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Week in Pictures: Big Cat Crazy

It’s the end of another week in the bush and we’ve skimmed the cream off the top of 4 safari camps that have outdone themselves with sightings this week. The Greater Kruger lion activity is out of this world, and we can’t wait to watch new alliances develop and unfold, plus, we’re expecting the arrival of a number of cubs! At nDzuti Safari Camp, guests watched 2 pregnant lionesses stalking some impala near the Klaserie River (we posted the video on their Facebook page!), and in the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp traverse, we’ve been seeing a lot of pregnant female number 3! Belonging to the Ross pride breakaway duo, this lioness was mating with a Trilogy male a while ago and is now boasting quite a serious belly. Holding thumbs!

Umkumbe Safari Lodge has the pleasure of starting everyday in full view of the Sand River, which this week, has been visited by herds of elephants and a pair of male lions. One barely feels the need to head out on game drive given the action at the lodge, but what they find out there is well worth it! Leopard cub, Kigelia, is thriving and has been seen with a kill on a number of occasions. This week, guests enjoyed a moment with her after dark, and got to know just why the Sabi Sand is such a special place. A few young lions also spent some time in the Umkumbe traverse this week, which was fantastic. The 4 sub-adults belonged to the Ximhungwe Pride and have since stepped out on their own.

We received perhaps the greatest gift from the big cat gods this week when a lone male cheetah took to stalking impala just outside of nThambo Tree Camp. A female leopard and her cub were tracked down to their throne on top of a termite mound, and both cats were so relaxed with a steenbok kill nearby that Africa on Foot guests could really get some superb photos. These highlights among other top notch sightings are all included in this week’s Week in Pictures. Enjoy!

nThambo Tree Camp

nDzuti Safari Camp

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Africa on Foot

Safari Shopping at Africa on Foot

When you’re on vacation, there is nothing more rewarding than spending your hard-earned on money on a few locally made souvenirs. They’re small reminders of your much needed vacation and it’s always nice to bring back a trinket or two for friends and family. We’ve also stocked our curio shop with essential safari items such as warm fleeces, peak caps and even suncream. Despite the time you’ve spent oggling over what to pack for your safari, there’s a strong possibility you may have forgotten to pack an item.

We have an incredible range of khaki shirts in a hue of colours. They are the same shirts the game rangers wear while out in the bush, which means you can emulate the look of your ranger. In addition to this, we have a range of stylish safari dresses which are ideal to slip on over a swimsuit when you walk from the swimming pool to the bar in the hot Summer months.

The beaded necklaces and handcrafted bangles are available in a kaleidoscope of colours. There is also an array of locally made leather handbags and bright “South Africa” branded bags.

Don’t come empty handed, we’re continuously adding new items. We accept both cash and credit cards!

Want to keep up to date with the new additions to our curio shop? Then follow our Pinterest board on “Safari Shopping : Africa on Foot“.

VIDEO: Trilogy male dominates Ross lionesses at buffalo kill

The lions have given the guests at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp a fantastic opportunity to watch them closely as they devoured an entire buffalo over the last couple of days. When guides first tracked the 2 Ross Pride breakaway lionesses and 1 Trilogy male to an area just off the road, we were excited to discover they had taken down a buffalo and were going to begin feeding. When lions eat, they stay at the carcass for as long as there is meat to be eaten, so we knew we were going to be able to view these big cats frequently over the following days, and so we did! It was incredible to watch the dynamics between the 2 lionesses and 1 male, and then watching a third unknown lioness enter the scene, and finally a second male lion also belonging to the Trilogy coalition.

Take a look at the video put together of the sighting guests had yesterday when the big male tucked in to feed. The close-knit group got touchy with one another, and the male kept the females off the kill while he was eating. One cheeky lioness who was new to the group determinedly held her ground and continued to feed next to the male despite his warning growls. In the end he allowed her to feed there, while the 2 Ross Pride breakaways kept their distance. Watch as the 2 lionesses were filmed inching closer to the male and the kill, pleading with him to be allowed to join the feast. Once the third lioness was full she took herself off to sleep the sisters attempted to enter, but once again were chased off by the Trilogy male.

Finally, in an impressively romantic gesture, the male gave the signal that he had finished feeding and the 2 lionesses were allowed to eat. Completely submissive to her leading man, one of the Ross breakaway females thanked the male with an affectionate nuzzle as she approached the remains of the buffalo to feed with her sister.

This morning, buffalo carcass no-more, the female lions made their way to Twala Dam to drink. Amazingly, the unknown lioness has stuck with the 2 Ross females, and we are beginning to wonder where this new found friendship will lead. We are assuming this lioness comes from the original Ross Pride, which fragmented over a year ago, and this is perhaps the making of a new pride. We will have to wait and see what happens, so watch this space for updates on the Klaserie lion activity!

