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Leopardess Cleo Seen Strutting Her Stuff in Klaserie

Ever since the unusually dry summer season arrived, and the water-dependant prey species wandered off to find reliable rivers and dams to sustain themselves, leopards have come out of the woodwork like never before. The dominant lions are focused on following the buffalo herds, and we’ve seen the Trilogy creep quietly toward areas where they can prey on their favourite. This has opened the ground for the presence of the elusive leopard. Lately, we’ve been spoilt rotten with some of the best leopard sightings on record, and we’ve managed to identify numerous individuals after regular sightings of them. You’ve been introduced to Cleo before, but here she is again, after giving guests at nThambo Tree Camp a stellar performance this morning.

Guests were out on drive, absorbing the sights and sounds of the bush, when the highly anticipated leopard sighting was called in on the radio. As soon as Luan knew it was the famous Cleo, he knew guests were in for a good sighting. Ever so slinky and highly camouflaged, leopards make a habit of disappearing rather quickly, especially in major lion territory like the Klaserie. Cleo has been around these parts for a few years, and we have racked up numerous great sightings of her. An all time favourite was one with her cub under the dark night sky, while another, more recently, was watching her expertly stalking impala in the golden light.

Today was no different as guests watched Cleo behaving in her typically relaxed manner, scanning her surroundings from her throne on top of a termite mound. She lay there for all to see and admire, gazing into the abyss with her ears twitching to pick up every sound carried in the air. She ignored the excited chatter of the nThambo guests, as she was tuned in only to the herd of impala in the distance.

Guests watched her move off her mound and slink quietly into the veld as it became obvious that she was on the hunt. After a few pauses to reassess her approach, Cleo eventually disappeared in search of breakfast, and we went in search of ours with yet another great sighting under our belts!

Marius Witnessed Hyenas MAKING THEIR OWN KILL!

You read correctly. A standard blog title would be “…Hyenas Stealing a Kill” but Marius Zeilinga from Umkumbe Safari Lodge actually witnessed hyenas making their own kill. Hyenas normally have their food served to them on a silver platter. When super-predators make a kill there’s a guarantee that a kettle of vultures and a clan of hyenas will be waiting in the wings, ready to devour the left-over morsels. These awkward looking dog-like carnivores, when in groups, will often steal a kill from a pride of lions. Quite gutsy scavengers! Despite being proficient hunters, it’s rare we see hyena’s doing the hard work and taking down their own prey.

This is what makes Marius’s sighting so extra-ordinary. These masterful hunters just happen to be incredibly resourceful carnivores boasting the ability to hunt and scavenge – with great success. They’re extremely quick and mobile creatures, which means they travel great distances in the night to source food. With plenty of big cats around, it means an abundance of kills. So clearly scavenging and thieving is easier than expending energy on the take down of plains game. When they do hunt, they target the weaker members of the population and will chase them until they are exhausted. They don’t hunt with stealth or grace, but simply barge into a herd with an air of bolshy confidence !

Marius witnessed a hyena ripping apart a 3 week old kudu calf, which is clearly a weaker member of the herd. His video captures the tail end of the kill, just as it was being devoured.

A very excited Marius mentioned that this is the first time he has seen something like this in his guiding career.

Here are 5 interesting facts about hyenas:

Hyenas live in clans dominated by the older female. Females have their own internal ranking system – the more pushy females become the dominant ones.

This species looks like a dog but is more closely related to a cat. They’re the missing link between a dog and a cat!

Hyenas are incredibly vocal creatures who make a series of calls ranging from whoops, grunts, laughter and whining.

The genitals of a female are similar to a males and trying to sex a hyena is a rather arduous task!

A hyena clan will occupy a disused aardvark burrow as a den site. They will stash their cubs in the den, out of harms way.

Marius Gets Crazy with Photos of Elephant Anatomy

Our gentle pachyderms make for incredible photographic subjects. Marius Zeilinga, a ranger at Umkumbe Safari Lodge, decided to use his creative streak and photograph various parts of an elephant’s anatomy. He’s captured close-ups of ears, tusks, skin, trunk and tail. We’re loving his black and white photos of these emotional jumbos!

Here are a few facts about the part’s of the elephant anatomy which Marius photographed:

Elephant’s Tusks :
An elephant has a dominant tusk and is either “left tusked” or “right tusked”. The shorter tusk is a clear indication of the dominant tusk. Tusks grow continuously throughout an elephant’s life and have a multi-purpose use. They use them for digging, foraging and weapons against dangerous predators.

