February 2010 : Sabi Sand Reserve, South Africa

February the month of love has proved no different in the bush, as a pair of leopards was seen together for four consecutive days around the 14th of February in an intense love affair. The Shangwa female leopard, which was seen mating, has recently started leaving her female cub to hunt independently, an incredibly difficult period for young leopards, as they need to not only survive but also obtain a territory. It is interesting that the Shindzhele male, the previous cub of the Ravenscourt female has still not left his mother and two younger brothers even after nearly 27 months. This a very unusual sight to witness as all four leopards interact.

The lion viewing has been no less than spectacular this month. We have been seeing the Othwa pride spending much time with the four, now five-month-old cubs, a great sight as the pride is now up to twelve members. The Castleton pride has had one cub of their own, and we are almost certain that the two other lionesses of the pride are also expecting in the not too distant future. The coalition of three brothers has been roaring late into the evenings, and as usual covering enormous territories in the cool hours of the night.  The Southern pride has been spending a fair deal of time in the Southern sections, following the large herd of buffalo. This an incredible sight to see sixteen lions chasing over three-hundred buffalo. The Sparta pride has also been seen regularly, although they have been tending to spend some of their time to the East of the reserve, an area which previously was the core of their territory.

The cheetah activity in the south of the reserve has been great, seeing him spending time amongst the large herd of buffalo and some huge crashes of Rhino. The biggest crash this month was an impressive nine rhinos together. The pack of six wild dogs has also been making them-selves at home chasing the now eager male impala’s as they start off the rutting.
WILD TIMES
This is possibly one of the most exciting drives I’ve ever had.  We set out early in search of leopards. It was our last drive and we decided to drive along the river to see if we could find any signs of this elusive cat.  A couple of minutes into our drive, we came across a herd of impalas peacefully feeding in a clearing and a large male baboon feeding at the base of a Marula tree. We decided to continue our search along the river when Mishack, our tracker, spotted a pack of wild dogs running along the track in front of us.

As they approached the herd of impala, the pack set off after them and we could tell they were closing in as the big male baboon shot up the tree like a rocket and enjoyed the chase from a high perch.  We switched off the engine of the Land Rover as we had lost visual and were hoping to hear them feeding. They did make a kill but had devoured the impala before we found them again. The pack had been separated and we could hear their distinctive contact calls and eventually all the dogs appeared out of the thick bush.

We then had the privilege to witness the alpha pair mating, something rarely observed in the wild and a first for Mischack and me. Wanting to give them a bit of privacy we decided to head back on our leopard search and whilst we all chatted about how amazing our sighting was, not one, not 2, not 3, but four leopards appeared out of the blue walking straight towards us.

A female with her two youngest cubs and an immature male from her previous litter. They had obviously been feeding, as all of them were very well feed.  Unaware of the wild dogs just around the corner, they headed past us and towards the river, possibly for some shade and a drink. 

Mishack spotted the mating pair resting before the leopards did, and within seconds so did the alpha female who let of a growl and decided to give chase. The leopards, outnumbered, scattered and the female leopard was the first to reach safety on a tree with her 3 youngsters climbing the same tree just in front of her.  The wild dog pack had now regrouped at the base of the Marula tree. 

The mating pair was at it again and the leopards all looked a little puzzled, the three of them sitting on the same branch. The pack decided to move on and after 10 minutes the leopards came down from the trees and we went off in search of more amazing things we could find. A breeding herd of elephants, a family of dwarf mongoose and a crash of three white rhino were what we found before heading back to the lodge and enjoying a lovely breakfast.

A BAD TASTEING AFFAIR

There are thousands of species of dung beetles. Wherever there is dung, there are most likely dung beetles. These belong to three basic groups: rollers, tunnelers and dwellers. These words describe how these beetles use the dung they find. They rollers shape pieces of dung into balls and roll them away from the pile. They bury their balls to either ingest later or to use as a place to lay their eggs. Tunnelers bury their dung treasure in tunneling underneath the pile. And dwellers actually live inside dung piles.