Unusual Lion Sighting in Klaserie

It may not have started out as unusual when we discovered the 2 Ross Pride breakaway lionesses and one of the Trilogy males on a buffalo kill yesterday, but overnight a third lioness joined the mix and we are currently unsure about her identity. This is not all: One of the resident lionesses appears to be carrying a litter of cubs, while her sister has been the victim of a nasty fight and is sporting a badly swollen eye and a deep (but superficial) wound on her leg.

There has been talk of a lone female lion leaving her tracks and traces all over the traverse and guides and trackers have been suggesting and guessing who she might be for the last day or two. The unmistakable tracks of one of the big Trilogy males and the familiar twin tracks of the Ross Pride breakaway females led nThambo Tree Camp guests to a sighting of the 3 lions feeding on a freshly killed buffalo. The king was resting his jaw muscles and enjoying the shade, while a lioness with an exceptionally round tummy was tucking into the cavity of the buffalo. The third lion was also resting, and she was clearly in bad shape with an injured eye.

After enjoying this up-close and personal sighting with our familiar lions looking as hardcore as ever, guests moved off the sighting and headed to the lodge for dinner and some lion-chat around the fire. The Sun Destinations media team went out after dark to watch the lions feeding at night when they are most active. As we expected, all 3 lions were guarding the carcass with one of the females feeding energetically. We watched the cats under spotlight and the light of the waning gibbous moon, and the air was still except for the crunching of cartilage and bones. Then, out of the silence, an unfamiliar roar was heard quite a distance away. Our Trilogy male raised his great head off the ground and aimed a penetrating stare into the direction of the unknown lion. We geared up to capture his response on camera, but no such luck! This male just flopped his head down and went back to sleep.

Bright and early this morning, Matt and Jacques led their guests back to the lion sighting where, once again we were lucky to see some action. Two Africa on Foot guests opted for a morning game drive and got to join the sighting too. We could not have expected to see what we did, but sure enough, there was an additional lion at the sighting and she was not shy to tuck right into the carcass alongside one of the Ross Pride breakaway females. This is unusual, because the two lionesses have not been part of a pride for a long time and are always seen alone or with the Trilogy males. Last week they got into a fight with the Hercules lionesses (who have 4 cubs sired by one of the Trilogy males), which is where our one Ross female got her injuries from.

The third lioness is tatty and scarred, but she was relaxed with the game viewers and she had confidence. This creates the speculation that she might be one of the lionesses from the old Ross Pride. It is all a guessing game at this point, and we will be doing some research to figure out the truth and put the puzzle pieces together. Notice how aggressive the newcomer is and how submissive our injured Ross breakaway lioness is. Was this old looking female previously a dominant lioness of their pride?

Leopard and Her Cub in Klaserie

It was one of those nights in the Klaserie when all of a sudden the radio announces something you’ve been hoping for. After locating, losing, and relocating a female leopard in a drainage line area, teams at Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp were beginning to lose hope, until Matt’s excited yet controlled voice issued through the news we had been waiting for. The leopardess had come to rest on a termite mound and was seemingly ultra-relaxed.

After visiting a lazy Trilogy male lion and bumping into herds of elephants, the game drive had already been satisfactory, but when guests arrived at the scene of this beautiful spotted cat illuminated in the spotlight, everything else melted away. The story was that she had killed a steenbok and the carcass was lying nearby, just out of guests’ vision. Word was that this particular female is the mother of a cub, but it was not in the sighting… Not yet, anyway.

Matt pulled out of the sighting and handed the reigns to Mike who was waiting for the signal to bring Africa on Foot guests into position. A hum of excitement rose into the night air as cameras clicked away to capture the vision of this big cat relaxing in her territory. And then, a rustle from the foot of the termite mound sent the spotlight searching through the dry vegetation. Knowing that there were hyenas hanging around hoping to get a taste of this leopard’s dinner, we expected to see just that emerge from the darkness, but as Enoch’s sharp tracker-eyes adjusted to the light, what he announced was “another ingwe“.

Sure enough, it was her cub. The youngster bounded up the termite mound to greet its mother and remained there for a short while before targeting something down below and once again disappearing from sight. Feeling incredibly fortunate to have seen both a mother leopard and her cub, Africa on Foot guests headed back to camp for dinner and, no doubt, a photo sharing session!

A Safari After Dark

After taking your first conscious breath of the day as you wake up in the bush (and consequently smiling), the next conscious thought is more than likely “coffee”. Straight after that, you point your nose to the ground and investigate the evidence left behind by the creatures of the night.

This is the way things go for the guides at Africa on Foot. Mornings in the Klaserie have a pungent smell of possibility, and a definite air of enchantment. The chances are, you’ll go to bed with as wide a smile as you woke up, and you will have discovered and unearthed and absorbed a world of wonders only the bush can offer. Day after day, the tracks left on the sun burnt sand are examined and scrutinised for their meaning.

