December 2009 : Kruger National Park, South Africa

Singita, place of miracles. Miracle [an event or action that is that is totally amazing, extraordinary or unexpected, something admired as a marvelous creation]

This sums up what we have experienced for the month of December, and it sums up exactly what Singita is all about, a place that changes your life, a place where you seek and find a part of you that you never knew existed. I am sure that God has opened up a tiny window in to heaven, allowing us a mere glimpse. This place simply can not be described in mere human terms. Instead I have tried my best to showcase it to you in a series of photographs, all taken within this month. Sit back and enjoy the spectacle that is Singita Kruger National Park.

THE HEAVENS HAVE FINALLY OPENED ON LEBOMBO!

We finally got some good rain on the concession. Pictured below you can actually see the water coming down the river-bed in sequence. It went from a dry river bed to a gushing river in less than six minutes. To actually see it happen was one of the most amazing sights I have ever witnessed. One could actually see catfish swimming in the front section of the water.

HEAVEN ON EARTH

Early morning out on the concession congers up magic only seen by few. The contrasting green grass, dark mountains and blue skies make for an unbelievable sight. General game are attracted by the lush green grass and abundance of water holes and seasonal pans.

CELEBRATING SUMMER

BABOON vs. SQUIRREL

Zipping up and down the trunk of the tree the little squirrel kept the young baboon guessing. The squirrel was lighter, faster and much more agile as it darted well out of grasp of the frustrated baboon. He would not give up though and thought if he could summon the rest of his friends they might have a chance. Soon three of them were scrambling up and down the tree trunk, but to no avail. The squirrel seemed to gaining immense satisfaction from this little game, and eventually disappeared in a hole, leaving three very confused baboons in his wake.

 
THE CUTEST LITTLE THING…

Standing separate from the rest of the impala’s was this little new born. He was barely a week old and one could not help but feel sad for him. He looked a little different to the rest of the babies, his head appeared to be slightly swollen. This just added to the “oohs” and “aahs” coming from the guests on the vehicle.  Then out of nowhere, as if sensing that the little one was lonely, a young male waterbuck approached. He slowly walked closer, sniffing at the baby impala as if it did not know what it was. He slowly walked right up the baby, smelling it up and down with an intense look of curiosity upon his face. I am not sure what went on in the mind of either of them, but for a moment in time these two completely different species of animals shared something that is both beautiful and seldom seen.

THE LITTLE ONES…

It summer time, and it is baby time! The arrival of the baby impala’s is a spectacle awaited by all. They are all born within three weeks of one another. This causes the impala population to almost double in size. Now, wherever you look you are greeted by little impalas. The main reasoning behind this is for survival. If impalas gave birth at any given time, the youngsters would not make it past a few days of age. However, if all the females give birth in a short space of time the abundance of youngsters far outnumber the would-be predators. Yes, many will be eaten, but there are so many of them that most of them will survive through to adulthood.

Anything from lion and leopard to python and eagles would prey on baby impala’s. In fact animals like cheetah and leopard almost entirely focus the intention on these little ones during this time of year. Along with the impala’s wildebeest and buffalo also give birth in the summer. The tawny youngsters can be seen in the plains running and playing like there’s no tomorrow. Just have a look at the baby buffalo to the left. Have you ever seen anything as cute as that? And with a mom that size he is pretty well protected!

DEN SITE STORIES

There is something about babies that make are hearts go soft. It does not matter what the baby will look like when it is older, it stays adorable whilst it’s young. Hyena’s are exactly like that. So many people label hyena’s for being lousy scavengers incapable of fending for them selves, always eat scraps from lion kills. This can not be further from the truth. They are in fact fascinating and interesting. The densite is the center of a clan’s attention. All activities are focused around the den. There could be any number of cubs present, and from many different age groups. They are boisterous when young, and love to play, especially early mornings and late afternoon in to evening. If you have ever watched these little creatures running around at a den you can not help but love them.

