Diary Gallery
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Singita Ebony & Boulders Lodges
Print this page »May 2009 : Sabi Sand Reserve, South Africa
Temperature
Average Minimum:12°C (54°F)
Average Maximum:28°C (82°F)
Minimum Recorded:6°C (43°F)
Maximum Recorded:33°C (91°F)
Rainfall
For the period:20 mm (1 in)
For the year to date:636 mm (25 in)
The grasses have turned to shades of gold, providing perfect camouflage for the tawny or “dappled” predators. The game viewing has been fabulous, in particular the reserve seems to be abounding with the illusive leopards, as you will read about later in ‘leopard mania’.
Crisp, chilly, clear mornings, warm days and snug evening fire-sides are typically the norm at Singita Sabi Sand during this time of the year, as we head towards the Winter solstice in June. The characteristic guttural roars of the rutting male impala beginning to wane as the mating opportunities subside. The dominant rams having spent day and night actively corralling their females and fighting off challengers. The strongest and most virile will have sewn their seed, to emerge in their progeny in November and December. The Sparta pride of lions has been pressing westwards in exploratory territory expansion, spending far more time on our property than previously experienced. Along with fairly good cheetah viewing, the predator sightings have been magnificent.
We have also enjoyed some exquisite bird life, including the likes of the Yellow-billed oxpecker and Half-collared Kingfisher, two very special birds to see in this region.
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LEOPARD MANIA
There’s no time like the present to come to Singita Sabi Sand for leopard viewing. The generally unrivalled viewing of these cats in the Sabi Sand Game reserve is even better than usual. I have just completed a nine night safari with two guests of Singita who are besotted with leopard (and I don’t blame them) and in their 9 night stay with us we have averaged almost 2 leopard sightings a drive with a total of 15 different animals!
One of our favourite sightings over this period was of finally locating a large mother leopard with her one female cub. She was living up to the “elusive” leopard name by constantly travelling between our property and our neighbours’ each night so we decided to head out a little earlier than normal to try and catch her in the act. Finally we put two and two together, tracked backwards, and found that she wasn’t with a carcass in the neighbouring property at all but instead was on our side, very close to the boundary. She must have been there for over 3 days with her 5 month old cub filling their bellies with meat of a male bushbuck.
This young cub is rather curious and confident at the moment and was actually stalking our tracker, Phanuel, when he first spotted her. Fortunately it was a few minutes later that the mother arrived on the scene, realizing what had caught her daughters’ interest, but by then we had Phanuel safely inside the vehicle. We watched them play, pouncing and chewing on one-another’s ears while the excitement was still in the crisp air. After a short grooming session and some rest in the first rays of morning sun, we watched as the adult female jumped up a tall Apple-leaf tree (Lonchocarpus capassa) with such ease and tried plucking fur from the thread of neck skin that was left of the bushbuck which she had safely hoisted. She had finished all that she could eat and was in fact preparing the skin as a last morsel for the cub to eat. After replacing the carcass to hang lower and allow the youngster to reach it, she came down and called for feeding time.
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She is no longer allowing much suckling of her milk so the cub launched herself in to the tree and attempted to grab this dangling food. It was not an easy position to get to and required a lot of maneuvering around and delicate balancing on nimble branches to get a claw or tooth on it. In the end she gave up and had a lot more fun throwing her tiny, clumsy body in to the bush beside them. This was cause of much hysteria for us due to her almost falling out of the limp branches whilst she dangled, determined not to fall. To our amazement she repeated this over and over again until eventually she got the hang of it and decided to jump right out of the bush and land of her mother who was lying patiently below watching all this learning behaviour.
A Bataluer Eagle(Terathopius ecaudatus)landed in a nearby tree after spotting the carcass remains from the sky. They hunt their own food though, like vultures, will also feed on carrion. The mother leopard was not happy about this and began vocalizing her disapproval. This was the cue to leave the remains behind as not much more was to be gained there. We followed the two of them on their stroll towards the Sand River for shade, water and shelter amongst the tall reeds. Along the way a giraffe bull was disturbed by their presence. The wise mother leopard ignored this large animal only to have her young, foolish child, with no comprehension of size, try her best at stalking for a while. May the two of them continue to amaze us on their adventures and trials of life in the bush over the winter months to come.
