Sun Destinations Blog - Page 89 of 117 - Sun Destinations Safari

Week in Pics: Feline Fun and Feasts

This week has been incredible in terms of feline sightings. Leopards and lions have come out to play; and we can barely keep up with the ranger reports. The two Ross pride breakaway females, who dominate the Klaserie, have been seen on a daily basis. The rangers from Umkumbe are loving their game drives because there are so many leopards about. The Kruger is bursting with energy and wildlife at the moment. There’s no shortage of plains game, birdlife, critters, small mammals and the big five. The Kruger is showing off and we’re relishing every opportunity to share this with our guests.

Highlights from Umkumbe Safari Lodge, in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin:

Witnessing a giraffe giving birth and managing to capture it on camera!

Observing Nottens female leopard eating a baboon kill and making it last for 3 days.

Being in the presence of a mega herd of buffalo on the move in search of available water sources

An abundance of leopard sightings. This week we saw Maxabeni, Nottens, Little Bush cub, White Dam and even the Bicycle Crossing male!

Highlights from Africa on Foot, in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve:

The Ross pride breakaway females being seen daily in their favourite spot on the banks of Twala dam.

Catching a fleeting glimpse of a leopard, an abandoned kill and then observing the leopard return to its kill.

Guests got to see a tiny genet cat playing hide and seek in a tree.

Highlights from nThambo Tree Camp, in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve:

Two random and rare sightings of a ground hornbill and…wait for it…an aardvark! An aardvark is a nocturnal creature and is quite rare to see. They spend the daylight hours hiding in burrows in the ground.

Watching elephant bulls, calves and matriarchs wade across Twala dam. At one stage, the bulls decided to drink together while the others played in the water.

Observing the Ross pride breakaway females in their usual position, relaxing on the elavated ground next to Twala Dam.

Nottens Female Leopard Kills Baboon

Leopards ambush their prey and rely on the element of surprise to capture their intended victim. These fearless big cats grapple and wrestle their prey after pouncing on their back. They tear their victim with their fore-claws and bite them around the throat in an attempt to break their neck, making it a swift death for their unsuspecting prey. This skillful method of attack is exactly what the Nottens leopard used when taking a down a baboon 2 days ago.

The Nottens female leopard, a dominant leopard around the Umkumbe Safari Lodge used her masterful hunting tactics to ambush an unsuspecting baboon. The hunt was a successful one and she managed to savour her meal for over two days. She did leave her kill for quite sometime which is unusual. She was quite lucky that hyenas and other predators didn’t utilize the window of the opportunity to steal her kill!

We are glad to see Nottens on the hunt. During the course of last week we had a rather hair raising scenario between the White Dam female and the Nottens female. They had a bit of showdown in an attempt to defend their territory. Their paths crossed and a display of dominance ensued. The aggression may also have been because White Dam has cubs and was protecting her brood. Since the fight, we’ve seen White Dam and Nottens; and both appear in good shape.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge continues to enjoy game drives through an area home to a leap of leopards.

Week in Pics: Creatures of the Kruger

The week in pics is always dominated by big cat sightings. This is because we enjoy prolific leopard, lion and cheetah sightings at our camps. It’s hard not to post photos of the big cats; but this week we want to mix it up and celebrate the smaller creatures of the Kruger.

However, we do need to mention our big cat sightings at both nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot Both these camps enjoyed sightings of the Ross pride breakaway females who were seen relaxing at the dam after after a kill. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the kill but we did see the lionesses dragging their full bellies to the water’s edge. The Africa on Foot team witnessed a rather momentous moment between the Trilogy lions and the Hercules pride. They discoverd 4 healthy cubs belonging to the Hercules pride. There was speculation that the Trilogy males sired the cubs but we needed proof. A few days after the cub sighting we noticed the Trilogy males feasting on a giraffe kill with the Hercules pride!

The birdlife has been fantastic this week. We’ve shared an incredible photo of a crested barbet boasting a plumage full of colour. The impalas have been out in full force, making easy pickings for our predators! Then there have been a few rare sightings of white-tailed mongoose, a side-striped jackal scavenging for left-overs and herds of elephant going in search of water.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge reported quite an intense incident between two leopards. White Dam and Nottens were caught fighting. We thought it would come to this at some stage. We’ve even had lion sightings. The 4 boys who were kicked out of the Sparta pride have been making their presence known. In terms of birdlife, Umkumbe had a “first time ever” moment. They discovered the presence of a black-winged stilt wading in the water.

