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Leopards Galore at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp!

What a weekend it’s been! No, we are not referring to the kickoff of the Rugby World Cup, but instead to the unbelievable number of leopard interactions that have taken place right in front of our eyes here in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Guide at Africa on Foot, Mike Beard, recounts the last 3 days of game drives and reveals that they have enjoyed no less than 8 leopard sightings!

Yesterday afternoon, a female leopard was spotted in a tree with the remains of an impala hanging lifelessly next to her. An incredible sight of this spotted cat, which is renowned for stashing its kill in trees and for its arboreal preferences. The leopardess had a cub nearby, which had been seen the previous evening with its mother in a drainage line, also guarding a kill.

Both Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp got to enjoy the leopards behaving in a wonderfully relaxed manner, until something unexpected happened: a third leopard joined the sighting, much to the displeasure of the mother leopard who was defending her kill in a tree. Guests watched as the leopardess snarled and hissed at the vegetation below – a clear indication that there was a potential threat hidden in the bush. After a quick investigation of the area, the third leopard was found keeping its distance from the aggressive female in the tree. Rumour has it that this leopard has a kill in a tree not too far away, and now the 2 females are rubbing shoulders with one another’s territories.

This happened on 2 occasions over the weekend, the last time being this morning when photographer, Kevin MacLaughlin, took a group of guests out to where the kill was stashed in the tree. Lo and behold, the lady-leopard was snoozing alongside her prize, until something in the bush alerted her and she sat up and began to glare towards the ground and hiss, unimpressed. Again, the intruder stayed hidden in the bush and a confrontation was avoided… for now.

A tribute to the Black Mambas APU on World Rhino Day

Every day should hold some reminder to the world that our wildlife is in danger, and that animals such as rhinos are dropping like flies in areas that are meant to protect them. Sadly, this is the reality due to the incomprehensible demand for rhino horn that is engulfing the Kruger Park’s population of rhino like a devastating tsunami. Just like a tsunami, the poaching situation in South Africa brings incredible danger to all that fall in its path. On World Rhino Day, we would like to acknowledge, admire, celebrate, and congratulate one team of individuals who throw themselves into the firing line of this war on rhinos, and are actively preventing the poaching of these endangered animals every single day.

The Black Mambas anti-poaching unit has been written about, interviewed, filmed, and photographed recently as their name grows famous in not only the field of conservation, but in the world as a whole. On the 27th of September, this hard-working team of wildlife protectors will receive a prestigious accolade from the United Nations for their work in anti-poaching: the Champions of the Earth award. It is with pride and admiration that we will watch the Black Mambas accept this award as recognition and reward for the impeccable manner in which they do their extremely demanding jobs all for the good of saving the rhino.

Based in the Balule Private Game Reserve and sponsored by Ezulwini Game Lodges, the Black Mambas are a team of women from the local community who work for 3 weeks at a time protecting the Balule from poacher activity. Dressed in full camo, these rangers take to the ground on foot and actively remove snares, inspect the fence line, bust poachers’ camps, and report any sign of suspicious activity to the authorities. Not one single rhino has been poached in the period of time that the Black Mambas have been patrolling their territory, and in addition, thousands of snares have been removed from the bush, poachers have been arrested, and their camps destroyed. Most importantly, the Black Mambas are an example to the community of the importance of local involvement in the fight against poaching. We salute you!

Week in Pics: The Bold and the Beautiful

Delving into the lion pride dynamics of the Ross pride or trying to figure out Mxabene the leopard’s latest conquest is like trying to figure out the plot of a banal soap opera. There is always plenty of drama in the world of lions of leopards. What happens in the wild is endearing yet unforgiving at the same time.

The more you study our big cats, the more you come to realise what incredible instincts, intelligence and sense of family these creatures possess. The more big cat knowledge you have, the more you become attached to their life. You become familiar with the same characters and the similar themes. And believe me, a cat saga can drag on for years.