Elephant’s Skin :
Curiously enough, an elephant has quite tender skin which is prone to sunburn. The skin is about 4 cm thick, it is only partially covered with small sprouts of course hair, which means there is not much protection from UV rays. In order to thermoregulate and elephant will take regular dust/mud baths. The layer of dust or moisture actually traps cool air close to the skin preventing too much sun exposure and keeping the jumbo’s temperature regular.

Elephant’s Ears :

Did you know that an elephant’s ear weighs up to 20 kgs? They have huge ears which would explain their acute sense of hearing. Together with their dust baths, ears play a vital role in thermoregulating the body. To express a range of emotions jumbos use their ears. When a bull elephant flaps it ears forward and extends them, then it’s time to worry!

Elephant’s Trunk :

The dexterity of an elephants trunk is incredible. The trunk is used to grasp things, soak up water and aids in placement of food within its mouth. The trunk is even used as a snorkel when they wade through water! There are actually finger like structures at the end of the trunk which are used to grasp small branches and foliage. Litres of water can be sucked up through the trunk and to ensure the mouth is not pierced by thorny branches, the trunk neatly compartmentalises foliage in the mouth! One of the most endearing things to watch in the wild is an elephant calf trying to control its trunk – they often trip over their new appendage!

Elephant’s Tail :

This is another part of an elephant’s body that has many uses. When a young calf tries to keep up with the herd it will grip the tail of an older matriarch for security. The tails also make useful fly swatters !

The Good Feasts with the Ross Pride

If you’ve been a fan of the lions of the Klaserie, you’ll remember the Good. He was part of a coalition of 3 males we knew as the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and eventually, the Good and the Bad became the leaders of the legendary Ross Pride! These two majestic male lions dominated the area around Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp until the Trilogy males entered the scene and swiftly took over the territory, sending the Good and the Bad packing along with the Ross Pride, which had small cubs to protect. Now, 2 years later, the small remains of the Ross Pride was seen back in their old territory and feasting on a warthog. What’s more, the old leader – the Good – joined them from the shadows and fed alongside his now 2-year old son and 3 other Ross Pride members, all right on the boundary of Trilogy lion territory!

nThambo Tree Camp guests, guided by Luan and Isaak, were exceptionally lucky to see the physical take-down of the warthog, and Africa on Foot guests pulled in to the sighting just afterwards to witness the 4 Ross Pride lions sharing this rather small meal. Quite unexpectedly, guests watched as the former Ross Pride leader, the Good, came waltzing in to the scene and began feeding. As per usual, there was a lot of snarling, snapping and growling between the lions, but other than that, the Good was tolerated at the kill. It wasn’t a large meal between them, and once they had finished the last of it, they rested briefly before moving off to find water and shade.

The Good leads a semi-nomadic lifestyle at this point in his life after he was chased off his territory. He is seen every now and then joining his two older sons known as the Ross Males, and now here he was joining his younger Ross Pride offspring and one adult female. It is a possibility that the Good might join the Ross Males and form a coalition, as this will make them stronger. Otherwise, he could maintain this somewhat nomadic life he is living at the moment. He knows not to venture too deeply into Trilogy territory, however, as this will not be tolerated by the leading lions!

Watch the Instagram video clip of the Good coming in to join the kill here.

Week in Pictures : On the Move

Over the past couple of weeks both our Hoedspruit and Cape Town offices have moved. Friday is normally our day for “week in pictures” but we were on the move so we shifted the day! In celebrating the art of movement and being on the move, this week we bring you photos of nature caught in a moment of moving.

From sunsets sinking into the horizon to water exploding from the jaw of a hippo; it’s all about moving forward!

We hope you’ve had a fantastic weekend and enjoy this week’s edition of “week in pictures” ! This week we’re letting the pictures do the talking…

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Ezulwini Game Lodges

nThambo Tree Camp

Africa on Foot

A Cheetah in Front of Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge

It’s a rare privilege to spot a lone and elusive cheetah while out on game drive. Cheetahs are delicate, slender cats that differ somewhat from other brutish feline species. They’re the sprinters of the wildlife kingdom and are often mistaken for leopards due to their similar rosette patterned coat. These solitary cats can reach speeds of up to 110km per hour which makes them the fastest land mammal. The sprint consumes plenty of energy which means most of the day they’re found taking cat naps in order to harness their much needed hunting energy. They’ll shy away from the heat by seeking out shaded areas and drainage lines; which offer protection. I guess the drainage line outside Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge was the ideal location for our complex feline.