Ezulwini enjoyed phenomenal elephant and buffalo sightings. And let’s not forget the elephants who always frequent the area around the skywalk at Billy’s Lodge.

Hercules Lion Pride & The Trilogy Dine Together

The Trilogy is a coalition of 3 male lions who traverse the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. They’re either caught wreaking havoc with unsuspecting lions, stealing kills or mating with various lionesses. They have no fear and seek to dominate. At the moment, the Trilogy are at the acme of their reign of dominance in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve.

We often catch the Trilogy boys mating with a range of lionesses that traverse their territory. We’ve had our sights set on cubs for quite sometime now. In April, one of the boys was seen mating with a tawny and a white lioness from the Giraffe pride. The Trilogy were also caught fraternizing with the Ross pride breakaway females. What came as a surprise was the discovery of cubs belonging to the Hercules females. At least our wish of cubs came to fruition. A few weeks ago we saw 4 healthy and happy lion cubs bumbling around in an open area of vegetation.

The Hercules pride is not a pride we see often. With Africa on Foot’s extended traversing rights we have been able to track our fearless Trilogy, gain a better outstanding of the area they are traversing and track the lionesses they are conquering. Because of the location of the Hercules pride cubs, we speculated that they were sired by one of the Trilogy.

All we needed to see was the Trilogy interacting with this pride to prove our theory. A couple of days ago our theory became a stark reality. We saw the Trilogy devouring a giraffe kill together with the Hercules pride adult lionesses and their cubs. They were caught feasting on a giraffe in the evening and the morning. The kill seemed to last for quite sometime, allowing us the perfect opportunity to capture them on camera at night and in the morning.

This is proof that our boys are spreading their genetics far and wide, including into the community of white lions living wild in the Klaserie and Timbavati. Contrary to popular belief, white lions are NOT albino but are leucistic. This means they do have pigmentation, which is present in their paw pads and colour of their lips. They also have a characteristic blue or gold colouring in their eyes. Hopefully we’ll see white lion cubs in the future!

With the presence of new cubs, the Ross pride breakaway lionesses and the Ross pride (2 sub-adults and 2 adult lionesses) it’s going to be an interesting year ahead in terms of lion pride dynamics. There appear to be plenty of lionesses but no dominant leaders, apart from the Trilogy.

10 Whacky Facts About the Cape Buffalo

The Cape buffalo is often referred to as the “mafia” of the animal kingdom because of its steely gaze and unnerving demeanor that makes you squirm in your seat. They are the debt collectors of the Kruger, the strong silent types who aren’t fond of those interrupting their daily routine. And they’re one of the most misunderstood big five animals.

The Balule Nature Reserve is home to an abundance of nature’s debt collectors. The area is teeming with breeding herds of buffalo, tired dagga boys and aspiring pathfinders. Ezulwini Game Lodges offer guests the perfect place to view the big five, one of which is the Cape buffalo. At Billy’s Lodge, there is a skywalk which provides the perfect vantage point to watch both buffalo and elephant herds wander past.

Here are our 10 whacky facts about the Cape buffalo:

Buffalo are actually fantastic swimmers. They will swim through deep waters to find better grazing areas.

We refer to them as the mafia, not only because of their strong character but because they never forgive and almost always seek revenge. They have been recorded seeking revenge on someone years after being threatened by them.

They are one of the most dangerous of the big five because they simply ambush their prey without giving any type of warning signal.

The birds you see sitting on the hide of a Cape buffalo are called oxpeckers. They have a symbiotic relationship with the Cape buffalo and remove ticks/insects embedded in their skin.

The most experienced cows are known as pathfinders. They are responsible for taking the herd to the most beneficial area for grazing and water.

If you see a lone buffalo bull, it is probably a “dagga boy”. Dagga boys are older bulls who have past their prime and have separated from their heard. They generally spend their days wallowing in mud either alone or with other dagga boys.

Buffalo cows have their first calves at age 4 or 5 and they become completely reliant on their mothers, right up until a year old.

If a buffalo herd comes under threat from a predator they form a circle around their young. All of the adults face outwards in an effort to hide the vulnerable. The adults actually lower their heads and form a protective barrier with their horns.