You may wonder whose dung these insects eat. That would depend on where the species live. Dung beetles are found worldwide, on every continent except Antarctica. They live in habitats that range from desert to forest. Here at Singita our dung beetles prefer to feed on dung of the larger herbivores, namely elephants and rhinos. Dung beetles larvae, or young, eat solid dung while adult dung beetles stick to liquids. There is a good bit of nutritious moisture in dung, and adult beetle will suck up that juice.

An adult dung beetle can live up to three years. Most dung beetles are dark coloured, some are shiny metallic colours while others have bright patterns. Dung beetles have wings and can fly. Their six legs are made for rolling dung and digging holes. Most species use their sense of smell to find animal droppings. Some dung beetles lay their eggs in dung balls that they have rolled, when the eggs hatch, the larvae use the dung ball as their source of food.

As a dung beetle rolls its ball of the dung, the other dung beetles will often try to steal it. Dung beetles are part of nature’s clean-up crew. By eating and burying other animals’ waste, these beetles recycle nutrients into the soil; they also bury wastes which might otherwise attract pests such as flies. On a busy night, one dung beetle can bury 250 times its own weight in dung.

AFRICAN PIED KINGFISHER & AFRICAN MALACHITE KINGFISHER

The fish-eating African Malachite Kingfisher and African Pied Kingfisher are residents, meaning they don’t migrate, as their food supply is fairly constant all year round. Notice the long, straight, sharp bills of the kingfishers, especially for catching fish. Prey is grabbed with the bill tip, taken to a perch and beaten to immobilize it before it is swallowed. To avoid a potentially life-threatening mishap, fish eating birds have to swallow their prey the right way round: head first. This ensures that the scales, fins and tail are facing the right way so the fish slips down easily – tail first and it could get stuck.

The insectivorous Southern Carmine Bee-eater is a typical intra-African migrant, heading to Zimbabwe and some areas of Botswana to breed over summer. By migrating between large areas, birds are essentially moving from one extravagant summer banquet to another. The wings of the migratory Southern Carmine Bee-eater are long and narrow, an adaptation for flying long distances. The major drawback in undertaking these journeys is the enormous distance that separates their destinations, and the high risks involved in undertaking such an enterprise twice a year. Notice how the Bee-eater is about to catch a CMR beetle, which is highly toxic to humans, often referred to as the Blister beetle.                                       

After making the most of the food supplies in one area in order to raise their brood, they flee the extreme weather and food shortage of an impending winter to spend the non-breeding season in another summer destination. Migration can be defined as a predictable journey, usually from a breeding area to a non-breeding area and back again. Over 130 bird species in Southern Africa are migrants, either undertaking epic intercontinental journeys, or moving within the African continent itself.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE INTERESTING SPECIES TO LOOK OUT FOR AT THE MOMENT, AS THEY WILL SOON BE DEPARTING NORTH ON THEIR ANNUAL MIGRATIONS.

• European rollers – Europe, Middle East and West Asia
• Red back shrikes – Mainly Europe, often Russia
• Lesser grey shrikes – Mainly Europe
• Carmine Bee-eaters – Zimbabwe and areas of Botswana
• European bee-eaters – Southern Europe
• White storks – Eurasia, North West Africa
• Wood Sandpiper – North Europe, Asia
• Barn swallows – North Africa, Europe, North
• Asia and North America
• Amur Falcons - Siberia
• Woodlands Kingfisher – Equatorial African forests,
• Sudan and Lake Victoria
• Grey headed Kingfisher – Tropical Africa
• Pygmy Kingfisher – Tropical Africa
• Wahlberg’s Eagle – Central / Tropical Africa
• Steppe Eagle – Eastern Europe, the Russian Steppes

THE FEBRUARY NIGHT SKYS

The star-gazing in February has been absolutely breath-taking. As the blazing sun bids farewell in the West a planet tries in vain to fill its enormous boots, it is known as the evening star – Venus. It is instantly noticeable as it is the brightest planet in the sky and will be following in the footsteps of the Sun, soon disappearing below the horizon. Another planet can be seen throughout the night, also moving from East to West – this is Mars. Mars is made up of a vast desert of rock and sand, giving it a distinctly red appearance.