It’s not often we see these delicate creatures but Ezulwini have been incredibly lucky with their cat sightings recently. They’ve seen mega-prides of lions and leaps of leopard over the past few days. The only cat sighting they were missing was a cheetah – they didn’t have to look far !

Guests staying at Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge heard the impala emitting a series of alarm calls. With all the recent leopard and lion sightings, there was an assumption it would be one of these super-predators. How wrong they were. Right in front of the lodge, close to a drainage line, was a male cheetah estimated to be roughly 8/9 years old ! Notice how he is slightly perched on a mound of sand. These delicate pussy cats often place themselves in elevated areas so they can survey the landscape for potential threats from the comfort of their “throne”.

Cheetah are diurnal hunters and use their speed to chase prey, which is mainly small species of antelope. Hunting is normally done in the early hours of the morning during first light or just before the sun sets. Cheetah have incredibly bad night vision and don’t have the strength to compete with bigger cats which hunt nocturnally. Being slight also means they don’t have the strength to fight off aggressive carnivores and scavengers.

Perhaps this lone ranger was waiting until it got cooler to prepare his dinner…

A cheetah outside of Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge? That certainly qualifies as one of the top sightings of the day!

Three’s a Crowd : Ezulwini Leopard Extravaganza

Game viewing in Africa is an unpredictable affair. In the space of an hour you might get to witness a predator kill and see the big five. The next day you might only see a herd of anxious impala. This is why a safari is a complete adventure. Your game ranger and tracker study the behaviour and patterns of animals in the wild; and do their best to deliver on your sightings. However, with nature, NOTHING is reliable !

Over the weekend the game drives at Ezulwini enjoyed sightings of epic proportions. We certainly don’t think anyone could have predicted 3 different leopard sightings in one day! Leopards are notoriously aloof and any sighting of our precious Panthera pardus species is worth reporting.

Going on safari and seeing the wildlife on your checklist is about luck, your guide’s tracking skills and the adventure of unpredictable Africa. Over the weekend, luck was on Ezuwlini’s side. The Balule Nature Reserve delivered an abundance of leopard sightings for Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge and Ezulwini River Lodge.

Here’s a summary of Ezulwini’s leopard extravanganza:

1. Chavaluthu and Unknown Female: The handsome blue-eyed boy of the Balule was seen just before Valentine’s day. The powerful, unmistakable rasp of his contact call was heard before the team spotted him. There was a female in close proximity to where he was perched but she was incredibly skittish! Jochen and Mira managed to get a quick sliver of the unknown leopardess on camera before she disappeared into the wilderness.

2. Chavaluthu: Chavaluthu was seen again on Valentine’s day. This time he was resting, conserving his energy for patrolling his territory and ambushing potential prey. Leopards sleep during the heat of the day and hunt under the cover of darkness. The unknown female was heard fumbling in the thickets but she was too shy to come out. On the same day, another leopardess was spotted. She was quite relaxed and used to the game viewer. This beautiful leopardess is called the Van Wijk’s female and had no problem posing for the camera ! That’s 3 leopards in one day !

3. Unknown Leopardess : After leaving the area where Chavaluthu was resting, rangers headed out to one of the dams on the Ezulwini traverse, where big cats are often spotted. They saw a journey of giraffe assume a statue like pose and focus on something on the banks of the dam. A leopardess sauntered towards the water’s edge and had a drink, alarming the tower of giraffe. Seems like a bit of a Mexican stand-off !

This weekend has been a winner in terms of leopard sightings at Ezulwini River Lodge and Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge. What an extravaganza!

Ross Pride Breakaway Lionesses FINALLY Find a Meal

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states that humans are motivated by basic physiological needs, one of which is food. This certainly rings true in the animal kingdom – the fight for food and survival is tough. Only the strong survive! On Saturday night, the hungry Ross Pride lionesses satisfied one of their primary needs by taking down a buffalo, right in front of guests at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp!

The Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses are the ultimate heroines of the Klaserie. Their story is an interesting tapestry of Shakespearian tragedies, comedy of errors and dramas. They continuously bounce back from natural setbacks and always come back stronger than before.

Just recently the Hercules Pride of lions attacked one of the Ross Pride Breakaway lionesses, leaving her quite scarred. The girls kept a low profile for a while and avoided any territory perceived to be that of the Hercules tyrants. Rangers from our Klaserie camps have reported an abundance of Ross Pride Breakaway sightings, which is a clear indicator that the girls have regained their confidence and prowess.