By Shelley Pope Sabi Sand Field Guide
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NEW IDENTITY
With growing up comes new identity, the Ravenscourt Young has finally got his own name,‘Shinzele Male’(Panthera pardus) which means Honey badger in the local language Shangaan, Honey Badgers are known for the courageous personalities and thus we felt it was appropriate to knight him this name. Learning that being alone means that he needs to keep himself entertained, and most importantly fed. On the whole his hunting skills, let’s be kind and say they are below par, as we have watched him try and bring down anything between a buffalo bull and massive crocodile. He appears less serious about the business of hunting and wastes a lot of time with impractical ambition or wishful thinking. He has shown fascination for buffaloes, following a herd. They seem to be a foolhardy risk, yet in the light of the outcomes of his actions it has to be assumed that he has an acute awareness of his own ability as well as the limitations of the lumbering bovines. This week has been full of adventures for this young leopard, as three nights ago we found him, in a serious stare down with a female hyena, which he rudely told off. The following afternoon a Pride of 12 lions, including a dominant male, had killed a male waterbuck. He was seen within twenty meters of the pride just watching and hoping for a snack of the left over’s. He observed for about an hour, after feeding the lions moved off into the shade… it was his turn. He moved in and started to feed off the carcass all while the pride lay full belled 20 meters away.
More recently we found him in one of the Sand River tributaries trying to catch a Nile Monitor. It was unbelievable as we watched him wade up and down the river, jumping from one side of the bank to the other, in easily two meter aerial displays. Once he had got his paws muddy he got hold of a stick and tossed it around in the water, practicing for the kill. Then it was time for the real thing as he got sight of a Nile monitor and ambushed it in an impressive leap. He carried it onto the bank, and to celebrate he decided to climb to the top of a very nimble tree, which he fell out of. When returning to the Monitor he realised that it was nowhere to be seen, and had actually returned to the river slightly scared. A disappointing finale for a very ambitious leopard.
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CURIOSITY
By Nick Hindson
Sabi Sand Field Guide
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A HALF COLLARED AFFAIR
In the kingfisher family there are 10 birds that can be seen in Southern Africa. Here in the Sabi Sands we regularly see eight of them depending on the season. This month the ninth showed up. The illusive and uncommon bird, show casing a brilliant blue cap, a black bill and orange to coral red feet. The half collared kingfisher’s diet includes, fish, crabs and insects. Usually solitary, it perches low down on branches or on rocks over fast flowing perennial streams and rivers. Has a fast flight, low and direct, after landing it raises and lowers its head and gives its tail a flick.
THE SILENT HUNTER OF THE NIGHT
On the way back to the lodge one night after a wonderful afternoon of viewing all that could be expected, the most unforeseen and invigorating sighting was about to appear.The afternoon was a glow in the onset of a beautiful sunset starting off with numerous Cape Buffalo drinking at a dam, only to be joined shortly by a crash of four White Rhinoceros. While we watched in awe as buffalo bulls fought; buffalo calves stumbled after their mothers, trying to find their legs; and the rhinos mingled between the herds. After a short while we moved on reluctantly only to locate a large herd of about thirty African Elephants feeding. As we continued the excitement grew as the tension built in finding the pride of lions, knowing they could be close, more than likely following the buffalo. We found them lying-up absorbing the last of the sunset, which was now a glow of brilliant pink with a bright orange sun setting behind the trees. The pride slowly began to stir with great anticipation felt by all, only to be let down with the lions flopping back to the ground only twenty meters from where the first lay. After a good while of willing them on and into hunting mode with no success we moved on, leaving all twelve ”lazy” lions flat on their backs. The evening was a triumph, what more could one ask for? With immense excitement and constant chatter of the events of the day we drove on, merely to stumble onto a lone Honey badger ducking and diving between the bush and the road, giving us a fine grand finale! The evening was now complete. One of the “secret seven”, a shy and seldom seen honey badger running around in front of us for all to view and enjoy. What we did not know was that yet another of the “secret seven” would show itself to us with an amazing outcome within the next ten minutes…
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“A Caracal!” was all that was heard to break the still and silence of everyone being lulled into the enjoyment of the sounds of the night. The excitement rose again as we viewed this nocturnal predator just two meters off the road. It sat quietly, close to the ground with only the slightest movement of its ears as it listened to the bush around it. As the flashes of cameras popped the caracal picked up on the faintest sound of a mouse scurrying around in the grass next to it, pin-pointing it’s exact location. The cat moved, creeping slowly towards its quarry and with one, two quick pounces and mouse was caught. What an achievement. A caracal and a kill, not only the icing on the cake, but the cherry on the top as well!
