M.A.C in Africa: April 2014

The last few days of game viewing have been nothing less then spectacular, so astonishing at times it is hard to know even where to begin! Lets do this chronologically....

It all started a few days ago, when one of our leopards, the Torchwood male, killing an impala just outside the Ulusaba staff village. Lingering hyenas immediately initiated war and a battle commenced between them and the leopard, each taking it in turns to steal the carcass, eat a bit, then get it stolen from them again. After some to-ing and fro-ing, Torchwood remembered he could climb trees and up he hoisted the huge male impala up a Marula tree. We are well into rutting season for the Impalas now, a period when the impala males are so pre-occupied with defending their territories and chasing females to mate with, that they forget to look out for predators, all of whom are taking full advantage of such easy food! Once safely out of the way of those scavenging hyenas, Torchwood tucked greedily into his kill, finally at ease. Balanced superbly on a branch of the Marula, it was an incredible sight and the photo opportunities were awesome.

Torchwood up a Marula Tree with an Impala kill

Less then 48 hours later, I was following another male leopard, Nyeleti, who is territorial around Inyati's property. He has been very active sent marking of late, and whilst it was interesting watching this behaviour as he moved along the road marking trees, it was what happened next that was mind blowing. We were following the leopard down the road, when all of a sudden, the snorts and grunting of a male impala defending his patch rung loud and clear form the bush next to us. Nyeleti dropped immediately to the ground, making himself as inconspicuous as possible, and the stupid male impala with nothing else on his mind except females and other males ran straight towards the leopard. Ready and waiting, Nyeleti pounced with impressive speed and agility - the impala didn't even know what hit it. The scenario that unwound next in front of us was raw - we watched the leopard first suffocate his prey, then drag it off to a safe place before plucking the hair, tearing through the skin and lapping up the blood. It was the first time I've ever see a live kill like that... that behaviour, the split second decision to go for it, the opportunistic nature of leopards...all of it was incredible to witness. I am still blown away.

Gruesome but fascinating...Nyeleti suffocating his kill
Picture compliments of Iain Tall

Selati male
Picture compliments of Iain Tall

Waking up the following morning, I thought a lighter hearted drive would be a good idea...find some zebras, a giraffe maybe...yeah that didn't happen. Less then 10 minutes after leaving the lodge all chaos broke lose - there were lions everywhere! The Macingelani male lions were back in the area, eating Nyeleti's impala that they had stolen during the night...two Selati males were seen walking down one of our main roads, then another Selati male was chasing the Ximungwe pride around safari lodge! Calvin, Brandon and myself went to follow up on the Selati male and the Ximungwes. The pride had fled and consequently split up, and we saw the male chasing one of the cubs. Luckily the cub managed to get away, and for the next hour, we followed that male on his mission to see what would happen next. Brandon left to track down the rest of the pride, which he did so successfully, happily finding most of them together again. Calvin and myself continued trailing the male, who was moving fairly swiftly in Brandon's direction, where he was sat with the 3 females and 5 cubs of the Ximungwe pride (one cub still MIA). It was a matter of time before they clashed, and clash they did in spectacular style. We were not sure what the male was hoping to get out of the encounter, but he walked straight towards the pride, and i very much doubt he foresaw what happened next! With an unbelievable chorus of ferocious growls, snarls and roaring, we had lion cubs running in every which direction and the adult females charged after the male, giving him a beating of a lifetime! He flew off, tail well and truly between his legs, and those fearless females howled their roars after him, I can imagine telling him to bugger off and never come back! Seeing that mother-protective instinct from the females was phenomenal, as was watching them softly contact call their cubs back together afterward the episode was over, really tore at the heart strings. This is the first litter of cubs our Ximungwe pride have managed to keep alive/protect successfully from infanticide, and they are going to continue to protect them with every ounce of energy they have. Another incredible sighting, one made all the more special by sharing it together with Ulusaba rangers, and the teamwork behind the sighting that made it possible...Brandon following up and finding the pride, Calvin and I keeping up with that male through some horrible thick silver cluster leaves at times, and perseverance from all our parts and belief that something incredible was about to unfold in front of our eyes - easily one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen.

