Christmas in the bush

Christmas morning drive with Tevor Savage

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


Waking up at 4am on christmas day isn't so unusual, but I have to say it was quite different being out on game drive instead of sitting around the tree opening presents! The sightings of the day certainly made up for being away from family though, with fantastic encounters on all of the big 5.
Here are a few photo highlights xx

A rhino calf, approx 2 months old

White rhino mother and calf

White rhino calf intrigued with us sitting on the other side of the river bank

Metsi (female leopard) guided her cub to a kill this morning which it jubilantly took off with 

Metsi (female leopard) sitting in a Jackalberry tree post breakfast

Metsi trying to get comfortable!

Metsi's cub camouflaged in a tree

Elephant crossing! 

Male cheetah 

Buffalo duggaboy wallowing in pump-house pan infront of Rock Lodge

Tug of war - leopard vs hyena

This morning’s game drive could not have been more action packed. We spent the morning tracking Dawane, a huge male leopard, who had made a kill the day before. We located him eventually, lying in extremely dense spike thorn, just a spot on his back and flick of a tail visible. “Good things come to those who wait”, so we made the call to sit it out, hoping he would soon move off  to feed again on the carcass he had stashed in some bushes just a few hundred meters away.

The big tug of war! See the hyena below?

Luck was on our side, as soon a female hyena popped up over the rocks on the other side of the river bed. She had clearly smelt the carcass and was on a mission. Dawane, lying oblivious under the bushes was soon to get a shock. The hyena dropped down into the river bed to locate the kudu carcass, but Dawane spotted her immediately - he jumped up and headed back to his kill. Off road now with a leopard on one side and hyena on the other, we bumped through the bush, excitement and anticipation rising with the second, all of us eager to see what would happen when these two predators came head to head.

No sooner than when Dawane arrived back at his kill, the hyena shot out of the bushes and gabbed the back end of the kudu. The leopard, with the neck in his jaws lept up the tree, and it was tug of war between the two of them. Neither let off, each holding on for dear life, both as strong and determined as the other. It was the kudu who snapped in the end, the opposite forces so great, it simply tore in two. The leopard shot upwards before he lost anymore of his kill, and the hyena tucked in quickly to his steal, the sound of crunching bones and giggles a sign of his joy.

An incredible sighting, it is not very often you see two such incredibly strong hunters go head to head. 

Dawane hoisting his kill

Wild flowers

It's 7.30pm, we're back from afternoon game drive and from the balcony of Rock Lodge we watch lightening flash across the sky. The rainy season. We know what this means... mud, lots of it, uncrossable rivers, wet game drives and bush so thick spotting animals seems almost impossible. And yet we're relieved, the land desperately needs the water, and finally there will be more vegetation and food available for the game. Of the game itself, an exciting period begins, first with the Impala's dropping their lambs and within days of the first rains the bush erupts with life. 

Lion's eye

One of the most interesting changes is the arrival of the wild flowers. Its not just the animals you can tick off your "seen" lists now, but their flower counterparts, too...cue Lion's eye, Leopard Orchid and Impala Lily. Although the Fynbos region at the southern tip of Africa is far better known than the Savanna for flowers, we certainly have our fair share of beautiful specimens here, a few that would impress even those uninterested in such things.

Impala Lily
(Adenium multiflorum)

The colours alone will catch your eye, they stand out vibrantly from the sea of green around them. As with tree's and shrubs, each specie requires certain conditions for growth and are hence found in different areas, explaining why, in turning the corner,  you could suddenly find yourself driving through a field of flowers. Some grow more like weeds, others are rare and hard to see, a bit like the animals here too. The Wild foxglove (Ceratotheca triloba), for example, is a pioneer plant in disturbed soils, in contrast with the Red star zinnia (Zinnia peruviana) which is found mostly in river beds. 

Madagascar periwinkle
(Catharanthus roseus)

Aside from their beauty, their usefulness is worth a mention as well. The Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), for example, is traditionally used in South Africa as a remedy for diabetes and to treat rheumatism.  You can use the leaves of the Devils thorn (Harpagophytum Procumbens) to make soap when mixed with water, and the Blue water-lily (Nymphae nouchali) is used by the local zulu people in a love charm ritual, in which a partner can be attracted and a permanent bond established by consuming the roots of the water-lily early in the morning.

It must be said though, you need to know what your doing. Eating a Flame lily (Gloriosa superba) would cause severe gastro-enteristis followed swiftly by death, but if you use it correctly, it has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to treat arthritis. Similarly, consuming the fruit of a Poison Apple (Solanum panduriforme) will induce convulsions and a coma, and yet in the right doses, it can be used to treat boils and coughs!

So next time your on game drive, bouncing from one big-5 sighting to the next, keep your eyes open for the wild flowers, there is more to them than meets the eye!

Flame lily
(Gloriosa superba)

Blue water-lily
(Nymphae nouchali) - photo thanks to Ryan Johnston) 

Yellow mouse ears
(Cleome angustifolia)

White trumpets
(Chascanum haderecium)

Wild African violet
(Aptosmium lineare)

Welcome to Ulusaba

Welcome all of you to Ulusaba! In October this year, a trainee role at Richard Branson's private game reserve in the Sabi Sands became available, and I very excitedly took up the post. Joining the team as a Junior Ranger, I have been given the opportunity to grasp how a 5* lodge operates, be exposed to a huge range of training, and have the chance to build on my experience and knowledge, with the aim of becoming an established ranger in this experienced team. 

My first six weeks at Ulusaba have flown by in a blur of amazing people and incredible sightings. Positioned in the western sector of the Sabi Sands, the game viewing here is second to none; cats are abundant, the landscape is stunning and guiding first class. Here are some of my highlights...

Wild dog pups!

Very active hyena den

A pride rock moment

Young elephant bulls playing in the mud after the rain

Fishing at Skwenga Dam...it's a tough job we have.
Here with Rico, one of the rangers...see the elephant in the back ground!

We cooked our Tilapia over a fire

Watching elephants playing in the Dam while fishing

Newest member of the family...adorable