What occurs in the dead of night reveals the secrets of the wild, exposing the truth about what moves around while you sleep. At Africa on Foot, where wildlife is most welcome, guides have become accustomed to dodging the elephant dung, cleaning up after honey badgers, and ushering wandering antelope out of the lounge. Carrying a torch at night is a necessity, and keeping your ears pricked is advised, because there is certainly a motley gang of nocturnal visitors to look out for.

After battling curiosity, the guides set up a series of camera traps in strategic spots throughout the camp. We would call it cheating, but curiosity got the best of us too! The evidence shows that Africa on Foot is a hive of activity during the hours of darkness, and it is no wonder the guides are trained in the art of honey-badger-prevention. Take a look at this footage incriminating no less than 7 species marking their territory between the kitchen, the bar and the guest bedrooms. And right at the end, well, that’s why your days on safari end with such a smile.

Week in Pics: A Mixed Bag of Rare Sightings

Welcome to this week’s collection of “week in pics”. We’ve highlighted a few incredible moments that have happened while out on game drive. Enjoy!

Umkumbe Safari Lodge – Leopards:

We are acutely aware that one of the female leopards, White Dam, has cubs stashed away close to the property. She has been seen hovering around the area close to camp.

Little Bush’s cub has finally been named. Her name is Kigelia and she is seen on a regular basis. Our favourite male, Mxabene has been scarce but male leopards to have a propensity for exploring large territories.

Plains game is in abundance, galloping and hoofing it down to any available water sources on our traverse. It is Winter here, which means the rains have ceased and water is in demand.

Bird sightings are bountiful and this keeps our avid ornithologists happy.

nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot – Wild Dogs & Lion Cubs:

The wild dog pups finally emerged from their burrow – a sighting which delighted guests and rangers. Guests even saw how the pack rally together to feed the youngsters. The adults feast on a kill and regurgitate chunks of meat in order to feed the pups.

The Africa on Foot team spotted the Trilogy males and the Hercules pride of lions devouring a buffalo calf. The two Ross pride breakaway females were also seen in the vicinity and they were heard calling for each other.

Huge breeding herds of buffalo have been making their way down to Twala dam. There are so many of these large and powerful bovines that they are literally littering the banks of the dam.

The Klaserie is a bird lover’s paradise and keen twitchers will be elated to know that we’ve had spotted incredible flocks of birds over the past couple of days. Just yesterday we saw a martial eagle, saddle-billed stork and a yellow-billed stork.

nDzuti Safari Camp – Pangolin:

A definite highlight this week at camp is the sighting of a rare pangolin. Its protective armour and the ability to roll into a ball when under threat, makes it quite the curious creature to obseve.

We stumbled across yet another rare moment in mother nature. In the dead of night, we saw the pale male leopard sitting on the banks of the main dam. As we approached we heard the leopard barking at a hippo, who decided to bark back. Listening to the two of them “have words” with each other was yet another remarkable experience!

The birding and presence of plains game in our neck of the Klaserie Reserve is always remarkable. The main dam attracts a plethora of birdlife and sees plenty of kingfisher activity.

This week plenty of buffalo herds on the move and grumpy dagga boys have also been spotted.

Here are our choice selection of images from the week.

Sabi Sand Leopard Update from Umkumbe Rangers

The rangers from Umkumbe Safari Lodge are at the forefront of the scoop when it comes to leopard happenings within the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

Our efficient khaki clad rangers, who are talented wildlife photographers, have been hard at work feeding back information to the office based digital team. The Sabi region is leopard central, which means there’s never a dull moment in terms of leopard antics. For the curious cat lovers out there who are passionate about the slender panthera pardis species who roam the Umkumbe traverse, here is your much anticipated leopard update.

Litte Bush and Kigelia

Little Bush’s cub has finally been named. In the past we referred to her has “Little Bush cub” but she is now officially called Kigelia and is often seen around the western area of the Umkumbe property. Bradley Chambers told us that Kigelia is part of the scientific name for a sausage tree (Kigelia africana). Although Kigelia has been fervent in exploring her new found freedom, Little Bush hasn’t been seen in a while.

Mxabene Male

Max has been distant for a few weeks. Rangers speculate that he is hanging around neighbouring camps. Mxabene’s Houdini act of disappearing and re-appearing is not uncommon. The last time Max was spotted was when he was casually strolling along a drainage line. Male leopards traverse large territories, which means we’ll see this agile cat returning in the coming weeks.

White Dam Female

We all know that White Dam has cubs. She has been seen on a regular basis and her cubs are located close to the lodge. Leopard cubs are completely reliant on their mother and are vulnerable when young. A few weeks ago White Dam had a fight with Nottens female – this could have been because she was protecting her cubs. We hope her cubs enter into adulthood without any glitches and grow up to become stealthy hunters with eagle-eyed accuracy.