The Ximungwe females having chased off the Selati male...picture compliments of Iain Tall

Definitely a cat dominated week, but a quick mention on the wild dogs, who also made an exciting reappearance back in the north this last week. It had been almost 2 months since I last saw those stinking creatures, but it was fantastic to see them looking fit and healthy and in such good numbers (approx 16!). They certainly tested my driving skills, weaving in and out of thick bush and down into the Sand River bed, but it reminded me of how superbly fit these dogs are, a feat that makes them truly fantastic hunters.

A few more pics, some complements of my guest, Iain Tall (see more of his work at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iain-Tall-Photography/169066103249894)

Torchwood with his Impala

Nyeleti walking and scent marking just before he made his kill

Nyeleti hears the Impala...milliseconds later he was down on his tummy and then charged

Nyeleti suffocating the Impala

Nyeleti plucking then eating the Impala...rump first then stomach

Gory but fascinating

Selati male

Selati male looking for the Ximungwes

Selati male having a rest....he soon picked up the scent of the pride

Ximungwe female chasing off the male

Wild dogs back in town

In true african wording, "sho", it's been a long time since I last wrote an update. And what a mix of adventures, excitement, emotions and unbelievable sightings it has been.

Don and I watching the Sand River in flood...in awe!

Thinking back over the last few months, one of the things that stands out most has to be the rain and floods. The rains this year were a little late, hitting us full force in late February, early March, but boy did they hit us hard. At one period, we had some 180ml of rain in 3 days followed by a torrential overnight downpour of 150ml. It was not surprising that, following all that rain, the western sector here in the Sabi Sands was up to its neck in mud and flooding rivers! Facing first a battle with the roads to get to the lodges, us Ulusaba rangers were up against natures forces to take guests out on game drive. And out on game drive we went! With huge proportions of the reserve out of action and cut off by thunderous flooded rivers, those areas still accessible were marred by bogs, rivers where roads once existed, huge gullies and pot holes and more mud then you've ever seen before. Looking for adventure? This was where you wanted to be! Drives were ones of discovery and unbelievable sights, finding out which drainage lines were crossable (and which definitely were not, que tow-ropes), which roads still existed and which were traversable, and then on top of all that, the challenge of finding game presented itself. But fear not, we're operating in the Sabi Sands! Ahh, leopards I hear you say. Spot on (excuse the pun). On one particularly challenging morning, my favourite young leopard, the Scotia female, saved us all with a magnificent show. In her effort to get away from the water saturated ground, she headed upwards into a beautiful dead tree where she sat elevated, safe from rising waters with a view to die for. And being the glamour puss she is, we got treated to a full runway show as she expertly manoeuvred her way around the branches, finding the most comfortable spot for a snooze. Looking fat and healthy, my little Scotia female at just a year and a half has done incredibly well, and what a winner for knowing to go up, rather than sit in thick bush in a drainage line (cough, Dawane male leopard, who we tried in vain to follow but got no-where except stuck).

Some of the guys getting stuck at river crossings!