The Cape buffalo is a grazer and prefers tall grasses to short shrubs. They are nature’s lawnmowers and thin out the dense the grasses, exposing more foliage.

The collective noun for buffalo is “herd”, but other terms include “gang” and “obstinacy”.

Week in Pics: Wildlife Mashup

The week in pictures is a collection of our favourite wildlife images taken during the week. The problem is selecting the images, especially when you’ve had a bumper week. This week we’ve had phenomenal big cat sightings at our Kruger camps.

A lone cheetah was spotted relaxing in its natural habitat in the heart of the Klaserie. This proved to be an obvious delight for guests from Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp. Leopards are nocturnal creatures who spend most of the daylight hours hidden in the thicket close to drainage lines. They spend the day conserving energy which is needed for taking down prey when night falls. Our guests from nThambo and Africa on Foot spent a considerable amount of time with this sleek cat.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge had a legendary week. The Sabi Sand Wildtuin is renown for its high concentration of leopard and Umkumbe proved it true. White Dam, a female leopard, was spotted with her cubs. These cubs have not been since April and there was an underlying fear in our hearts that they had been killed. It was a momentous occasion when ranger Bradley discovered them alive and well. Coupled with this, guests witnessed a huge turf war between White Dam and the Nottens female leopard. This is probably because White Dam is protective over her cubs.

Ezulwini Billy’s and River Lodge had yet another fantastic sighting of the Olifants West pride of lions, one of the dominant lion prides of the area. Elephants are part of the furniture at Billy’s Lodge and spend most of their days walking under the famous wooden skywalk that overlooks the river and waterhole. It goes without saying that Ezulwini enjoyed an abundance of “jumbo” sightings.

nDzuti Safari Camp have had their fair share of lion sightings recently and the big male is now spotted on a regular basis with two females from the River pride.

This week, the birdlife has been prolific and the presence of plains game is at an all time high. As the summer fades and winter descends upon us, the vegetation becomes sparse, making for better visibilty. Groups of wildlife are descending upon available water sources, which means it’s easy to predict where to find herds.

Enjoy the week in pics!

White Dam Leopard Spotted with Cubs

We have breaking news. Bradley Chambers, a ranger from Umkumbe Safari Lodge, came across White Dam and her cubs. White Dam is a shy female leopard who often traverses the Umkumbe territory. She has plenty of battle scars and prefers to remain hidden in thickets of vegetation as opposed to exposing herself on the open roads. The last time we saw her cubs was in April. Since then we have given up hope of finding them alive. We are elated to discover that they are healthy and strong.

Prior to the arrival of White Dam’s cubs, one of the other females (Nottens) had her cub killed by hyenas. Cubs are extremely vulnerable in the wild and mother’s will go to great lengths to protect them. This is probably why White Dam is always found in the thicket – she keeps her cubs well hidden.

A couple of days ago White Dam was actually seen stalking an impala. She was probably looking for food to feed her growing cubs! The next morning Bradley discovered the cubs alive and well ! It was by pure accident that the cubs were discovered. Bradley was driving back from the control gate to camp and stumbled across White Dam with her litter.

Watch the video for the evidence.

Nocturnal Animal Gathering at nDzuti Safari Camp

When all is quiet and the heat of the day has risen well away from the ground leaving us breathing steam as we admire the stars from around nDzuti’s crackling boma fire, a scuffling sound comes from the waterhole and breaks the dark silence. The night comes alive with nocturnal animal activity, and a whole new safari experience awaits! Just in front of the lodge is a waterhole frequented by elephants, antelope, and all sorts of other creatures during the day, and after the sun sets, a new variety of animals come out to play. Here, we watched as a side-striped jackal, a spotted hyena, and not one, but two African civets emerged to feed at night.

It was such a spectacular occasion to see all three species in one place clearly feeding on something they were mutually interested in (perhaps carrion). Bruce and Judy brought out the spotlight to illuminate the area and watch these animals peacefully go about their business. Civets, jackals and hyenas are often seen at the waterhole after nightfall, but this was a special gathering of some of our favourite nocturnal critters.

