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Week in Pics: A Party Pack of Big Cats, Plains Game & Juveniles

On the night of our live bush feed (#livebushfeed) safari, guests from 3 of our camps saw leopard. With reports during the week of leopard and lion sightings from far and wide, the big cats are certainly having a commanding influence on our sightings. Nothing wrong with that ! Plains game, such as impala, giraffe and wildebeest are never far from sight and we’ve seen an adorable abundance of juvenile wildlife.

Here are a few highlights from the week:

Umkumbe Safari Lodge rangers have experienced quite an emotional rollercoaster of time. Their dominant male leopard, Maxabeni, disappeared for over 3 weeks but miraculously re-appeared a few days ago. He looked a bit subdued and this is possibly because he was in a fight shortly before pulling the “M.I.A” act. He still managed to hunt a warthog on a neighbouring property, proving that he is still strong. The leopard antics in the Umkumbe territory have captured the attention of all and sundry. White Dam and Nottens female have both been seen around the lodge’s traverse and they appear to co-exist together. We hope these two don’t clash.

Umkumbe also saw the Sparta pride of lions in front of the lodge in the early hours of Wed morning.

Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge and River Lodge have been inundated with lion sightings. This week, Duma (the king of the original Olifants West pride of lions) and his lionesses were spotted close to Billy’s lodge waterhole.

The Leadwood female leopard made a kill in a rocky area south west of camp. Due to the abundance of water at both camps, we have also seen buffalo, elephant and hippo sightings.

nDzuti Safari Camp have had no shortage of plains game this week. A highlight was the presence of a pair of giraffe on the reserve. Naturally, we assumed this was a mother and her calf. But how wrong we were ! It was actually a young bull and old bull together.

In terms of lions, we have yet to see the River pride female and the male who took down the previous leader of the River pride. They were making their presence known for quite sometime – we suspect we’ll see them again next week. With Bruce’s outstanding tracking skills, we have little doubt he will uncover the mystery of these two lions.

There seems to be excitement in the air at nThambo Tree Camp and Africa on Foot. Kevin reported that one of the breakaway Ross Pride female lions might have cubs. She keeps moving between what appears to be a den site. Is this an indication that the cubs are still alive? We hope so! Guests were lucky enough to see a clan of hyena and cubs frolicking in water-logged potholes. Then of course, a leopard made an appearance on Wed night, delighting guests and rangers.

Yet again, the Klaserie is thriving with big and small wildlife sightings. We had a great photographic capture of a kori bustard, Africa’s largest and heaviest flying bird.

And that’s a wrap ! Hope you enjoyed the week in pictures.

Maxabeni the Leopard Returns to Umkumbe !

Over the past 3 weeks we have been concerned with the whereabouts of Maxabeni, the dominant leopard that traverses the territory surrounding Umkumbe Safari Lodge in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin. Easily identifiable by the deeply etched scars above his cheek and dark rosettes on his coat, he is one of Umkumbe’s favourite leopards.

The last time Maxabeni was spotted he appeared to have been in a fight. We think he lay low for a while to tend to his wounds. Our concern was his survival. On Thurs last we week we spotted him back in our territory! He wasn’t himself, but he is looking strong and healthy. He stalked a warthog and failed, but later on followed through with an impala kill on a neighbouring property.

The Notten’s female was seen quite often in our territory, until recently, when White Dam announced her presence in Notten’s territory. There are going to be interesting times ahead – especially when the Notten’s female bumps head with White Dam. We are not sure if the Notten’s female has disappeared completely or if she will come back with vengeance!

Only time will tell…one thing’s for certain, Umkumbe Safari Lodge is enjoying an abundance of leopard sightings at the moment.

We hope you enjoy the series of photos below. And the elephant herd photo? We suspect Maxabeni scared the elephant herd, which is why they moved rapidly from the river. Welcome back Maxabeni.

Guest Blog: Rhulani the Leopard & Roaring Lion

Well, here we are back at nThambo for another fabulous 4 days! As always we had a warm welcome from Lily and the nThambo team – it was 35 degrees when we arrived so were thankful for a cool drink on arrival (well, Savanna and Castle to be precise). Game viewing has been fabulous, as always.

