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Week in Pictures: Big Cats and Scavengers

We seem to have plenty of scavenger sightings in conjunction with our big cat sightings. I guess that’s just the nature of the beast! Cats are always on the hunt for food and scavengers are always waiting in the wings to pick up available scraps and dine out on carrion. Scavengers serve a vital role in the ecology of an area. They clean up the debris and remains from a carcass, which prevents the spread of disease. When a kill is conducted, you can guarantee that the scavengers will be awaiting their take-out meal. Here are a few highlights from the camps:

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

The appearance of two new female leopards, Hlarulini female from the south and the Ndzanzeni female form the north.
A rare sighting of the Inyathini male who wandered over from the Kruger Park in 2014.
A moment with White Dam and her cub, who is old enough to fend for himself, but was seen on a kill with his mother.
The thieving hyena called Toothfairy who, yet again, stole another leopard kill!
The bush is very dry at the moment, so there are plenty of sightings of large mammals and plains game, which are on the move in search of fresh vegetation. When the food moves, the big cats are seen patrolling and hunting to their heart’s content.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

New rogue male, Mabende, has been spotted on numerous occassions and even made a kill next to one of the waterholes.
The Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses are still living happily on their turf. Mabende seemed interested in following their scent and tracks.
The Trilogy males have been lying low for quite sometime. They decided to make a guest appearance last night, just to show the Mabende male who’s boss of the turf.
The vultures and hyenas descended upon the carcasses left by the Mabende male and the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses.

Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge and Ezulwini River Lodge

Two halves of the Mohlabetsi lion pride have been spotted lazing around in the thickets. The 3 lionesses are off raising their 4 cubs together, while the sub-adults and older female tend to congregate together.
Duma, the strong and dominant male form the Olifants West Pride was seen patrolling his turf.
Rangers had a brief sighting of handsome blue-eyed leopard, Chavalathu.

Marius Zeilinga’s Phenomenal Umkumbe Leopard Update

The rangers from Umkumbe Safari Lodge have sent in numerous reports of leopard sightings. The reports are coming in thick and fast, and we’re battling to keep up with them! Umkumbe is located in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which offers visitors premier game viewing opportunities. In conjunction with being a lighthouse for conservation in South Africa, the reserve has a dense population of leopards.

Recently, game drives with Umkumbe rangers have produced a variety of leopard sightings, delighting both guests and rangers. Sightings have included the shy leopardess White Dam, White Dam’s sub-adult cub, Maxabene the stoic male, the Bicycle Crossing male and Tatowa, the brave young leopardess.

Imagine our surprise when avid rangers Marius, Nicki and Mauritz witnessed two new female leopards on patrol in the Umkumbe traverse. Coupled with the wide-eyed wonderment of two new leopards, there was also another unusual sighting of lesser spotted Inyathini male.

The new leopards are the Hlarulini female and the Ndzanzeni female. Hlarulini comes from the south and Ndzanzeni from the north (born in 2012). The Inyathini male remains a mysterious enigma. Not much is known about him because he wasn’t born in the Sabi Sand and its speculated he wandered over from the Kruger National Park early to mid 2014.

Having enjoyed sightings of firm favourite leopards and the protagonists of Umkumbe, it was nice to see fresh faces taking centre stage in our leopard soap opera.

Here’s Marius’ interesting and hilarious sequence of events surrounding the recent leopard sightings (You just can’t make this stuff up!):

“White Dam and her cub were seen on an impala kill. They abandoned the kill while it was still fresh and barely eaten. We have no idea why they did this! The next morning newcomer Hlarulini came across the fresh kill, which she hoisted into a tree. Later that morning the Inyathini male boldly made his way up the tree and took the kill for himself. He actually smacked Hlarulini out of the tree – she fell 4 metres to the ground! Quite a brazen and brave leopard this Inyathini.