By Sophia Lehr - Sabi Sand Field Guide
THE ELLUSIVE YELLOW-BILLED OXPECKER
Oxpeckers are common in Kruger but rare almost anywhere else. Their numbers suffered a great decline with the introduction of dipping domestic stock as an antidote to ticks. Interestingly, they have reasserted themselves in southern Zimbabwe as commercial farming operations have devastated by the country’s controversial land reform policies. Oxpeckers particularly favour an association with buffalo and giraffe, picking ticks off their hides and probing ears, noses and mouths for food. There are two species of oxpeckers – the Red-billed and rarer Yellow-billed. The former prefers hairier animals and the latter less hairy. They often work in parties and warn their hosts that they are coming with a load, rattling cry. The yellow billed disappeared from the Kruger in 1915 and reappeared in the 1970’s. Today there are an estimated 500 Yellow-billed Oxpeckers in Kruger. All are found in the northern sections and are usually seen around large herds of buffalo. With this in mind, it was very exciting to see at least 10 Yellow-Billed Oxpeckers in amoungst the large herd of buffalo while they were feeding in the open plain of the South of the reserve.
ETERNAL EMEMIES
As we watched a Pride of 12 lions lying, with their bellies completely stuffed, close to a water hole on a rather chilly morning, they were deep in their dreams. Some of the younger members of the pride noticed an incredible large, old buffalo bull come down for what he believed would be a peaceful drink. It was a matter of seconds later that the lions began to surround him, giving a fair chase. After running off for about 30m the buffalo decided to change the situation, and turned on the lions giving them some of their own medicine. It was great to watch as the roles changed, and it was evident that the buffalo had many years experience with this type of situation.
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MUD GLORIOUS MUD
On a baking hot afternoon I came across these rhino’s as they trudged towards a mud wallow. A hot rhino always loves a cool wallow; they lay down and rolled with gusto. Waterholes with sticky mud of the correct texture are highly sought after by rhinos. A layer of mud on their thick skin cools them down and provides protection from biting flies. The abrasive mud also facilitates a good scratch. Tree stumps and rocks near mud wallows are used as scratching posts and many are polished smooth from years of rubbing. Despite the descriptive names of the two rhino species, both are actually grey in colour. Rhinos wallow regularly and their appearance is in fact determined by the colour of the local mud supply. An update from the giraffe carcass, the hyena’s clan continued to fill they tummies, as well as vultures by the 100 picked off the remains. One of the male lions from the coalition strolled by but didn’t take much notice. By the end of the month there was absolutely nothing left.
INTERVIEW WITH SPECIALIST GUIDE AND TRAINER, ALAN YEOWART
Q: If you could be an animal what would you choose to be and why? A: A leopard – no real reason other than for the fact that I have seen them botch up so many kill opportunities. I would be the fat and satisfied leopard showing all other that it is actually not that difficult. I also like hyaenas – the female dominance is something that I can identify fairly easily with.
Q: What does being a specialist guide entail? A: The role is varied – essentially we would accompany a party on Safari throughout any destination on their itinerary. This serves to maintain the continuity of the experience and ensure that it is dynamic and moulded in accordance with specific interests and prior experiences. Sadly many safaris have the “hiccup” period when moving from one destination to another and getting to know subsequent guides (and possibly comparing them). The Specialist guide would in essence reduce the impact of such moves. We might also be called upon to guide groups that may have a particular interest and require specific expertise – photography, birds, etc.
Q: What’s been your favourite sighting? A: Too many to identify one specific sighting. Recently I was fortunate enough to go and see the “Wildebeest” Migration at our (Singita’s) Operation in Tanzania. As we entered the vicinity of where we had been told that the columns had reached we switched off the vehicle to listen… The sound was something very powerful. A throbbing hum of hundreds of thousands of animals. Not unlike the noise of a giant bee-hive. Visually it was unimpressive at that particular point due to the area being woodland, but nonetheless impressive. Kills are always spectacular as they combine agility and strength and the simple process of survival. Life and death in a continuous cycle.
‘Only if we understand can we care, Only if we care will we help, Only if we help shall they be saved.’
Jane Goodall
Nicky Silberbauer Singita Sabi Sand South Africa 31 of May 2009