The bushveld is teeming with many herds of elephants – we’ve seen them playing, eating, drinking and cooling off in the midday heat. A first for us after 5 years visiting nThambo was an elephant drinking out of the swimming pool in the dark as we are all eating our dinner! There has been a herd of about 400 buffalo in the area, and we were lucky enough to see the whole herd cooling off and drinking in a large dam (so many buffalo that you couldn’t see the water).

Lions have been harder to find. There are signs everywhere – roars, tracks, scat, and fresh urine, but the Trilogy boys were being a bit elusive! We eventually tracked 2 of them huddled together under some bushes and later tracked down the third one in the dark, roaring and then drinking from the dam. We’ve been lucky to catch up with Rhulani, a female leopard we first saw as a young cub. She’s now fully grown with cubs of her own (unfortunately she hadn’t introduced them to guests yet, as they are still very young). We caught up with her drinking and relaxing by a dam, before she was scared off by a herd of elephants.

Two of the Trilogy brothers seen on game drive

That’s the big 5 ticked off again, as well as many others – giraffe, zebra, kudu, steenbok, warthog – to name a few. Oh! Almost forgot, we had a brief glimpse of a lone wild dog running down the road – even this short sighting was special, as there are only about 450 remaining in the wild. As always, a memorable time in the bushveld and nThambo Tree Camp – our ‘home in the African bush’. See you all again in September.

A typical Kruger sunset seen at nThambo Tree Camp

Kruger Walking Safari : Top 5 Highlights

Africa on Foot offers professional walking safaris in the heart of the Kruger. Located in a pristine, private reserve home to the big five and an abundance of birdlife, it’s the ideal location to discover the heart and soul of Africa while on foot. The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, home to Africa on Foot, shares unfenced borders with the Timbavati Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park. The camp is also open, which means animals from far and wide roam freely throughout the camp and the reserve.

Walking safaris are led by highly qualified rangers and trackers who prioritise your safety. The camp has a set schedule for the walks. Your ranger wakes you at 5:30 and after a quick coffee they begin the 3 hour walk. Lazy afternoons are spent relaxing at the pool or in the comfort of the safari lounge area. To throw in an extra dimenstion to your walking safari, there will also be the option of going on a game drive in the evening.

A walking safari and game drive offers the best of both worlds. To discover the wonders of the bush on foot, with nothing between you and the wild is an exhilarating experience. A must do on any bucket list.

Here are the top 5 highlights of a Kruger walking safari :

You learn how to identify behaviour from animal tracks, markings and “droppings”

The last time I went walking with the Africa on Foot team we discovered feline tracks. There was something different about the tracks. There seemed to be a single line nestled between the front and back tracks. Our Shangaan tracker told us that they were drag marks. This particular feline was obviously dragging a kill.

If you take dry elephant dung and light it, the billows of smoke are meant to cure your headaches. If you’re a city dweller it is probably eaier to pop a pill, but if you are ever stranded in the African bush and have a headache; then you know what to do.

You find out the medicinal properties of the surrounding vegetation

The vegetation in the Klaserie is home to a wealth of medicinal plants and an array of bushes with unique practical uses. For example, a tree commonly found in the Klaserie is called the Magic Guarri. It boasts many useful properties. The frayed ends of the smaller twigs are soft, yet firm and can be used as a substitute for a toothbrush. Many refer to this tree as the toothbrush tree. The tree bears a small fruit which looks like a berry. The berry can be used in the brewing of beer. The roots are used for dye and to make up medicinal concoctions to thwart gastro like symptoms.

No wonder it’s magic. There are plenty of other trees, grasses and plants with similar properties. Armed with these facts, you’re sure to put Bear Grylls to shame!

The rare opportunity to observe the big five on foot

It is such a privilege to share your space with one of the big five. There are safety precautions which you will need to adhere to at a sighting. Your ranger will tell you what to do when you are observing a breeding herd of elephant.

Learning how to read the natural elements of the bush

When leopards mark their territory it gives off a distinct odour. This smell is often not detected while in a game vehicle. If you ever out on foot and smell popcorn, then you can be sure that a leopard has been in the area marking its territory.

Leopard urine smells like popcorn. Going to movies will never be the same !