Later on that day, the Ndzanzeni female was found on a kill of her own. But she made the fatal mistake of not hoisting the kill up into a tree. Leopards stash their kill in the safety of a tree to avoid the thieving scavengers. Guess what happened? Toothfairy, the rather notorious hyena, stole her kill!”

We chatted to Marius who provided valuable nsight into why there are new leopards on the scene. Leopards are territorial, so why do newcomers slowly make their way into another leopard’s turf?

Here are Marius’s thoughts on the subject:

Leopards do have territories but over the years, those territories can shift due to a number of reasons.
Males have a wide range. They seek out females.
Females are often on the move in search of new den sites.
As dominant leopards in an area get older, they become more nomadic.
The bush is very dry at the moment and antelope are on the move in search of new grazing ground. Follow the food source!
When older leopards die, the younger leopards move in to try expand their own territory.

A curious string of events, new leopards and a wealth of sightings. All in a day’s work for the Umkumbe rangers! Thanks to Marius Zeilinga for his incredible knowledge and first-hand information about the leopards of Sabi Sand.

Klaserie Lion Catch-up: NEW Male Lion in Klaserie

As the seasons have shifted, so have our lion pride dynamics. Being based in an area sharing unfenced borders with the Timbavati Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park means plenty of scope for nomadic lions and lion prides to move around. Prides split, new males patrol territories, old males mate with rogue lionesses and cubs grow-up. This is par for the course when it comes to lion prides in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. We observe, we speculate and then we huddle together to confirm what’s happening in the ever-shifting world of lions. With that being said, we have an exciting new development in the lion world.

Sightings over the past year have been largely dominated by the Trilogy boys, the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses, the occasional Hercules Pride sighting and of course, the white lioness sightings. But, there’s a new kid on the block. A lone ranger of sorts who has been spotted traversing Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp turf. Meet the Mabande male, a scraggly looking, slightly nervous, nomadic male lion who appears to be staking his claim on Klaserie turf. Or so we think. We could be wrong, or we could be right! Here’s what we do know.

The boys from the Ross Pride of lions chased the Mabande male off his traverse and he fled to our neck of the (Acacia) woods. Previously part of a coalition of 4, the Mabande male ended up in a coalition of two. After being flushed out by the Ross Boys, the two fled. We’ve only seen Mabande male around our camps – sightings of the second male have not been recorded.

There seems to be a shift in power and a bit of chaos with our Klaserie lions. Here are our recorded sightings and happenings over the past couple of weeks, courtesy of ranger Michael Beard.

Mabande male seen on Klaserie traverse close to camps. Identification confirmed by rangers.
He was seen close to the dam where the huge breeding herd of elephants were seen playing – this was the second sighting.
Mabande male was then spotted around Africa on Foot camp and tried to take down a zebra. The rather alarmed potential meal escaped, leaving him somewhat hungry.
The next day rangers spotted the Mabande male again, just patrolling the region. Albeit nervously.
Our new rogue male lion wasn’t seen for a few days – probably lying low! He then re-appeared with a vengeance and successfully took down a buffalo.
A couple of days later the Ross Pride Breakaway females caught wind of the new boy and his kill. They approached the area where he was feasting but the Mabande male chased them away!
The Ross Pride Breakaway females decided to conduct their own kill and killed a buffalo rather close to nThambo Tree Camp.
Cue the following day after the Ross feast. Surprise surprise, the Hercules pride made a comeback and chased the Ross Pride Breakaway girls away from the remnants of their buffalo carcass. That Hercules pride – they’re either stealing kills, killing cubs or protecting their turf. A tough bunch of ominous cats.
The Mabande male has since been heard calling back and forth during the dead of night. He was seen again, this time trying to track the whereabouts of the Ross Breakaway girls !

The Mabande male was initially nervous but is becoming more relaxed now. Will he go in hot pursuit of the Ross Pride girls? Is he going to stake his claim on old Trilogy turf? Where is the other male? Will the Mabande male return to his old hunting grounds or have the Ross boys take over for good?