This week we’ve witnessed a newcomer into the world of leopards and a re-uniting of a lion pride. Let the soap opera begin!

This week’s leopard drama in Sabi Sand

Unkumbe Safari Lodge offers its visitors the opportunity to view of wealth of wildlife in one of the most sought after reserves in South Africa. We focus on leopard sightings because there is abundance of the panthera pardis species patrolling the the traverse. Leopards are notoriously elusive, so it’s fitting to share the leopard sightings when they happen. And this just seems to happen constantly !

This week we’ve had a new development in the world of leopards. Out of the blue, a beautifully patterned leopardess called “Warthog Wallow” made her way across from Sabi Sabi and onto Umkumbe territory. She had clear intentions of wanting to copulate with Mxabene, a commonly sighted leopard who patrols the Umkumbe turf. Both leopards were caught mating in front of the lodge.

Warthog Wallow is quite a heavyset female and you certainly wouldn’t want to cross paths with her. Mxabene sired two cubs with local lass, White Dam, who was last seen on an impala kill with the kids. Since the appearance of the third party, White Dam has moved further south of the property.

Just when we thought we had a handle of what was going on in leopard world, we received reports of another leopard on the prowl. This time it was a male called Bicycle Crossing. He was literally sauntering across the gravel paths outside the lodge. He has been spotted on occasion but prefers a cameo appearance opposed to a leading role. This adds a bit of spice to the dynamic. Mxabene seems to have his choice of females of his turf – what will happen if he runs into the Bicylce Crossing male? Male leopards do have a far wider range than females and their territories do overlap. Hopefully their territories are not too intertwined.

If you are interested in the leopards of Sabi Sand, then keep checking our blog for updates and stories. Let’s keep our eye on this Bicycle Crossing male – he is 13.5 years old and has plenty of experience. Smooth mover. Stay tuned for the next episode.

This week’s lion drama in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve

Lions thrive more on social cohesion than leopards and form tightly woven bonds with their pride. They play together, raise cubs together and hunt together. They will go to great lengths to preserve their pride dynamics and greatly fear the splintering of a pride. They’ll fight for survival.

So, what happened during the course of the week with the Ross pride breakaway females, the Hercules pride, the Ross pride and the Trilogy?

The two Ross pride breakaway female sisters were seen relaxing in the thicket, when the cubs came out to play. We can happily report that the cubs are alive and well. And yes, we have video footage. Click here to watch the Ross pride lion cub video

Here are a few other lion highlights from the week:

9 lions decided they wanted in on a buffalo kill. The Ross pride, the breakaways and the Trilogy appear to be a strange, fractured family unit. The two Trilogy boys and the Ross pride breakaways feasted on the carcass. Later, they were joined by the lone lioness who has been seen hanging out with both the breakaway females and the Ross pride. After the feasting began, the remainder of the original Ross pride joined the dinner party. Will this pride re-unite or are there too many issues to unpack? Click here to read about the events that unfolded while the lions were feasting on the buffalo kill.

During the course of the day yesterday, the Hercules pride were spotted in the vicinity of a carcass which was being annihilated by a kettle of 300 vultures. We haven’t seen much of the Hercules pride, but they didn’t hang around for long.

If you are interested in the lions of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, then keep checking our blog for lion updates and stories. Let’s keep our eye on what happens with the Trilogy and the Ross pride. Stay tuned for the next episode.

9 Lions want in on a buffalo kill in Klaserie

A huge amount of lion activity went down yesterday morning, and this time it wasn’t of the ‘two cute cubs’ variety…

The Ross breakaway lionesses (one of whom is a new mother) and two of the Trilogy males were found by the nThambo Tree Camp dream team, Matt and Isaak. The foursome was found feeding off a buffalo carcass, and were exhibiting some serious vocalisations. Even though these lions are close and are somewhat of a pride, there is no love lost between them when it comes to feeding. The males were dominating the carcass and the breakaway females were hanging back desperately awaiting their turn to feed. Watch the clip portraying the vicious snarling that took place between the lions and lioness at the carcass!