Getting morning excercise to make up for all that safari dining

A safari holiday involves plenty of relaxing, eating and sitting around the campfire discussing the day’s sightings. Because the camps are open, it is not safe to walk around. For the more active guest, this means they cannot go for a quick cycle or run. Starting your day with a walk is sure to provide you with a dose of daily excercise !

Advice:

The key is to listen to rangers and not be a hero. They know more than you and are highly trained. They have passed numerous written and practical tests, and can handle themselves. Trust them.

The walk at Africa on Foot covers a flat landscape and is not strenuous. A vehicle can come pick us up at any stage if you don’t feel well.

Book your Kruger walking safari holiday at Africa on Foot here: reservations@sundestinations.co.za

Important:

Guides are armed with guns. This is purely a preventative measure. They are not going to shoot the animals in the unlikely event of danger. If in a compromising position, they will fire a warning shot into the ground, which will scare the animal away.

May 15, 2015

Africa on Foot, Blog, Camp Savuti, Ezulwini, Haina Kalahari Lodge, nDzuti Safari Camp, nThambo Tree Camp, The Week in Pictures, Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside, Uncategorized

Week in Pictures: Moments in Time

Summing up a week on safari is no easy feat when we’re looking at a fine selection of safari experiences from a number of bush camps and lodges that we deem the best. From Savuti to Sabi Sand, there is wildlife magnificence everywhere you look, and today on Endangered Species Day, it seems it is our duty to share some of the best visions of Africa with you.

In the Greater Kruger, we rounded up the week’s top sightings from nDzuti Safari Camp, Africa on Foot, nThambo Tree Camp, Umkumbe Safari Lodge, and Ezulwini Game Lodges. Further north, we touched base with Haina Kalahari Lodge and Camp Savuti in Botswana.

On the Savuti Channel, wild dogs and buffalo shared their chosen drinking spot much to the delight of guests at Camp Savuti. Looking at the reflection of the trees in the still water, it is hard to imagine that both species would have been wary of the crocodiles that lurk in its depths. Just around the bend, one lone impala took a drink, unknowingly, just a few metres from a crocodile that was basking in the sun. Anything can happen here in the wild! Out on the marsh, a big male lion adopted a death stare, while a black-backed jackal investigated an elephant jaw bone in a shallow pan.

In the Sabi Sand, where predators roam in the famous wildlife paradise, Umkumbe Safari Lodge guests have been enjoying big cat sightings galore. When you’re not watching the endangered cheetah surveying her surroundings from the vantage point of a termite mound, or admiring the beauty of local leopard, Maxabeni, take in the exceptionally colourful presence of the lilac-breasted roller and a blood-orange sunset.

Among lion, rhino, elephant, leopard, and buffalo are the miniature dung beetles, chameleons, snakes, and spiders, plus, the smallest carnivore in the Lowveld – the dwarf mongoose. The Trilogy lion coalition has been present during both the night and day, while elephants have come for a drink in the swimming pool, as well as gathering at their own local watering hole – Twala Dam. Welcome to nThambo Tree Camp!

At Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge and River Lodge, there has been an overwhelming presence of lions that we have posted about this week on numerous occasions that we thought we’d show you what else has been happening out there in the Balule. Hundreds of buffalo, a beautiful black rhino, a leopard crawling along the ground, a collection of antelope species, jumbos, and an irresistibly illuminating full moon.

On the border of the Central Kalahari lies Haina Kalahari Lodge. This is where you will see the desert-adapted species like nowhere else. Black-maned lions, elands, bat-eared foxes, gemsbok, and a variety of birds you can only imagine. The Haina waterhole is constantly active and the sounds of the night are what memories of Africa are made of. These are moments captured with a lion pride feeding on a kudu bull, and a quiet experience with a bat-eared fox at night.

Africa on Foot sees it all in the Klaserie, especially because of the walking safaris that are conducted each morning. Afternoon game drives bring guests closer to the big things, while the on-foot adventures pay attention to the smaller members of the bush,and guides offer guests the opportunity to view game from a safe distance on the ground. Special sightings this week included one nicely relaxed leopard and a striking giant eagle owl.

Also occupying a pristine concession in the Klaserie, nDzuti Safari Camp has enjoyed its own collection of safari memories to share. The local lion pride known as the River Pride has been seen frequently, while leopards have been spotted mating and marking territory, and some members of the ‘general game’ variety have been ever-present.