At this stage, there’s plenty of speculation. What are your thoughts and future predictions about the Mabande male and the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses?

Week in Pictures: A Journey Down Memory Lane

There are times when we look back on our lives with a sense of nostalgia. This is one of those time. We’re not living in the safari past but rather taking a moment to celebrate the winding paths which led us here. We’ve witnessed breathtaking events in the wild, both heartbreaking and heartwarming, at our camps. When you clamber into the game vehicle about to depart on a game drive, you cannot predict what will happen. And this is as nature intended.

Safari in Swahili means journey, which is exactly what this week’s “Week in Pictures” is about. Let’s celebrate our journey of the past few months and remember our rather imposing wildlife sightings.

nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot

Who could forget the moment our guests spotted a white lionesses mating with one of the Trilogy males? Seeing a white lion in the wild is unforgettable. Spirit guides deem this as a life-changing experience and a future prediction of good luck.

Toward the beginning of the year when the Klaserie was arid and in desperate need of water, we noticed an increase in leopard sightings. The African wild dogs also came out to play and were seen trotting around close to the dried up waterholes. After the first rains hit and replenished the landscape, the grazers and browsers began their extravagant display. This of course drew the lions out of the woodwork and our sightings of the Trilogy males and the Ross Pride lionesses increased tenfold.

Currently, there are new lions exploring the Klaserie turf and we suspect a shifting dynamic in lion pride politics! A lone nomadic male, who we’ve now identified as the Mabande male has recently been spotted patrolling the Klaserie region around nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot traverse.

And as for our feathered friends? They’re still flapping about enjoying a variety of weather conditions!

Ezulwini Game Lodges

Ezulwini Game Lodges have three major lion prides on their traverse. Over the past few months we’ve noticed split offs from various prides and Duma, the Olifants West dominant male, has been strutting his stuff lone ranger style. The brief rains from a few months back also brought out the huge breeding herds of buffalo and elephants, which are almost always seen on game drives.

The natural death of collared Tusker Shoshangaan was devastating news to all and sundry, but the Balule continues to thrive despite the heartbreak.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Leopard and lion sightings at Umkumbe Safari Lodge have once again been at the helm of things. Over the past few months, the abundance of leopard sightings was quite remarkable. Just recently, there has been increase in lion sightings, with plenty of males aggressively scent marking. A few months ago a leopard (White Dam) and her cub were caught on camera trap playfully fighting for a chance to devour their kill.

Sightings of large herbivores and the big five have been consistent over time, but here are a few of our favourite moments.

John Chase Safaris

John Chase Safaris continues to impress with exceptional landscape and wildlife sightings throughout Botswana. The landscape is quite dry at the moment but with our mobile safari operation, we’re in the enviable position of being able to view game in a variety of areas.

Top 7 Reasons to Stay at Tuskers Bush Camp

Between Nxai Pan National Park in the east and Moremi Game Reserve in the west, lies a magical 365 000 hectares of pristine wilderness paradise. This secret tract of land is an adventurer’s dream and an explorer’s heaven! The area is exclusive to Tuskers Bush Camp, which makes game drives and bush walks a never ending stream of sightings. Accommodation wise, Tuskers ensures exclusivity and privacy for discerning guests. 6 Meru-style canvas safari tents lie spaciously dotted among unforgiving Kalahari Acacia trees, creating a complete archetype of a Botswana safari.

Here are our top 7 reasons to stay at Tuskers Bush Camp:

1. Idyllic Location of Camp: Tuskers is a sustainable camp overlooking a pan of water which is a year-round, high traffic area for wildlife. The main areas, which include the dining tent, boma and bar, all overlook the busy pan. Each of the Meru tents overlook the pan, which means when you retire to your tent, you’ll enjoy fantastic night sightings of animals in the raw and rough wild.