Nothing is left alone. Everything needs investigation. Keen eyesight and a sense of smell second to none work over time in this stage of their lives. Climbing the social ladder is an important part of hyena society, although in general each hyena will inherit the rank of its mother. High ranking cubs, especially those of the matriarch or clan leader will have right of way wherever they go. It is a privileged position to be born I to, as they are superior at kills, allowing them to eat more and stay in better condition. The female cubs of the matriarch will more than likely take over the responsibility from her mother in due time, so she is treated like princess by all.

Interesting in hyena society, male clan members are the lowest ranking of all. This is the case in all apart from the matriarch’s sons. They are born in to an elite position, and when it is time for him to leave his clan in search of foreign females, his aggressive and dominating nature will secure him a high ranking position in his new clan.

YOGA AT THE DEN

The youngster below found a log that was just the right size for a good back scratch. It did however not end at that. The log then became a stage for various acrobatic maneuvers perfectly executed by our subject. Well, that was until he got himself wrapped around that log until staring his hind-quarters came to reach his nose. He must have then realized that something was wrong here and managed to uncoil himself back in to his normal self. Judging by the expression on his face I reckon even he was surprised at his yoga like subtleness. Enough was enough and he finally collapsed with legs flailing.

 

ELEPHANTS BY THE HUNDREDS

Play is a vital part in elephant society. Both youngsters and adults will indulge. Young elephants meeting for the first time get so excited to see each other that they can hardly contain themselves. In the mega-herds we have been seeing lately youngsters can be seen constantly playing with each other. Top left a large female dust herself, a behavior commonly practiced, especially after a mud bath. There is plenty of food available in the from of grass, and pictured above right some elephants graze at the foothills of the Lebombo Mountains. Mud baths are a sight worth seeing. It brings out a side in elephants you would have never thought existed.

Even adult cows will get down and dirty. Driving though the concession at the moment evokes thoughts of what Africa was like hundreds of years ago, before human influence. To see herds of elephants numbering almost a hundred, walking though grass as green as green can be with hundreds of Wattled Starling flying among their giant feet simply leaves you speechless. You do not drive for long before you meet the next herd. It is simply unbelievable. They travel to the eastern Kruger this time of year in search of juicy new grass. This is a yearly and well-awaited spectacle, but this year’s numbers are simply staggering.

Herds join up to form mega-herds. Watching these animals interact with one another is fantastic. Babies who have never seen each other before run and play all over the grassy plains, whilst their older siblings catch up with each other like good old friends. Young bulls are seen wrestling with one another and cows walk side by side, as if having a meaningful conversation. It is a big family get together.

 

BUFFALO’S ARE BACK

You can often spot these herds from a long way off as they stir up clouds of dust in the late afternoon sun. They are very mobile and travel long and far in search of water and food. Well, this particular herd has found both right within the heart of our concession. These buffalo have not left the concession for almost three weeks now, with almost daily sightings. They beauty of it is that they retain that wild side to them. They do not take their eyes off of you for as long as you stay with them, and they glean at you from under those heavy horns. These animals command respect, even from the safety and comfort of the vehicles. The rainfall has been good, and we hope that we will have this herd for the rest of the summer.

DEATH TRAP…

Thanks to some great rainfall over the last few weeks some of the river crossings have completely overflowed the roads. One crossing in particular draws a lot of attention to itself. In front of Lebombo lodge a great summer-time spectacle plays itself out. Fish jump up into the rushing water and instinctively swim against the flow. This is all good and well except for the fact that upon your return to the river you will face a gauntlet of huge jaws filled with nasty looking teeth and an appetite to match.

The jaws of these waiting Nile Crocodiles are so sensitive that even the slightest touch causes them to react within a spilt second, slamming shut upon any unfortunate victims. Pictured right a tilapia jumps up and into the current, and to the right one very unlucky sharp-toothed catfish finds its end. This is a huge food supply for these crocodiles during summer, and they will spend countless hours simply waiting.