May 14, 2015

Blog, Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside

Cheetah Sightings at Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Recently, we have had two incredible cheetah sightings while out on game drive at Umkumbe Safari Lodge. Cheetah are mainly diurnal species, which means they are active during the day. However, although principally diurnal cats, cheetahs do their hunting when it gets cooler and not during the heat of the midday sun. The hotter it is, the more energy they expend while chasing prey at speeds of up to 70km. Hunting during the day means they eliminate their main competition (lions and leopards) who hunt primarily at night.

We have a series of photos from two different cheetah sightings, one of which was led by ranger Marius and the other Lezel, also a ranger. With the clarity of daylight it set the scene for a picture perfect setting.

Cheetahs can be solitary wanderers but are often seen in pairs and small, nuclear family units. Males are not territorial and often roam through vast territories. They enjoy a carefree bachelor lifestyle of wandering alone or with other males. Females differ slightly in that they are more territorial and mark their area. This is in an effort to chase away other females, but they are not averse the males wandering through their domain.

The first cheetah sighting was when guests spotted a lone cheetah wandering through the grasses of the pristine Sabi Sand Wildtuin. He was seen crossing over in Sabi Sabi but wandered back into the Umkumbe traverse. Like most cats (wild and domesticated)he marked a few trees along the way. The second sighting was of a cheetah resting on a termite mound.

They often place themselves raised off the ground to enjoy a better vantage point. From here they can survey the land for potential prey and suss out potential threats. After the guests and rangers stayed with him for a while, he got up and disappeared into the long grass.

Interested in big cat and cheetah sightings? Then come spend a few days with us at Umkumbe Safari Lodge. We’re located in the heart of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, a pristine a reserve located in the Greater Kruger.

for a safari booking contact us on reservations@sundestinations.co.za

May 14, 2015

Blog, Ezulwini, Kruger Lion Stories, Uncategorized

Lion Games in the Olifants West Pride

A pride of lions as big as the Olifants West pride is bound to engage in some horse play, especially with the number of cubs and sub-adults involved. Once the pride was one whole group, but since the death of previous leader, Big Boy, the pride has split into 2, which are now known as the ‘original’ Olifants West and the Olifants West ‘split’. Guests at Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge and River Lodge were treated to multiple sightings of both parts of the pride in the space of only a few days, and the sightings were a far cry from the typical ‘flat cat’ visual usually expected from lions!

Each of the Olifants West prides are 13 lions strong and have at least 6 sub-adults. With all the youngsters around, there is a fair amount of play fighting, stalking, and toying around, making this bunch of big cats a lot of fun to watch. It is quite a spectacle to see such big prides lining up to drink in unison (yes, this happened the other day and it was awesome), and to watch the affectionate exchanges between lionesses and their cubs. We had a sighting of one of the dominant males (Duma’s brother – leader of the OW split pride) noisily devouring a warthog carcass while his pride hung around; plus, we had Duma himself roaring at night right next to the game viewer (caught on camera – see it here).

On yet another game drive, the original OW pride came out to play, and play they did. Some sub-adults were play-fighting, while another couple climbed nearby trees, putting the tree-climbing lions of Tanzania to shame! It was yet another special sight to behold for Ezulwini guests.

Duma and his brother lead the 2 prides separately, and they do not get along, which hints to the fact that they do not share the same parents, although they both come from the pre-split Olifants West pride. Last night on game drive, Duma was found relaxing at a dam in the reserve and appeared to have fight-induced injuries. It is suspected that he was in a fight with his brother, which is only natural in the lion world, but can be fatal nonetheless. We left him to lick his wounds as elephants approached to drink and the sun dropped behind the horizon. We will be checking on Duma, so watch this space for updates…

May 13, 2015

Africa on Foot, Blog, Lion Videos, nThambo Tree Camp

Trilogy male lion roaring into the night

As if a big, dominant, battle-scarred male lion roaring loudly into the night isn’t memorable enough; this particular game drive took place during an African thunder storm, with lightning illuminating the sky and rain drizzling down onto the drying earth. The Trilogy lion coalition is a strong band of 3 brothers, and even though they are not always seen together, they have an unbreakable bond. Here, one of the brothers we have identified by a prominent scar on his nose, calls out loudly to make contact.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp have been viewing this coalition for over a year, since they arrived as strangers and chased away the resident Ross pride that occupied this territory in the Klaserie. Over time, guests have seen these lions mating with lionesses from the Ross pride and the Giraffe pride, which possesses the white gene. The 2 white lionesses from the Giraffe pride were seen mating with another member of the Trilogy coalition, while one of the tawny lionesses from the Ross breakaway duo has seen partnering up with this big male not long ago.