2. A Massive and Exclusive Traversing Area: With roughly 365 000 hectares of land, there is obviously an incredible diversity of fauna and flora. Mixed woodland and Kalahari scrub provide a fantastic bio-diversity for a range of wildlife. The huge traversing area also provides incredible insight into the mixed landscape of Botswana. As a safari destination, Tuskers really is hard to match.

3. Variety of Game Viewing: Because of the incredible geography of the landscape, many species are able to survive and thrive in the region. Expect to see roan, sable, kudu, impala, steenbok, duiker, bushbuck, zebra, wildebeest, tsessebe, wildebeest, buffalo, lion, leopard, wild dog, cheetah, jackal, caracal, serval, genet, civet cat and a host of other mammals. There are also hundreds of species of birds which certainly attracts an avid community of birdwatchers to the area.

4. Range of Activities on Offer: Guests visiting Tuskers can also enjoy full day safaris into Khwai and Moremi Game Reserve, so this adds an even greater dimension to your safari experience.

5. Easily Accessible for Self-Drive Safaris: It is tricky to find a self-drive safari destination in Botswana, but Tuskers Bush Camp is easily accessible for those wishing to self-drive. There are also fly-in options available, which means visitors with varying budgets can enjoy the perfect Botswana safari without being concerned about cost.

6. Huge Conservation Efforts: Tuskers is also helping Botswana’s wildlife and conservation efforts by promoting photographic safaris in an area which was once reserved for hunting.

7. Unique Wildlife Interactions: Over the past few weeks, Tuskers have witnessed a leopard give birth in the camp and raise her cub around the area. The rare and endangered African wild dog was seen hunting impala and taking down a kudu. The pan is visited daily by massive herds of buffalo and elephants.

There are huge, huge elephant bulls frequenting the pan – we’re not surprised that the camp is called “Tuskers”!

For your ultimate Botswana safari to suit your taste and budget, please contact reservations@sundestinations.co.za. We’re awaiting your email !

Tuskers Bush Camp: Sunsets and Skies

We’ve waxed lyrical about the sheer abundance of wildlife roaming throughout the Tuskers Bush Camp traverse. But there’s another dimension to going on safari in Botswana. Let’s not forget that while wildlife is the primary drawcard for visitors to Botswana, animals framed by blood orange sunsets and endless cornflower blue skies certainly amplifies their beauty.

Tuskers Bush Camp lies between Nxai Pan National Park in the east and Moremi Game Reserve in the west. It encompasses 365 000 hectares of pure wilderness, making this exclusive tract of land ideal for game drives and walking safaris. The diverse woodlands and Kalahari scrub landscape add texture to the canvas of colourful kaleidoscope skies.

The warm hazy glow of a burnt orange sunset always creates a tranquil atmosphere while on safari. The sunsets in Botswana have fiery red, shocking pink and bright purple colours which suck you into their web of hallucinogenic wonder. The Botswana landscape is flat which gives the impression of endless skies and sunsets. There are no hills and mountains to break the horizon.

One of the activities at Tuskers Bush Camp is sunset game drives around the network of pans in the concession, where one can see sunsets and wildlife reflected in the still waters of the pans. So why does Botswana have such mind-blowing sunsets? There is no pollution in the wilderness and clean air is vital to brightly coloured sunsets and sunrises.

A Botswana sky is breathtaking and the stars splashed across the dense, dark canopy tend to engulf the landscape. The only light shining over the untouched woodlands is from the shimmering gleam of the moon and stars. Constellations appear closer and brighter because of lack of interference from city lights and street lamps.

The unpolluted sky is home to the southern cross, a famous and recognised asterism within the southern hemisphere. Five stars form the shape of a cross, making it the most distinct feature of the Cruz constellation. There are two noticeable bright stars which form part of the cross and these are rumoured to point the way to the Southern Celestial Pole.

Isn’t Botswana just ideal for stargazing?

As discussed above, the lack of pollution and crisp, clean air give rise to perfect skies. During the day the skies are blue and they stretch on for miles. The heat rising up off the land creates a mirage against the sky, especially during April/May time. When the rains hit, huge cloud formations create an incredible depth to the cascading skies.