Next to join the party was a third lioness, whom we have come to know as a recent acquaintance of the breakaway lionesses (read up on when and where we met her here). This female is full of attitude and she knows how to fend for herself. This time was no different, as she defended her position on the buffalo carcass despite the threatening growls and lashes of the 2 big males who clearly did not want to share the meal. Jacques, from nThambo Tree Camp, captured some video footage of her fighting for her place, which demonstrates just how brutal feeding time is for wild lions. We also observed how the Ross breakaway lioness obediently submits to the male lion’s warning to stay off his buffalo feast.

By this stage we’ve tallied up a total of 5 lions at the kill site, and what’s more is that 4 members of the Ross Pride had picked up the scent of the carcass and were noisily approaching about 100-200m from the carcass. Surrounded by lion vocalisations, Africa on Foot and nThambo guests sat tight and counted 9 lions within 200m of each other – tensions were running high!

After a short inspection, the 4 Ross Pride lions turned and retreated from the scene. One of the lionesses looks in desperate need of some nourishment, and hopefully the small pride pulls off a successful kill soon… without the domineering presence of the Trilogy males!

Leopard Drama: Warthog Wallow is Smitten with Mxabene

Two weeks ago guests from Umkumbe Safari Lodge witnessed an incredible leopard event that we’ve jotted as “one for the books”. White Dam and her two cubs killed an impala. Despite their innate hunting skills and finely tuned stalking methods, leopards often prove to be an easy target for pesky hyenas! In this instance, a giggling hyena stole the kill from White Dam and her family. However, a leopard never gives up and is relentless in its quest to hang onto its hard-earned meal. White Dam’s son, the fearless of the two cubs, stole the kill back from the hyenas and scurried up a tree to hide his family’s dinner. The sighting proved to be quite a comedy of errors.

It is rumoured that Umkumbe’s favourite male leopard, Mxabene, sired White Dam’s cubs. October last year we saw White Dam and Mxabene mating right outside the lodge. Perhaps this is where the male cub inherited his hunting prowess.

White Dam is out of the picture now that Mxabene has another female admirer. It appears that the leopardess and her cubs have moved further south of the property. We do know that leopards are solitary creatures and go to great lengths to avoid each other. White Dam probably sensed there was a third party and vacated the area. A leopardess who we don’t see often – Warthog Wallow. She’s been stalking Mxabene, making it clear she wants to mate. Mxabene has been seen patrolling his territory and it appears Warthog Wallow was in hot pursuit of this eligible leopard. Warthog Wallow is normally seen on Sabi Sabi but crossed over because of Mxabene. Both leopards were caught mating right in front of the lodge but not before they were spotted attempting to take down a rather succulent bush buck. What a fantastic dinner date for this pair.

Will we see cubs in the not to distant future? You just never know with the leopards of Sabi Sand!

VIDEO: Newest Ross lion cubs in the Klaserie

Fantastic news is that the notably pregnant lioness belonging to the Ross breakaway duo has given birth, and even better news is that we’ve seen the cubs! We posted an update yesterday of the sightings we’ve had thus far, plus the last litter of cubs born to a Ross breakaway female. Check that out here.

Just over 2 weeks ago these babies were spotted for the first time by guests at nThambo Tree Camp while out on game drive. Pat Saunders from the USA got some images of the mother lioness carrying her little ones in her mouth, one at a time. She was in the process of moving her little bundles of joy to a new den site, so as to keep predators off their scent.

Then, Thursday last week, the second glimpse of the youngsters was announced as Africa on Foot and nThambo guests watched through the thick bush as, once again, mother lion carried the cubs in her mouth. As lucky as we were to have seen as much into this intimate world of motherhood in the wild, we could not have predicted that this morning we would get to capture the 2 little ones and the adult lionesses on video!