FASTEST OF THEM ALL

In over a year and a half of guiding at Singita Kruger Park I have not seen as many cheetahs’ as I have seen over the last four weeks. The open plains of the central depression in the heart of the concession have attracted the attention of at least three different cheetahs. The open plains are ideal hunting grounds for these supersonic cats. The depression is filled with potential prey, including hundreds of new-born impala lambs. Sad as it may sound, cheetah focus on impala lambs during these times. It makes sense.

There are an abundance of them, and they are “easier” to catch than the adults. It is simply in-built behavior for predators to exploit potential weakness. It is amazing to follow these cats as the hunt in the late afternoon and into dusk. They purposefully scan herds of impala and search for the lambs. If none are present they simply walk on towards the next. We hope that these cats may take up some form of residency within the concession, providing us with more of the amazing sightings we have been fortunate enough to enjoy.

TWO NEW RESIDENT COALITIONS

SOUTHERN COALITION

These are by far the most exciting times I have ever experienced as a guide. Being out there on a daily basis you get to witness first hand what happens out there. When these five male lions paraded in to our concession early in September things were bound to change. They left their mark by killing one of the mountain pride males, clearly sending a message to all out there…”We have arrived”. It was only a matter of time before the lionesses warmed up to these rebels, and warmed up they did.

Over the last two months we have seen at least eight of out lionesses mating with these brothers. It makes sense. If these five male lions stay to defend this territory against interlopers it brings great stability to the local prides. They can raise their cubs in peace, knowing they won’t be killed by other nomadic males. That is one of the largest threats a lion cubs faces in its early months, and having a fortress of male brutality protecting them will almost completely illuminate that threat.

It is also hugely successful for these males since they have never had a territory of their own before. They are still approaching their prime, and if they can establish a dominance hierarchy within themselves they could rule abundant land for at least five years. That is much longer than the expected average of two to three years. Only time will tell but for the time being they are here…and they are here to stay.

THE NORTHERN COALITION

These two brothers appeared on to the concession overnight and have not left since. They made their first debut roughly two months ago, and were almost completely un-approachable. Every time you drove your vehicle towards them we would be met by flashing teeth and lashing tails, a clear sign of wild lions. They have since warmed to us. The one male is larger, older and darked maned than the other. We are not sure if they are even from the same pride. What we do know is it is exciting.

We have the coalition from the south, and now these two brutes from the north. They have also got the attention of some of the mountain pride females. At least two females have mated with the older male. This is interesting because the mountain pride females have mated with both of our new coalition. Perhaps the fact that it has been six years since some of the girls have seen some “action” has led them to be less than fussy. They meet the basic criteria…big, bold and handsome!

Interesting between these tow males is their relationship with each other. The southern coalition males are very relaxed with one another, and are often seen grooming and bonding. There is uneasiness between these two males. They do not share kills, and they definitely do not share girls. The older of the two does all of the mating, and recently gave the younger a vicious beating for coming to close to his female. What the future holds for these two we are not sure. Closeness between male are essential. There needs to be unity and trust, especially when it comes down to defending the area against five bold and enthusiastic males from the south. Keep watching this space for some entertaining news.

SUPER BIRDING

African Pygmy Geese are a special sighting amongst bird lovers. They are found throughout the Kruger Park, but are especially seen after good rains. The male is to the right. The brilliant camouflage of the European Nightjar makes it extremely difficult ti spot. They roost during the daytime by sitting lengthwise along a branch, a behavior recorded only in this species of nightjar. A Dwarf Bittern is a special bird to see. They are very inconspicuous as they sit and waiting at seasonal pans for insects to come round. When disturbed they assume the typical “bittern posture” with bill high whilst facing you.  He blends in perfectly against the background. A strange kind of Longhorn Beetle with feet resembling those of snow shoes.

Singita Lebombo & Sweni
Text by Marlon du Toit
All photographs shot on location by Marlon du Toit
31 December 2009