The summer constellations are in full view above the prowling spot-lights of our night-drive vehicles. The sparkling formations of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo can all be seen at varying times throughout the night. Valentine’s Day, the 14th, brought with it the new moon resulting in an unusually dark night as there is no reflection of light from the Moon back towards the Earth. This creates ideal hunting conditions for the plethora of predators in the area and fantastic star-gazing opportunities for the intrepid astronomer.

As a result of the low-light conditions the black sky springs to life and stars that are not usually seen with the naked-eye are now easily visible. One such rarely viewed cosmic delight is the Magellanic or Cape Clouds, clearly visible on the night of the 14th. These ‘clouds’ are in fact distant galaxies, the further of the two being a staggering 210 000 light years from Earth and containing about 2000 000 000 stars. Incredible views of Orion the Hunter, The Jewel Box and the Southern Cross were also on offer.  Early-morning risers in February have been treated to a view of the largest planet in our solar system – Jupiter. A quick glance through binoculars can often reveal one or more of Jupiter’s 16 moons, appearing as tiny pin-pricks of light beside their enormous master.

10 MINUTES WITH THE HIPPO hippopotamus amphibious

Quick facts and interesting points:
ϖ The 3rd Largest land mammal in Africa
ϖ Generally in the water during the day and out grazing at night
ϖ Can hold their breath to a maximum of between 5 and 8 minutes
ϖ Skin is sensitive to the sun
ϖ Responsible for the majority of human deaths by mammals in Africa
ϖ Strictly herbivores- grazers
ϖ Enlarged canines and incisors in males for combat and intimidation
ϖ Baby’s can suckle under the water
ϖ Calves weigh about 50kg at birth
ϖ Longevity:  Hippos are long lived and a captive female was recorded dying at 61 years and 2 months. But in the wild it is probably usually around 45
  years for females and about 35 years for males.
ϖ Gestation Period:225-257 days or about 8 months.

Hippos have two essential requirements in terms of habitat: water deep enough to submerge in and nearby grassland. Hippos live in social groups varying in size and composition, the groups consisting of territorial bull and females with calves, or bachelors in association. Groups are not stable and size depends on density and on habitat conditions such as the availability of suitable pools or sandy banks. Swimming hippos in effect gallop underwater; they also walk on the bottom while submerged. On land they look deceivingly clumsy but can reach speeds of over 30km/h. Hippos are nocturnal selective grazers, consuming up to 40kg per night. Hippos are short croppers, preferring to feed on open areas of short green grass. This is accomplished with the short horny edges of the lips. The grass is plucked with an upward movement of the head.

The eyesight is good for an animal of this size. Their smell and hearing are acute, with both the ears and nostrils equipped with sphincter valves that close underwater. Olfactory communication is socially important, even underwater where the vomero-nasal organ is used to smell urine. They can also hear contact calls underwater (low frequency vibrations). Hippo bulls reach puberty at about 7 years old but only become mature much later. Females have their first calves at about 4 years of age. Hippos are seasonal breeders. Mating takes place in the water. When she is about to calve the female leaves the group and finds a secluded site in shallow water to give birth. Calves are capable of going into deep water soon after being born and begin to suckle within a few minutes of being born. The female and young remain away from the group for the first 10-14 days. There are instances of reported infanticide.

RELATED SPECIES:
The family comprises 2 genera:  Hexaprotodon and Hippopotamus, each of which has 1 species. Hexaprotodon is represented by the Pygmy Hippopotamus of the forests and coastal plains of West Africa.

Brett Horley – Field guide

• A wristlet made from elephant hair conferred status on the person wearing it.
• Dried and powdered trunk tip was believed to be an important ingredient in the magic horn worn by some elephant hunters to protect them.
• Elephant gallstones and ivory pearls have long been used for medicinal and magical purposes by African medicine people.
• Weather men of certain African tribes used pieces of dry ivory planted in the ground as rain detectors. With increasing soil and air humidity, the ivory would swell up and bend slightly.
• In praise songs, elephants have a series of titles: ‘animals of our kings’, ‘lord of the trees’, master of the valleys’, ‘king of creation’, ‘servant of the great Earth Mother’.
• The fat from an elephant’s heart was thought by some tribes to aid in becoming pregnant.