Civets are not usually seen in pairs, and most often live and forage alone. They have a broad, omnivorous diet and feed on many things from small rodents, reptiles, and birds, grass (even from the stomach of a dead antelope), and carrion. Probably most famously, civets eat poisonous millipedes and venomous snakes such as puff adders! They are part of the mongoose family and are not related to either the dog or cat family. Their teeth are designed to both tear and crush, making them quite unfussy eaters. Unsurprisingly (given that they can stomach the cyanide present in millipedes and the cytotoxic venom of puff adders), African civets give off pungent secretions from their anal glands, which is used both as a territorial marking and as a defence mechanism.

These two were the clear stars of the show at this nighttime sighting, but a fairly confident side-striped jackal also wanted in on the meal and hung around nosily as the civets fed. It is rare to have seen both civets together, as they usually pair up only during breeding, and they tend to be quite shy animals swiftly escaping once they have been spotted. After many a night spent silently observing the waterhole and making the visitors feel at home, the waterhole in front of the lodge has become quite the venue for nocturnal gatherings!

Single, Spotted, Female: Cheetah in Klaserie

There is no denying it, the last couple of days have been an absolute dream for any safari goer, and right here in the Klaserie is where all the action is happening. After an exciting lion-chase that took place one morning, guests settled down to a special breakfast set up in the bush, but unbeknownst to them (and their guides), the safari was not yet over! One of the most wonderful and spectacular sightings on a Southern African safari is that of the cheetah. An endangered, specialised, big cat hunter that is perhaps the most sleek and refined of all the cats, and here she was, as relaxed and photogenic as ever, right where Africa on Foot and nThambo guests could see her.

It is often assumed that a lone cheetah is a female (and this one is – take a look at the video clip of the same sighting). This is because cheetah brothers often bond for life and exist in brotherly coalitions after they leave their mother’s protection. Female cheetahs branch off on their own and live solitary lives in overlapping home ranges, but this is a rule not set in stone. In areas like central Namibia where cheetah populations are known to thrive due to the lack of other predators, female cheetahs do team up and live and hunt in coalitions just like the males are known to.

Here in the Klaserie, this is the third of 3 recent cheetah sightings, which we count as incredibly lucky, but it also vouches for the amazing species diversity of the Klaserie, and defies the ‘rules’ of the wild, which suggest that cheetahs won’t happily exist in an area populated so heavily by lion and leopard. Well here we are with this gorgeous female cheetah only an hour or so after watching 2 groups of lions engage in some healthy competition!

Cheetahs rely on the daylight to hunt so as not to come into competition with (and very easily lose to) lions and leopards. Once a cheetah has stalked its prey and got as close as possible to its target, it will accelerate extremely quickly and usually reach the prey before the animal has reached full speed. The cheetah also rarely reaches full speed (which is a staggering 110km/h!), and averages a chasing speed of 50-70km/h, which is still incredibly fast.

Female cheetahs give birth to a litter of 2-5 cubs, and are in fact very good mothers. The babies are born blind and helpless and spend the first 2 months of their lives hidden in thick bush where they are protected from predators. At 6 weeks they get their first taste of meat, and by 3 months old they survive on this alone as it is brought to them by their mother who goes out hunting alone. Then, the next stage of life for these cubs is to practice killing their own prey, but before going out on the hunt themselves, at 4-5 moths old, mother cheetah brings a small or young antelope as live bait for her cubs to practice hunting on. It sounds like a barbaric practice, but this is a crucial stage in the endangered young cheetah’s education. By the time the cubs reach 1 year old they join their mother on hunts, and at 18 months old they leave their mother, well trained and ready to take on the world – males usually in a coalition, and females, out on their own.

Male Leopard Spotted in Broad Daylight

Leopards are graceful, nocturnal predators who move silently through the night in search of their next meal. They often spend the hottest part of the day resting to conserve their much needed energy. If you are on a game drive then look up – you’ll often see them sloped over a branch of a tall tree. They have also been known to relax in the thicket close to drainage lines.

Seeing a leopard on the move during broad daylight is always a rare and fantastic sighting. Guests at both nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot witnessed a male leopard on the move during the heat of the day. We speculate this male could be the brother of Shaka, a male leopard who frequented the area around our camps. We don’t know what happened to Shaka but he has been “missing in action” since his huge fight with another male leopard.

It’s nice to see another male patrolling a similar territory. Guests were lucky enough to catch him while he was ambling along the drainage line; a clear indication he was looking for a sheltered place to relax.

Thanks to our media team, Jochen and Mira for capturing the leopard activity on camera.