This was Phil...we had to get the tractor on this occasion

My Scotia female up her tree

Scotia faaaast asleep

Scotia female...beautiful

Scotia giving us a show

Scotia female...always entertaining

That whole period, looking back, was probably the most enjoyable time I've had in the bush so far. In one week, Don (my tracker) and I got stuck 5 times in 4 days, and after digging ourselves out on far too many of those occasions , we soon caved in and called in for help instead...much less messy and far faster! Being the only female in the western sector however, you can well imagine the "women driver" jokes I had to endure, but it was me who was laughing upon listening to other rangers getting stuck, it all unfolding on the radio, and then waiting for the critical point to call and offer my assistance, to which was met with radio silence, a heavy sigh, and a mumbled "yes ok please, thanks". Hahahahahahah. WINNER. I remember on one occasion, I was sitting with some Giraffe when Rico, one of our Ulusaba rangers bumped into a male leopard just round the corner. He called in Ryan (another Ulusaba ranger) who was closer, and I took a first stand-by. I listened to their radio chatter, and their discussion as to whether or not to follow the leopard off road. They decided to go for it and less then 2 minutes later, I heard two "uh-oh's" on the radio. Laughing hard to myself now, as it was these two chappies who particularly teased me about getting stuck, I put on my girliest voice and asked if "you boys would like assistance". They very quickly turned it down and said they could get themselves out, but 10 minutes later, my radio crackled into life and that mumbled cry for help came my way. Of course I saved the day, towing out not one, but both of them, and needless to say they stopped teasing me after that! Those were the early days, because soon everyone was getting stuck so often no-one had a leg to stand on. In one particularly bad incident, we had 3 land-drovers, one land cruiser and a tractor stuck, and just to complicate matters, there was a leopard in the vicinity and 3 huge male lions, one lying next to each stuck vehicle, as if there to watch and laugh at the show.

Most of the time we get stuck when we go off road following animals...which meant getting out is extra tricky because you have to avoid getting eaten as well!

Eventually the roads began to dry out again, and game drives once more resembled more their usual state. Game viewing also improved, with herds of elephants, rhino's, leopards, cheetahs and buffalo keeping us busy. More recently there has been a huge territorial war between our resident coalition of 3 Selati males and the 4-strong coalition of Majingilan males from the North, who have been trying to move into our area and take over from our current males. My heart has been in my mouth on many occasions because if these males succeed in taking over, they will kill all 14 of the lion cubs that live in this area, in order to remove all traces of the old males and bring the females back into oestrus. All three of our males went through a period of looking very beaten up, with one of them lying up in one spot for almost 2 weeks recovering. I am pleased to say though that they are all looking healthier again now and hopefully they've built up enough strength to continue to keep those other bully males at bay. All the action has not only affected the males however, with both resident prides shooting north of the Sand River to get away from the males, and as a result have also clashed with each other, resulting in some nasty injuries on both sides. As i write, the most recent battle this week saw the 3 Ximungwe females split up from their 6 cubs, of whom we haven't yet been able to find...so everything crossed they have managed to survive and are safely in hiding somewhere. Watch this space for more news.

As for the leopards, there have also been some big shake ups. The females have all been keeping a very low profile, with reports that Hlab'nkunzi is denning in Singita and her daughter (my favourite leopard) Scotia is also spending more time that side, too. The Metsi female has not been seen for some time and we are starting to wonder if she is still alive. The young Boulders female continues to give us the run around, being quite skittish and difficult to track. Dam 3 has been giving us some interesting shows though with her continuous mating with the males, but no signs of pregnancy yet. Talking of pregnancy, I was sitting with the Klangisa female the other day, who was sporting a very swollen tummy and teats, so maybe we'll have some cubs in the area again soon.

One the male front, our main man Dawane had a big battle with an intruding male, of whom he fought off but walked away with a nasty leg injury. In the last month his injury has got progressively worse, and he now has not only a very swollen paw and wrist but a very bad limp which is beginning to affect his ability to hunt. Saying that he continues to do a good job stealing everyone else's food! The Nyaleti male has been featuring prominently in our sightings of late, and it looks to me that both he and the Torchwood male are taking over some of Dawane's territory. The mighty Kashane though is still the biggest boss and swans in from time to time to check part of his 94km sq. territory in our area!

So life goes on in the bush, never a dull moment, and always lots to look out for and observe. As I write the wild dogs are also in the area - the first time we have seen them for a good few months as previously we were cut off by the river to the north where they usually traverse. Watch this space for more updates which I promise will become more frequent again, and I hope you enjoy some pics from the last few months.

Until next time... MAC over and out xx

Black Mamba sighting

Cheetah male & female...sighting have been fantastic

Cheetah male & female

White back vulture... we saw loads of vultures in a tree one drive and
went to investigate, and the fight that ensued between vultures and
hyenas over a wildebeest carcass was incredible