October 2009 : Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe

There is nothing quite like being woken up with the sunrise streaming in your window and two Yellow-billed Hornbills tapping at the glass. For a dreamy moment I could almost hear the voice of Rowan Atkinson as Zazu in the Lion King…

Zazu: Checking in with the morning report. Mufasa:Fire away. Zazu:Well the buzz from the bees is that the leopards are in a bit of a spot. And the baboons are going ape over this. Of course, the giraffes are acting like they’re above it all… The tickbirds are pecking on the elephants. I told the elephants to forget it, but they can’t. The cheetahs are hard up, but I always say, cheetahs never prosper…

In these parts we affectionately call the Yellow-billed Hornbill the ‘flying banana bird’ because of its big yellow beak. Beginning this day with a pair of banana birds at my window led me to other pears and bananas…

THE WOODEN PEAR AND BANANA TREES

As you leave the lodge on a morning drive you may notice what looks like beautiful wooden pear ornaments dangling from the branches of a roadside tree. This is a Wooden Pear Tree (Schrebera Trichoclada) and what you see are the seedpods – each pear-shaped capsule contains four winged seeds. Close by in a rocky outcrop it seems as though a talented wood carver has been at it again! Wooden peeled bananas appear to adorn the tips of branches – this being the fruit of the Wooden Banana Tree (Entandrophragma Caudatum). The wood is highly valued for furniture, cabinet and canoe making but supplies are limited, while the bark is used by those with local knowledge for dyeing and tanning.

THE PEL’S FISHING-OWL AT PAMUSHANA!

The sighting of an extremely rare Pel’s Fishing-owl (Scotopelia Peli) is a magical moment for anyone with an interest in birds – so you can just imagine the jubilation the guiding team exhibited when we saw one! We set off in the early morning with a mission – to try and locate the elusive Pel’s at Pamushana. I know friends and acquaintances who’ve spent a small fortune in pursuit of a glimpse of this elusive bird, only to return home without that a cherished tick next to its name in their bird book. Our plan was to drive along the banks of the Chiredzi River and look out for tall leafy trees that overlooked deep pools of water.

Pel’s Fishing-owls live along rivers in strips of riverine forests. By day they take cover concealed on a branch of a leafy riverside tree. By night they emerge to perch boldly in the open, overlooking the water in search of any fish moving near the surface. The hunting owl plunges into the water to grasp its slippery prey with its long talons and then returns to a perch to consume the prey. After no more than half an hour we stopped at what looked like a possible roosting site. We crept up to the base of the large Natal Mahogany tree and, lo and behold, there one was in the upper reaches of the leafy canopy. We could not believe our luck! It flew off to the far side of the river bank but not without first being mobbed by a pair of angry Wahlberg’s eagles! I was amazed by its large size - about 63cm in height, and chestnut brown and cream with dark piercing eyes.

Not long after this a second expedition hit the jackpot once again, proving that Pamushana is clearly a preferred site for Pel’s!  This is very reassuring given that they are threatened by ever-increasing habitat degradation in unprotected areas by tree felling, water pollution and hence healthy fish populations.

GOING TO THE DOGS…

Based at the foot of the hill upon which Pamushana Lodge proudly stands is Kim Wolhuter – world-renowned wildlife filmmaker who is currently filming a documentary on a pack of Wild Dogs (Lycaon Pictus) that have claimed the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve as their territory.

Kim has chosen to follow this highly endangered species here because he is equally captivated by the absolute beauty of the area - the stunning landscapes of Sandstone ridges, Umbrella Tree and Mopane woodlands, Mountain Acacia groves, savannas, grasslands and rivers. The look of Malilangwe is very different to other areas in Africa and it’s this new look he wants to present to audiences around the world.

Every day Kim joins the pack of dogs and follows them for their most active hours. Slowly, carefully and with great patience he has managed to habituate the pack to his presence, to the point where they are not threatened by him – seeing him filming them on foot you would say they regard him with mild curiosity and accept him as a rather novel pack member!

The alpha female, Puzzles, is a particularly striking looking individual – she has an aura of ‘top dog’ about her, slightly ragged ears and a lot of white and blonde patches to her camouflaged puzzle-piece coat. She has recently denned in an almost inaccessible cave in the Sandstone ridges and given birth to a litter of pups. The fascinating chapters in their fragile story include being introduced to the rest of their family, being safely stowed away when lions attacked and killed their father and another pack member, losing one of their siblings to a Southern African Python and now leaving the den site to explore the endless discoveries, sights, sounds and smells that the bush offers on a daily basis. Guests might see Kim going about his daily work and if the pack is in particularly tricky terrain he might even offer you a lift in the back of his vehicle to get a closer look at his movie stars. But be warned - a plush game-viewer it is not… His vehicle is a battle-scared workhorse that oozes character and war stories!

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GOING TO THE DOGS…/continued

Harry Wolhuter, Kim’s grandfather, was the first game ranger of the Kruger National Park and survived a most gruesome lion attack by stabbing the beast in the heart while clamped in its jaws. Kim too has many stories to tell. He is able to interpret the pack’s behavior with an accuracy that only comes after virtually living with them. These social animals are probably Africa’s most efficient hunters. They’re charismatic and their antics often provide much entertainment. But it’s their plight that will be in the spotlight of Kim’s documentary, and he hopes that by providing viewing entertainment it will spark action to help conserving these amazing animals.

