November 2009 : Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania

SHORT RAINS ON THE PLAINS

The short rains began in earnest in early November, the picture here of the Rubana River near Acacia Bridge on the 07th, and of Peter Chatama crossing Main Fort Ikoma Rd through the Scrapes Drainage Line were taken on the 17th. The rains have come as a very welcome relief, and on days where it has fallen heavily, many of the plains game have sought refuge on higher ground.

Life has returned to normal for the resident wildlife with the masses of Wildebeest a thing of the past. The plains grasses are lush and nutritious, and it is wonderful to see the ever increasing numbers of Topi, Thomson Gazelle and Eland filling the landscape. Tranquility seems to be the order of the day, interspersed by the odd predator interaction.

 

 

GUIDE TRAINING DAY IN IKORONGO GAME RESERVE

These images show the sheer beauty and magnificence of the Ikorongo Game Reserve, the view here over Pofu Plains from Observation Point Number 9 is quite stunning.

There are also photos of Manchuria Hills, the Grumeti River and of Joe trying to impersonate a Klipspringer trying to balance! We caught a glimpse of this beautiful male Black–Faced Sandgrouse out on the plains. They are often seen in pairs or small flocks and gather at water holes in the early mornings and late afternoons. Pictured here is an adult male Von der Decken’s Hornbill. They are frequently seen in pairs and families, and are widespread across the concession.

PREDATOR VIEWING FOR THE MONTH

The young male Leopard featured in last month’s journal has been a regular this month. He had a narrow escape a few days ago when he was cornered by the two male Cheetahs, the same two territorial males who killed one of their own in October.

This scene was witnessed by Saitoti, Arnold and Ray, as they watched from about eighty meters away, fearing for the youngster’s life. Saitoti tells how the Leopard rolled onto his back when approached by the Cheetah, growled and hissed at them until they turned and he then raced for the nearest tree to safety. The young male Leopard is so important for our future viewing and we look for him almost daily. We had another great Leopard month, with many individual sightings recorded.

 

BUTAMTAM PRIDE

The four sub adults from the Butamtam Pride are frequently seen together, away from the adults, roaming the Sasakwa Plains. This photo of the cubs was taken in early November 2007, when the cubs were about 6 weeks old. Look at them now - some 26 months later. When all together, the pride totals 14. This included the addition of 4 new cubs, approximately 8 week old. Unfortunately no photo’s of the cubs yet as they have only been seen once. Below is Eugen Shao’s account for events that occurred on November 14th. The Butamtam Pride were 8 members strong.

‘It was another beautiful morning with members of the Butamtam pride…One lioness started roaring before we left Sasakwa this morning for a game drive. We couldn’t see the lioness from the lodge so we decided to drive down the hill to try and find her. We came across a couple of giraffes and a few impala sounding the alarm and that was when we saw the lioness walking on the plains, singing her beautiful song…

After a short while we had an addition female and two sub adult males a little east of the lioness and two Black Backed jackal moving in close. Far south of the lions a big breeding herd of African buffalo was grazing. One Buffalo had a very new born calf and was lagging behind the herd trying to catch up. The lioness was up and started following the herd, the rest of the pride stood up and prepared for battle.

Minutes later, they were all chasing that buffalo with the calf. The mother was trying so hard to protect her calf from five hungry lions but to no avail. In a matter of minutes the pride had finished the calf. By now the herd of buffalo had come charging back at full speed to try and rescue the calf, but it was too late.’

 

ELEPHANT RESCUE FROM THE RHINO BOMA

Thanks to Glenton and the chopper, our Wildlife team was finally able to capture and relocate the young bull elephant out of the Rhino Boma and reintroduce him back onto the open plains. He had been inside the fenced area for the last three weeks and prior attempts to drive him out with vehicles had been unsuccessful. With the help of the SNP veterinarian, Dr Richard Hoare, collective efforts from the workshop, guides, wildlife department and a bit of technology in the form of a crane truck, the operation was a great success, and to date the bull has not returned to the area. The Elephant and Rhino Bull had been involved in a few skirmishes; his treatment included a colourful antiseptic spray and a long life antibiotic injection. (Pictured to the right)

Congratulations to Matt and his team for the successful relocation.

KIRKS DIKDIKS

These guys are such an integral part of our ecosystem it seems an injustice to never feature the small snouted antelope. They favour very dense thickets on hard stony ground, where they browse on evergreen shoots and foliage of the herbs, shrubs and available succulents. The territories are well maintained with dung, urine and face gland deposits indicating the boundaries.

An interesting adaptation in Dikdiks is that the proboscis is lined with numerous blood vessels in the mucus membrane and when the breathing rate is increased, the blood flow is cooled, thus allowing the general body temperature to rise without risking damage to the brain.

PUFF ADDER

This beautiful puff adder was seen spending some quality time in the sun outside of Lawatu. Not too many sightings of these creatures have been recorded, so it was a special treat to see this short tailed female out in the open. They are normally a sluggish species that rely on camouflage for protection, but if needed can move with surprising speed. Although they are mostly terrestrial, they can swim well and climb with ease. When disturbed, they will hiss loudly and adopt a tightly coiled defensive posture. Their prey comprises small mammals, birds, amphibians and lizards.

THE BREEDING HERD

Seeing this beautiful breeding herd of Buffalo so close up is testament to the absolute dedication of all the wildlife teams at Singita Grumeti Reserves who protect this amazing concession of ours. The habituation and proximity to game viewers by most species has improved dramatically over the years, a success which we can continue to build on into the future. We look forward to a wonderful Festive Season of game viewing at Singita Grumeti Reserves.

Stuart Levine Singita Grumeti Reserves Serengeti, Tanzania 30 November 2009