Lions roar like this at night, mostly, when the air is still and silent, and the vibrating sound carries for over 7km. They roar to make contact with their pride members and to declare their territory. Other lions can identify the specific calls and choose to respond or not to respond, making lion pride dynamics even more fascinating. Often, lionesses that have made a kill will refrain from answering to male lions’ contact calls because it is inevitable that they will lose their kill to the dominant pride leader. As much as lions are social cats, when it comes to feeding, its every man for himself.

May 12, 2015

Blog, Botswana, Camp Savuti, Uncategorized

Elephants get stuck into Savuti mud bath

It is widely known that elephants adore the water, whether it is a brimming dam of refreshment or a shallow mud wallow, elephants get stuck in and their characterful personalities shine through as they splash and bathe and roll their enormous bodies over in delight. It is endlessly entertaining to witness the joy of their experience in the water, and how they engage with one another in mock fights and play wrestling. Babies nose dive into the shallows in order to drink the liquid of life, as they do not yet know how to use their trunks.

From teenagers to the biggest matriarchs, every elephant indulges in some dunking, splashing, stomping, and spraying displays that make for some fun photography. Here at Camp Savuti, elephants gather right in front of the lodge where the Savuti Channel courses its way through this region of Chobe National Park. The Savute Marsh is renowned for epic wildlife sightings, and it seems that in the dead heat of the day, the waterholes are favoured by not only the elephants, but wild dogs and lion prides as well.

This is an account of a herd of elephants arriving at Harvey’s Pan near Camp Savuti, where they toyed and played for hours on end. It is well known that elephants are the favoured source of food for the mega pride of lions known in the Savuti, but it seems that with the presence of water in the Savuti Channel, a more abundant population of wildlife offers lions a choice of food, but the notorious relationship between elephants and lions remains the same.

The evidence of dead elephants litters the land, becoming part of this epic landscape, yet the population of these mud-loving mammals is huge and Chobe National Park is bursting with their majestic presence.

May 08, 2015

Blog, The Week in Pictures

Week in Pictures: An Ode to Lions

This week we’re doing things a little differently. Due to the abundance of lion sightings at our Kruger camps, we’ve decided to dedicate this “week in pics” purely to lions. Our majestic panthera leo species deserves to be celebrated. We’ve selected a few mind-blowing lion pictures for this week’s round up.

Game drives at the Ezulwini game lodges in the Balule have been quite memorable in terms of lion sightings. The Olifants West split pride (13 members strong) was seen drinking from the waterhole. Two lone lionesses from the original Olifants West pride were spotted relaxing in the thicket.

Bruce, from nDzuti Safari Camp, has been tracking the mating activities of the pale female and her mating partner. The male happens to be the same male that took down the dominant male from the River pride. They have been mating for over a week now and we hope they will produce cubs.

We’ve not seen the white lions of the Klaserie/Timbavati this week, but two of the Trilogy were seen roaming around their territory. Three Ross pride lionesses were seen – two of the breakaway females and one from the Ross Pride. Rangers have not seen any lions mating in the past few days. It won’t be long before the Trilogy are at it again – they really are sowing their wild oats with the lionesses of the Klaserie.

The Charleston pride, who are seen on occassion at Umkumbe, have 2 young male cubs. Unfortunately, the team at Umkumbe haven’t seen them yet. Hopefully we will get a glimpse of the cubs in the future.

We’ve also decided to feature the Camp Savuti lions, the Savuti pride drinking out of chanel in the marsh. The area was populated with lions, just waiting to take down and getting on the move to hunt elephant. 13 lions were counted, but there could well have been more. The Savuti was literally littered with lions.

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