A CLOSE SHAVE!

We noticed this zebra stallion who’d certainly had a close shave! Notice the scars on his side from where a lion’s claw would have sliced him open, and how his stripes are now out of alignment due to the way the wound healed. On his lower rump you can make out the grisly reminder of where lion paw claws dug into his flesh!

SHAVING-BRUSH COMBRETUM

Speaking of shaving, these aptly named Shaving-brush Combretums (Combretum Mossambicense) are flowering at the moment. Their clusters of white flowers with long stamens and orange anthers are easily reminiscent of an old fashioned shaving brush and soapy lather.

COMMON FLAT?

The Common Flat Lizard (Platysaurus Intermedius) is, in my opinion, very unimaginatively named! How can this kaleidoscope-coloured little lizard be described as ‘common flat’! Perhaps it is more in reference to the females of the species who are rather drab in omparison - black scales, with white stripes on the back? I noticed this dashing male feasting on the crumbs of my chocolate-chip cookie when we stopped for tea at a beautiful rocky outcrop overlooking Nduna dam. Now is mating time for these lizards. Between November and December two oval-shaped eggs are laid in a communal egg site in a warmed crack in a rock. The hatchlings are only about 30mm long and will be breaking out of their shells in late December and January.

ANNUAL GAME CENSUS

Every year this leopard-spotted helicopter takes to the air for an annual game census. It’s important for wildlife management to know the amount of game on the property and to monitor that it is a balanced ecosystem. If a species shows a dramatic increase or decline it indicates an imbalance and that can then be managed for the equilibrium to be regained.

Flying over the reserve is the most exhilarating experience and you quickly settle in to the task at hand – spotting animals from the air. The helicopter flies to a very specific grid pattern and at an altitude of 90 metres. Demarcated struts are attached to the sides of the helicopter and the animals you see and record must be within the confines of the struts. This makes this method of game counting the fastest and most accurate.

The census takes place over a couple of days. I joined the team for an afternoon and during the two-hour flight we counted some large bull elephants, rhino, giraffe, buffalo, hartebeest, waterbuck, wildebeest, zebra, kudu, impala and a grey duiker as well as several vultures on nests patiently incubating their precious eggs. The absolute highlight was a very large herd of buffalo – there were too many to count so we wanted to take an aerial photograph of the herd and count them later by digital enlargement on computer screen. The herd galloped off and we noticed something dashing and leaping through the long dry grass at the very front of the stampeding buffalo. It was a leopard that they’d flushed from its resting place in the long grass! With 500 buffalo thundering down upon him he quickly streaked ahead and dodged away to the safety of a secluded spot – but not without giving the pseudo-leopard-spotted-noisy-big-bird-of-the-sky a furious snarl and hiss!

THE TREE SQUIRREL / YELLOW-FOOTED SQUIRREL / MOPANE SQUIRREL(PARAXERUS CEPAPI)

These little characters regularly check-in at Pamushana and delight guests and staff with their fascinating antics. This youngster was photographed in our magnificent Sabi Star / Impala Lily (Adenium Multiflorum) that has just finished flowering. They’re tiny animals – hardly longer than a 30cm ruler (including the tail) and only weigh about 200 grams - that’s less than a cup of flour! These alert and ever busy creatures eat seeds, flowers, leaves, berries, fruit, bark, gum, lichens, grass and the odd grasshopper or such that should stray too close. They live in trees but spend a great deal of time on the ground, foraging for food. During the night, territorial family groups nest together in holes in trees. They groom each other thus sharing a common family scent that keeps family ties strong. A mother tree squirrel will even hold her offspring down with her forelegs while grooming the little one with licks, nibbles and the use of her claws.

If they’re frightened by a snake, eagle or other predator, such as a leopard, they gang together and engage in ‘mobbing’ behaviour - all the members of the colony make harsh clicking sounds while they flick their tails, building up momentum and gradually getting louder. These alarm calls are important cues for guides to investigate – I have on various occasions been rewarded with a leopard sighting by following the direction of the squirrels’ (what I imagine to be not very polite) language!

ROCK STARS

Every so often we discover a new rock art site among Pamushana’s plentiful supply of sandstone outcrops. But one of the well-known sites is depicted in this photograph: It is the most beautiful rendition of San tribal members running at full stretch with their bows and arrows. This scene is so striking that is was used as the artwork for a 30c Zimbabwe stamp as a way of celebrating and giving recognition to Zimbabwe’s wealth of natural treasures.

PHOTOGRAPHIC TIP: PERSPECTIVE

The Umbrella Thorn (Acacia Tortilis) pictured to the right is one of the largest I’ve seen, but its impressive size would not have been so apparent if my colleague hadn’t posed in front of it. By doing so he adds scale to this giant, and I’ve been careful in the composition about where he’s standing. As the tree is the subject I have exposed for that allowing the slightly overcast sky to ‘blow out’ completely, lending an even crisper definition to the branches and fine foliage.

“What a magical place with fabulous staff. The area couldn’t be more beautiful, and the staff couldn’t be more accommodating – we can’t wait to come back!” - Ken, Susan, Max and Zoe, New York.

Jenny Hishin Singita Pamushana Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve Zimbabwe 31 October 2009