In the wild places that house our safari camps, elephants roam free, and are so at home that they take it upon themselves to come right onto the camp grounds, help themselves to the pool water, and feast on the marula trees. Among our selection of photography specials this week are numerous ‘elephant favourites’, from pink-eared babies, to the old and wise.

We’ve seen sunsets that took our breath away, lions that captured our hearts, buffalo that stopped us in our tracks, and birds that turned heads. If there is one common thread that binds all our sightings this week, it’s that every living thing out there was born to be wild. We join hands with our partners in conservation and honour elephants all over the world, which were – every single one – born to be wild. In the spirit of World Elephant Day today, enjoy our latest array of the Week in Pictures!

Umkumbe Safari Lodge, Sabi Sand Wildtuin, Greater Kruger

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

Wildside Africa: Tuskers Bush Camp and Xobega Island Camp, Botswana

Introduction to the Leopards of Tuskers Bush Camp

Tusker’s Bush Camp is nestled on a 365, 000 traverse and there’s plenty of untamed wildlife hiding in the arid thickets, waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves. We’ve delivered photos of roaming plains game and now its time to show off the big cat sightings. Just recently Tuskers installed a camera trap to discover what happens in the dead of night while guests are cocooned in their luxurious percale linen. Lo and behold, we were not disappointed with the results. Leopards, plains game and hyenas were caught on camera!

The leopards were probably the highlight, which is why we’ve decided to introduce you to the leopards of Tuskers. At the moment there are a confirmed 2 leopards in the area and speculation of a third. Jessica Wilmot, camp manager and wildlife expert, is working on leopard identifications. The process is quite tough at the moment because the footage is not clear enough to sex and ID the cats. However, there is one leopardess that is very fond of walking and weaving her way around camp.

Leopard’s are notorious for being aloof and traverse territories with high prey density. Females normally seek out areas with potential den sites and males seek out areas laden with females. There is an abundance of plains game in the area, which means a ready availability of food.

As you can see from the camera footage, there was an unsuspecting duiker in the thickets – readily available food for our big cats. In the mix you’ll also see a hyena lurking around. These animals are some of the most successful carnivores in the wild. Prolific scavengers and successful hunters, their role in the ecology of a reserve is vital. By devouring a cleaning up a carcass, they may prevent the spread of disease.

Jessica sent us this report:

There was a leopard casually strolling around camp, close to tent 6. Could this be the local female always seen at camp?
There are 2 individuals who arrive early in the morning and late at night. And we speculate there’s a third leopard. Being nocturnal predators and opportunistic hunters, the hours of arrival would make sense. They’re stealthy hunters and use the cover of thickets to hide and ambush their prey.
The leopards are often grunting outside the tents. Leopards have a distinct rasping bark which is quite a guttural sound.
The fresh leopard tracks are often seen in the morning when guests walk across to the main area for breakfast.
The female leopard, the one that strolls around camp, gave birth to two cubs on separate occasions in the hut at the entrance to camp. Both cubs have been seen close to camp.
A leopard emerged in broad daylight out of the scrub behind the pan. It stopped to drink but was initially a bit skittish. Having a waterhole in front of camp means there’s plenty of scope for some pretty incredible game viewing.
The leopards on the camera trap are the ones that often wander into camp. Clearly Tuskers is one of their territories!

We’ll keep everyone updated about the leopards of Tuskers Bush Camp, For now, we’re just getting started with the introductions.

The Never Ending Story: Leopard Visits Lion Kill

When buffaloes lose their lives to lions, it’s the beginning of a process of decomposition, and it is surprising just how many creatures benefit from the death of the buffalo after the lions have done their part and eaten the meat from the bones. The entire buffalo gets put to use and all that remains might be the bleached bones, or the worm-eaten keratin remains of those impressive horns that once were. Recently, when the Mapoza male lions and Ross Breakaway lioness killed a buffalo just below the Africa on Foot treehouse, we were surprised to catch a leopard creeping around the carcass once the lions had moved off! This is not unexpected, but given leopards’ usually elusive behaviour, it seemed unusual to catch Ross Dam female visiting the carcass in the middle of the day, especially given its location close to human activity.

Kevin MacLaughlin was on the scene filming white-backed vultures screeching and squawking around the carcass in a feeding frenzy (ever wondered where the Jurassic Park sound effects come from? Now you know), and out on the periphery, he caught a glimpse of a leopard easing its way closer to the scene. She soon slunk off without making an approach, but she was enough to scare the vultures away momentarily. It is likely that the leopard was nervous, given that lions had been in the area so recently, and could possibly still be close by. She didn’t approach the carcass, but her interest in it was enough to spark Ranger Greg’s excitement, and he shot out to the carcass to set up his hidden camera in the hopes of catching her coming closer…

Well, we were in luck! As soon as all was quiet and she was seemingly alone, she approached the carcass again while the vultures hung around in the surrounding trees. Greg’s camera trap captured everything on film, and now we get to watch as the leopard – identified as Ross Dam Female – approached the carcass very nervously and began to feed on whatever rotting meaty remains she could find. She circles the carcass once or twice, sniffing and licking and testing different parts of it until she settles down for a quick nibble before disappearing off into the dry bushveld yet again, and opening up the opportunity for the vultures to continue feeding.

The circle of life is nothing less than amazing, and there is no such thing as waste. So when that unfortunate buffalo lost the battle with the Mapoza males, it fed 4 lions, a leopard (which has 2 cubs), hundreds of vultures, jackals, hyenas, tawny eagles, bateleurs, insects, and beetles, and a whole host of microscopic consumers that aid in the decomposition process. We are so fortunate to have had the carcass ‘in our back yard’ to observe the process so closely.