Delta Birding Safari at Xobega Island Camp

Many avid birders will tell you about their favourite places for bird watching, where to find certain species, what time of year to go to which destination, and the moments they’ve spotted ‘lifers’. Most birders will tell you that the Okavango Delta is one of the best locations for birding in Southern Africa. Botswana’s treasured wetland is a declared World Heritage Site, cherished for its ecological value and diversity of wildlife. Here, in a private piece of paradise off the mainland of Moremi Game Reserve is Xobega Island Camp, and its one place to go for an unforgettable Delta birding safari.

Xobega is accessed via a 45-minute boat cruise from Mboma boat station in Moremi Game Reserve. The journey takes you through the Delta channels, which are alive with various species of wader, kingfisher, stork, water raptors, and reed birds. Hippos create waves as they move through the water and elephants pluck at the papyrus on the banks of the channels.

Arriving at Xobega Island Camp, to your Meru-style canvas fly tents among the tall, leafy Delta trees, the sounds of robin-chats and coucals fill the air. Various kingfishers, the greater honeyguide, Meyer’s parrot, African green pigeon, and the knocking sound of the golden-tailed woodpecker add to the collection of calls resounding across the island. The movement in the trees draws your attention to the grey-backed cameroptera, the white-fronted and blue-cheeked bee-eater, the paradise flycatcher, crested barbet, various weavers, and starlings.

Morning and evening boat cruises introduce the presence of pygmy geese, white-faced whistling ducks, African and lesser jacanas, sacred and hadeda ibises, the African darter, reed cormorant, red-shouldered widowbird, egrets, lapwings, teals, and spoonbills. The list is fascinatingly endless, that even the most advanced birders return to find something new to tick off the list.

As if this explosion of sound and colour at Xobega wasn’t enough, the island is also the seasonal breeding ground for the Pel’s fishing owl – one of those ‘lifers’ birders will tell you about. This large owl stays hidden in the dark canopies of Delta trees, and it takes a trained eye to seek them out. That’s what your Xobega Island guide is there for! After following the give-away rush of giant wings in the tree tops and squinting desperately into the dark green forest, your guide points to the hollow of a tree. There it is – peeking out of the nest – a set of dark black eyes belonging to the unmistakable stare of a Pel’s fishing owl, gazing back at you.

This is an exclusive Okavango Delta birding experience not to be missed.

Leopard with Kill in Moremi Game Reserve

Leopards are elusive opportunistic predators which hunt in the dead of night and hide during daylight hours. They have excellent night vision and take down their prey by stalking and ambushing. During the day they sleep to conserve energy, much of which is used during hunting and patrolling territories.

While out on game drive in the Moremi Game Reserve with Tuskers, two leopards were seen with their kill. Both leopards were seen during the cooler hours of the day, which is generally when cats begin their patrol and scent marking. Although primarily nocturnal hunters, if the opportunity presents itself, a leopard will not hesitate to pounce, even if its already made a kill!

During the heat of the day, leopards like to seek cover deep within the thickets or in drainage lines, where they remain camouflaged and well-hidden. They’ve been known to make use of rocky outcrops and tree branches in order to bask in the sun. These elevated areas provide the perfect vantage point form which to survey their landscape.

This leopard in the Moremi was clearly on the move and returning to its recently made kill, which was obviously stashed somewhere for safekeeping. After leopards have conducted a kill, they will hoist their meal up into the fork of a tree to prevent thieving hyenas and other scavengers from stealing it.

If an area has a minimal amount of scavenger activity, a leopard will devour its prey on the ground. When the prey is kept high within a tree, it means the leopard does not have to gorge on its meal and can wander off to quench its thirst and return at a later stage to resume eating.

Clearly this majestic cat was in the middle of its meal and decided to take a break from its feast! The blood soaked fur and matted red dreadlocks are a dead giveaway that a small mammal met its untimely fate at the hands of this master stalker and super predator!