Nottens Female

Sightings of Nottens have been scarce. If she is around, then she is not making her presence known. The last time the rangers had a full sighting of Nottens was when she was on a duiker kill.

What’s New? Leopard Gossip

5 days ago rangers stumbled across a new female on their property – the Dudley female. She has never been seen on the Umkumbe traverse before, so this was quite an interesting sighting. She was badly injured due to a showdown with a leopard from a neighbouring property and most likely sought refuge in an area unknown to her.

Wild dogs hunt impala in Africa on Foot camp!

This was one of those ‘right place, right time’ mornings here in the bush, and although we are in an unfenced camp at Africa on Foot, we couldn’t have expected what happened in the lounge before the sun rose this morning…

A confused and exhausted impala found its way into the living area under Africa on Foot’s thatched roof where guests were swallowing the last of their coffee before heading out on a walking safari. As it finally found its feet and rangers helped to guide it out into the open, the unbelievable happened, and a hungry pack of wild dogs took their opportunity to take down the prey they had obviously been chasing before it wound up in Africa on Foot’s lounge!

When guide, Mike Beard, and filmmaker Kevin MacLaughlin, were gearing up to head out into the bush this morning, guests alerted them to a commotion in the main lodge area. An impala had come hurtling in and was stuck, unable to gain any traction on the screed flooring, and couldn’t move without slipping and collapsing. The animal was exhausted and panicked, and had obviously expended a lot of energy escaping the predators that were chasing it. Kevin explains what happened before the impala’s fateful exit from the lounge:

It was all a bit strange at first when the guests came to us and told us that there was an impala in the lodge. I didn’t think much of it because impala regularly hang around the lodge in the early hours of the morning. When I got there I saw that this animal was not only in the lodge, but in the lounge and about 30m away from it there were 4 wild dogs waiting for their chance.

The wild dogs were keeping their distance, as they are wary of humans, but they were keeping their eyes glued to the impala they had chased into a corner. Guests were in disbelief as they stood (just they had eaten dinner the night before) and watched as the next events unfolded…

Once the impala escaped from the lounge the dogs were quickly able to take it down in full view of the guests, and Mike and myself, as we all stood in awe while still holding a cup of coffee! An amazing moment we all got to witness, right on our doorstep.

As soon as everyone had managed to pick their jaws off the floor, they sprang into action and piled onto the game viewers in order to get a good view of the wild dogs devouring their meal. Mike and the team positioned the 2 game viewers so that guests got a full view of these 4 incredible dogs at work. Despite what many people think, wild dogs are superior hunters and their method of killing their prey is more efficient than that of a lion or leopard. In a matter of minutes, the entire carcass had been cleaned, and each of the 4 dogs was full to the brim. Watch the incredible footage of this incident happening within the Africa on Foot camp grounds:

What’s more is that this pack of wild dogs is the same small pack that we have been watching over the last week as they bring up 2 tiny pups in their den near Africa on Foot. Such incredible sightings of these rare and endangered predators, reminding us how privileged we are to share our space with wildlife. Once the dogs were satisfied that they had eaten all they can off the impala carcass, they trotted off in the direction of their den where sister camp nThambo Tree Camp were hoping to get a glimpse of the young pups! Sure enough, as the pack arrived back home, the pups emerged from their hiding place and were fed chunks of meat from the returning pack members. What an incredible memory for guests at both Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp!

Week in Pictures: A Walk on the Wild Side

It’s been yet another bumper week in the bush, with the highlights being 1) the sighting of two tiny wild dog pups at their den near Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp; and 2) the sight of a leopard cub with a kill in a tree near Umkumbe Safari Lodge in the Sabi Sand. What can we say? Baby animals get the hearts pounding and the cameras clicking, and everyone walks away a happy camper.

Less cute and cuddly are the buffaloes, which have been moving in their big herds throughout the Klaserie. Their impenetrable stares are always full of suspicion, and one can never quite read their mood. Our suggestion: treat them with caution!

Birds and chameleons come in next with much appreciation, because the bush just would not be complete without its smaller, most beautiful members. From smallest to biggest: elephants are a firm favourite all over Africa. Their pure size and unexpected elegance humbles any audience and creates the biggest memories.

Saving the best for last: our resident lionesses in the Klaserie were seen stalking buffalo (only to turn and run for their lives!), and the mega pride known as Olifants West was seen rough and tumbling around the Balule with Ezulwini Game Lodges. At nDzuti Safari Camp, one of the most unique sightings took our breath away when a leopard was grunted at by a hippo, only to respond with his own call into the darkness… needless to say the hippo kept its mouth shut after that.

Take a look at the Week in Pictures!

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

nThambo Tree Camp

nDzuti Safari Camp

Africa on Foot

Ezulwini Game Lodges