Luck was on Greg and Kevin’s side this morning as they set off in the Sun Destinations filming vehicle to capture the 2 Ross breakaway lionesses on video. They couldn’t have known that while they sat admiring the 2 adult lions that those 2 tiny cubs would make an appearance from the bush! They had their wits about them and managed to get this fantastic footage of the happy family. Take a look…

Goshawk Poaching Prey from a Honey Badger

The Kalahari is a place where some of the most interesting relationships between different species is revealed. There is evidence of symbiosis all over the bush, but somewhat famously, the honey badger provides for a variety of different species as it goes about its business foraging through the Kalahari scrub. On a mobile journey with Afrika Ecco Safaris, guests had the pleasure of camping in Deception Valley for 3 nights before moving on to the Makgadikgadi Pans, the Delta, Moremi… the list goes on! One early morning game drive through this slice of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, our attention was drawn to the rising dust and the flutter of wings just ahead.

A juvenile pale-chanting goshawk exhibiting its tawny plumage and distinctive, sharp, yellow eyes landed on the ground right next to the dust cloud, which was revealed to be the result of a digging honey badger! This interesting symbiotic relationship is well developed in the Kalahari habitat where both species thrive in the semi-arid environment. The vicious little creature we know as the honey badger, or ratel, is famous for getting its way and its clawed paws are highly adept at digging. Out here in the wide open Deception Valley, many other creatures take full advantage of the honey badger’s bulldozer-like foraging skills and snatch up any creatures that make a break from the honey badgers menacing claws.

The pale-chanting goshawk is on the look out for small mammals, rodents, and reptiles that emerge from their hiding places in the low-lying vegetation and holes in the sand to evade the honey badger, and if the goshawk is lucky, it is fast enough to make a meal out of them! Goshawks are also known to follow snakes like Cape cobras for the same reasons, and it has been reported that as many as 6 goshawks have followed a single badger in the hopes of catching a free meal. Take a look at the footage captured by cinematographer Kevin MacLaughlin as Afrika Ecco guests enjoyed watching this commensalistic relationship in action.

11 Curious Wild Dog Pups Seen at Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Due to human/animal conflict, habitat fragmentation and a host of natural infectious diseases; the African wild dog has become an endangered species. Fondly referred to as “painted dogs’, these canines are a delight to witness in the wild. Knowing that you are viewing an endangered species happily living and roaming free in the wild is one of nature’s finest gifts.

When guests and rangers stumble across wild dog clans, the occasion is always momentous. Coupled with their protected species status, wild dogs are also nomadic which means the chances of spotting a pack is fairly rare. Guests at Umkumbe Safari Lodge were in the enviable position of being out on game drive when a clan of curious wild dogs and their pups approached the vehicle. There were 10 adults and 11 pups in total and the incident was quite amusing. The pack is referred to as the “Sabi Sands pack”.

When wild dogs den it’s generally the only time of year they settle into an area for a lengthy period of time. A den site is usually a disused aardvark burrow and the dogs will hang around the area for up to 12 weeks, after which they will resume their nomadic lifestyle. Pups are vulnerable while young and need protection against opportunistic predators. The denning period is normally in winter time which is from May to August. During the winter the vegetation is sparse and prey is easier to spot, making it less tricky to hunt for much needed food. Dogs may move the den site if the area comes under threat from predators and unwanted visitors.

Reproduction is monopolised by the alpha female and male. The rest of the sub-ordinate adults engage in something called cooperative breeding. This means they take turns in looking after the young. The roles they play in raising the pups vary and include anything from den guards to hunters. The members of the pack who hunt will provide regurgitated chunks of meat to the mothers who stay with the pups until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

Wild dogs roam a vast territory and, on average, there are 10 – 15 dogs in a pack. With the lack of fences in the surrounding area it means the dogs are able to traverse a wide range.