This leopard was clearly using the tree as a vantage point to survey the surrounding landscape. The adaptable and flexible cat lives a secretive lifestyle and guests were incredibly lucky to see this animal literally hanging about in a tree!

The collared leopard conducted a huge and impressive kill. It managed to drag and hoist this huge warthog into a nearby tree. Clearly exhausted from expending energy on such a massive kill, it turned to face the other way to catch his breath before delving into the meaty flesh.

Leopards are capable of lifting a kill as heavy as their own bodies into a tree. They have dewclaws which enable them to clamber up trees and hoist heavy loads. A leopard’s body is well-adapted to carrying prey – they also have relatively high chests which allows for a sizeable meal to be carried while on the move.

Leopards are one of Africa’s most aloof big cats and sightings are considered a rare privilege. They conduct a notoriously lone ranger lifestyle, where both males and females defend their territory and hunt alone.

Leopards are non-confrontational creatures and will avoid each other rather than confront. If you do see two leopards together, its generally a mother and its cub or during mating season.

The Moremi Game Reserve is an incredible destination for leopard sightings – the team at Tuskers will vouch for that!

A Mokoro Safari in the Okavango Delta

The narrow waterways, the expansive papyrus lined channels and the lily congested waters of the Okavango Delta provide the perfect habitat for a plethora of wildlife. Hippos, crocodiles, elephants and a colourful array of birdlife flock to the magical paradise of the Okavango, which provides a sanctuary for Botswana’s wildlife. Teeming with fish, amphibians and unknown creatures; the fresh waters of the Okavango Delta are a major drawcard for a those seeking a water safari.

Xobega, or Gcobega, is a secluded, tree-filled island in the waters of the Okavango Delta. Xobega Island Camp has 10 Meru Style tents located on the island and is only accessible by boat. This piece of Delta paradise is an explorer’s dream but is best suited to small groups seeking a unique Botswana experience.

A unique and traditional way of exploring this area of Botswana is via a wooden dug-out canoe called a mokoro, which has become an iconic symbol of the Delta. Because of its location, the area is ideal for a mokoro safari, which is an optional activity while “glamping” at Xobega Island Camp.

Just what is a mokoro? A mokoro is a type of canoe traditionally used by locals as a means of transport. The deep wooden canoe is constructed by digging out the trunk of a straight tree, normally an ebony or Kigelia tree. The dug-out canoe is propelled through the shallow waters by standing in the stern and pushing with a long pole. The sight of a mokoro has become synonymous with a safari to Botswana and tourists enjoy the novelty of being poled through the swamp areas while trying to spot game. It’s the ideal way to get up close and personal with flora and fauna!

Mekoro (plural for mokoro) are vulnerable to attacks from bloats of hippo, which think nothing of overturning a canoe. This stems from the past when hippos were hunted and thus some have developed an innate fear of the canoes. This adds a bit of adventure to your water based safari! To preserve the surrounding the island, modern mekoro are often constructed from fibre-glass.

Mokoro safaris are an optional activity when on safari with Xobega Island Camp.

Birdwatching in Botswana: Greater Painted Snipe

The greater painted snipe is a fascinating and unusual species of wader occurring in the marshy wetlands of Botswana and elsewhere. It is not a commonly seen bird, so when guests at Tuskers Bush Camp caught these two males wading and feeding in a pan in the privately owned concession east of the Moremi Game Reserve, the cameras came out and memories were made!

One of the interesting things about the greater painted snipe is that the female does the courting, and she is the more beautiful of the two. This is unusual in the world of birds, where males are often the more spectacular of the sexes in order to attract their female mates. Additionally, the female greater painted snipe does not incubate her eggs or rear her chicks. The males are the caretakers of the young, and have also been seen carrying their young under their wings for protection, much like the male African jacana.

This particular sighting is of two males who engage in a brief show of wings to one another was a wonderful moment for the birder’s on board the Tuskers Bush Camp game viewer!