Last week we shared photos of the Ross Pride Breakaways looking quite skinny. It is clear they needed to make a kill and enjoy a hearty feast ! Lo and behold, on Saturday night an epic kill happened right in front of guests. According to Greg Moran, an Africa on Foot ranger, here’s what went down:

“The kill was over quickly. We were watching buffalo crossing an open area and knew the Ross ladies were behind them. Next minute we had the spotlight on the back of the herd and the two lions were half a metre behind a buffalo ! I don’t think the lions could believe their luck and almost didn’t know what to do. Then the bellowing started and we witnessed the kill.”

An incredible sighting for guests. We’ve also just heard that one of the Trilogy boys has been hanging around the Ross Breakaways and attempting to mate with one of them. She has rejected his advances but he is a Trilogy, which means there will be persistence from his side !

Valentine’s Day : 4 Monogamous Animals Seen on Safari

The plump little cherub with his single heart-shaped arrow will be making his annual appearance on the 14th February. Every year, without fail, Cupid appears on just about every piece of paraphernalia. In our eager world of consumerism, we lap it up and keep Cupid in business. Welcome to Valentine’s day, a day when many choose to celebrate their love, in whatever shape and form. There is still a huge sector of human society which chooses to follow and strive for monogamous relationships. Did you know that monogamy is prevalent in the animal kingdom?

In southern Africa there are numerous species of animals that pair for life. They’re the natural monogamists of the safari world and they comprise carnivorous predators, plains game, scavengers and even birds.

1.Black-backed Jackals

Black-backed jackals mate together for life and they thrive on equality and a sense of easy symmetry. Both male and female defend their territories and wander in pairs. The male fights off aggressive males and the female wards off intrusive females. Both sexes work hard to forage, scent mark and protect the stability of their young.

While on a mobile safari in Botswana with Africa Ecco Safaris, a pack of jackal was spotted scavenging for carrion. This behaviour is quite common but is more an aggregation than a formalised social structure like that of lions, elephants and buffalo. Jackal prefer to traverse their territory in pairs.

If the partner dies, the jackal will dwell in solitude until it has met another mate. Now isn’t that romantic?

2. Bateleur Eagle

The term “Bateleur” is derived from a French word meaning tightrope walker. This colourful and bold eagle is aptly named because of its aerial acrobatics. It’s the most commonly sighted snake eagle and they spend up to 8 hours a day circling the air for prey. A pair will mate for life and remain in the same nest for up to 7 years.

The focus is to build a nest and it’s quite an elaborate affair. A bundle of sturdy sticks are used to build a platform in the fork of tree and this nest is often visited by unattached adults !

3. African Wild Dog

Wild dogs are socially cohesive carnivores which form family units referred to as packs or clans. The alpha pair in the pack are the only two which will mate and bear offspring. The rest of the clan have specific roles to play in the rearing of the young and this can vary from babysitting to hunting.

These endangered nomadic dogs, with their beautifully painted fur are heavily focussed on ensuring the family unit stays in tact and that the pups survive. In massive clans of wild dogs, another female may choose to mate.

Just recently in the Kruger, a clan of wild dogs, led by an alpha pair was seen at nThambo Tree Camp. The African wild dog is nomadic, so seeing them is considered a rare sighting.

4. Klipspringer

The klipspringer is one of the smallest species of antelope and many mistake it for being a juvenile. Directly translated the term “klipspringer” means “rock jumper”. Found in abundance throughout rocky terrain in southern Africa, these spritely antelope fall into the pair-for-life category. They stand on the tips of their hooves which allows them to balance on uneven rocky surfaces and can often be found perched on the top of rocky outcrops.

Klipspringers travel as a pair and rotate duties; implying that theirs is a balanced relationship. While one klipspringer rests on top of a rocky mound, the other will survey the landscape and watch out for possible threats.

The need to find a soul-mate is rife within certain species of wildlife, but we’ve yet to see commercial outlets in the human world with heart-shaped balloons bearing pictures of black-backed jackals.

Valentine’s Day Special: Love Blossoms in the Bush

There’s no denying that khaki fever is a reality. Much the same as a uniformed soldier, pilot, ship captain, or Navy SEAl, a game ranger donning khakis, epaulets, and a t-shirt tan evokes an undeniable response from mere civillians. Just like animal instinct, the most primal laws of attraction apply in the bush, and one would be surprised at how often those khaki uniforms do the trick!