This was an incredible sighting and quite a gift from the Sabi Sand Reserve. Thanks to ranger Bradley Chambers for the video and images!

Lioness seen carrying her tiny cubs

Well, our pregnant lioness from the Ross breakaway duo has indeed given birth to cubs after sporting a very heavy belly about a month ago. We reported seeing her on numerous occasions indulging in some buffalo and then some warthog with her sister and a third unknown lioness. The Trilogy males have mated with both the breakaway Ross females in the past, and it is assumed that the pregnant lioness was carrying some young Trilogy blood in her womb.

About 2 weeks ago, guests at nThambo Tree Camp were treated to something incredibly special the lioness emerged from the dry, winter vegetation carrying a tiny bundle in her mouth. It is a rare sight to see lionesses during this very intimate period of motherhood, but the relaxed state of these 2 lionesses around our game viewers has resulted in some exceptional sightings indeed!

A guest from nThambo Tree Camp (Pat Saunders from the USA) had her camera at the ready when the new mother came into sight carrying one of her tiny cubs in her mouth. She would have been moving her babies to a new den site, just to keep predators off their scent.

A ‘lying up’ period is endured by lion cubs (among other baby animals) at the start of their lives in which time they remain hidden from the world while they continue to develop. Their mother will visit them at the den site and feed them and groom them until they are old enough to emerge into the wild. They are at incredibly high risk, and a lion cub’s mortality rate is 50%, so it only has half a chance of surviving to adulthood. Last year in November, the second Ross breakaway lioness gave birth to cubs and we managed to see them briefly before they must have died. nThambo guide, Luan Oosthuizen, managed to capture these photos of the previous cubs born.

Luckily, since this initial sighting, we have had a second sighting of the lioness with her 2 cubs! Once again, she was seen carrying the little one in her mouth and was busy moving them to yet another den site. Jacques Briam, guide at nThambo Tree Camp, managed to glimpse the lioness through the bush and took a photo – evidence that her cubs are still alive and well. Watch this space and on Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp Facebook pages for updates!

Week in Pictures: It’s a Wild World

The week has drawn to a close, but the action doesn’t stop out here in the bush where life is delightfully unpredictable. Yesterday morning, guests at nThambo Tree Camp headed out for their morning game drive in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve when the bush offered up something most incredible: a mother lioness was seen moving her 2 tiny cubs from one hiding place to another. A secretive act that we are so lucky to see can pass by in a second, while other sightings, such as a sunset spent with a herd of buffalo, a baby elephant trying testing how fast his legs could take him, and the rarest cat of all – the cheetah – giving guests a most relaxed sighting.

The Sabi Sand is always alive with leopards, and our team at Umkumbe Safari Lodge has become quite familiar with a few of them. A surprising twist this week was the arrival of a couple of lions from the Matshipiri Pride, and lion fans delighted in the big cat change of scenery. A sneaky hyena and a gorgeous sunset completed the picture for a holiday well spent in the South African bush.

Another renowned spot for lions and leopards is the epic Savute Marsh in Botswana’s Chobe National Park. The water has dried up, as it is known to do quite erratically, and the game is making moves towards waterholes to quench their thirst. Camp Savuti, an unpretentious safari retreat in a prime spot on the Savuti Channel, has enjoyed the presence of big male lions calling all through the night. Guides located the lions immediately the next morning – 2 males not far from each other – and guests enjoyed watching as one walked right passed the vehicle!

On a tour of Moremi Game Reserve with Afrika Ecco Safaris, a smorgasbord of predator sightings, elephants at sunset, honey badgers digging for termites, and rare birds swooping over the lagoon presented itself much to the joy of guests and guides alike. Catch up with all of Kruger’s and Botswana’s incredible wildlife sightings for this week, and ease into the weekend. It’s a wild world out there!

Camp Savuti

Afrika Ecco Safaris

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Africa on Foot

nThambo Tree Camp