This Valentine’s Day, we’re bringing the romance back home; to the world of safari, where hairy legs and Leathermans are always on display, and a good knowledge of bird calls and animal tracks will win you a mate. For these couples, the safari life was the end of their single life. Love blossoms in the bush: this is the irrefutable truth!

Jennifer Harman and Greg Moran

Greg, a Zimbabwe-born-and-raised redhead, had a lot to prove in the South African world of field guiding. Joining Bushwise as a student in 2014, he put his Shona-speaking, Zimbo-tracking skills to the test, and fellow student, Jen, could not help but succumb to the khaki spell! Jen, a determined learner and lover of nature, had embarked on her own career in the bush, and found herself surrounded by inexperienced youths getting to grips with the latin names for trees and identifying lion tracks from a book.

A resistence to the khaki charm was building up inside her, as her position on the inside revealed the less impressive side of safari: a game-ranger in training. Her knowledge outshone that of her male counterparts, and her standards rose above the instinctual appeal of a khaki uniform. Through the olive green gloom, Greg’s red hair glowed like a beacon of hope in Jen’s jaded eyes. Before Greg could believe his luck, Jennifer Harman was once again ‘whipped’ by the irresistible charisma of a game ranger.

A brief period of unbearable separation succeeded their graduation from Bushwise, as Greg entered his apprenticeship at Africa on Foot and Jen found work elsewhere. This was not to last more than a couple of months, as Greg insisted that he could not work without his safari sweetheart, and Jen arrived at Africa on Foot where their love continues to blossom in the bush!

Courteney and Cecilia Blunden

Cecilia stood no chance as the the receptionist at a Lion Sands game lodge when the khaki-clad Courteney Blunden strolled in. Youthful good looks and and a cheeky grin bode well for this game ranger whose larger than life confidence and wicked sense of humour put him on a fine line between charming and bumptious! Luckily for Courteney, blonde and beautiful Cecilia also had a sense of humour (as well as her own field guide qualification), and it wasn’t long before the couple made the decision to move north and start their own safari operation.

Five years later, Courteney and Cecilia had thrived under the testing circumstances of primitive bush life in tents alongside their rangers, with a temperamental water supply and an outdoor shower that conducted electricity! The beginnings of what was to become the winner of South Africa’s Best Walking Safari was underway, and if it wasn’t for their mutual love of the bush, a sense of adventure, and perseverance, Africa on Foot might never have come about.

nThambo Tree Camp emerged as their second successful safari camp, and 5 years after they met, this khaki couple tied the knot, before having their son, Joshua, in 2012.

Chloe Cooper and Kevin MacLaughlin

A classic case of ‘city girl succumbs to the ways of nature’: Cape Town-bred, Chloe, graduated from university and fled the city in search of something new, only to become so wrapped up in the wild world that she sold her car to study Field Guiding 101. Eyes widened by the charismatic colour of khaki, and the rifle-handling, bird-spotting, dung inspecting boys of the bush, she knew she had to have more.

When Chloe arrived at nThambo Tree Camp for work, Kevin was the safari guide on duty. Wise enough not to dip his pen in the company ink, yet foolish enough not to ask for her hand in marriage right then and there, Kevin endured two years of polite laughter and subtle flirtation, while Chloe fought hard to hide her attraction to Kevin’s expert safari knowledge.

All this was to come to an end when, one day, Chloe and Kevin were partnered up for a work assignment into the highly romanticised Botswana. Unbeknownst to the boss, this was a courtship 2 years in the making, and it didn’t take more than one night of camping and a victory for their home rugby team for the couple to celebrate in confessing their undying love! A year later, Chloe abandoned the city in favour of a life in the bush, where she and Kevin continue to journey into the African wild together.

Licia Minnaar and Marius Zeilinga

As if conducting game drives through the wild Kruger bushveld is not appealing enough, imagine bonding over endangered cheetahs and various other animal rescues, all the while donning the khaki uniform proven to weaken the knees. Licia’s wide smile and twinkling baby blues were no match for Marius who entered as a guide at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, 5 years Licia’s junior.

Marius started working as a professional field guide (i.e. dressed in khaki), while Licia was the assistant animal curator (also in khaki). Working in Marius’ favour were his enormously broad shoulders and impressive height – there was no way he wouldn’t get noticed! Blonde, beautiful, and with a job feeding cheetahs, Licia was a catch Marius couldn’t afford to miss.

Sure enough, four years down the line, the couple works together at Umkumbe Safari Lodge. Marius maintains it was love at first sight, and Licia can be sure that falling for the young ranger was not only a matter of khaki fever, but a matter of the heart!