February 2008 : Grumeti Reserves

The last 29 days of this leap-year month of February have been witness to some spectacular game viewing. Highlights aplenty, we have seldom found ourselves wanting for wildlife sightings. The abundant herds of 2 to 3 thousand topi and zebra have provided a lively backdrop to some regular cat sightings out on the plains. Lions especially have been brilliant and February was certainly a memorable lion month. Large breeding herds of over 100 elephants have been a joy to watch down on the Grumeti River and buffalo have been scattered throughout the concession. An added treat for guests flying in and out of Singita Grumeti Reserves this month has been some great views out of the plane window………

Ol Donio Lengai
The mountain of the gods, as the Maasai call this active volcano, has been erupting regularly this last month. This sacred mountain, situated close to the regular flight route, has been spewing forth clouds of dust and ash. The 1 hour plane ride from Arusha usually has iconic destinations such as Lake Manyara, the Great Rift Valley wall, the Ngorongoro Crater and the endless Serengeti plains flit by beneath the wings. On occasions the smoke and ash cloud has been up to 20 000 ft high. Thanks to Tansy and Humphrey for the great pictures.

 

The lions of Sasakwa

The little pride of 3 youngsters and their mother have been spotted almost daily near Sasakwa for the second half of February. These 3 cubs, now 5 months old, have been doing exceptionally well. Even the smallest female (more than likely the runt of the litter) has been keeping up bravely with her bigger and more robust brother and sister. Climbing trees has been at the top of the list of things to do while mom is out hunting. Watching these energetic and endearing cubs has been a pleasure for all………………..

Continuing the lion theme we had lots of mating, once again, as the new coalition of males still establish themselves in the central areas……

On a sadder note we attempted, with help from the Serengeti National Park vet, to immobilize and remove a wire snare from a young male lion. After a successful operation we have not seen the 2 year old again. His 2 male siblings have been spotted once since but we fear the worst – the injuries sustained were simply too much for the already weak and frail lion to survive. Well, we did try and who knows, he could be alive and well inside the Serengeti NP, south of our borders.

The blankets provided shade and helping hands were given by the wildlife managers, guides and trainee guides. He was originally thought to be a female, but the snare had already rubbed and removed his small mane and cut deeply into his neck.

Having a rare opportunity to study a lion close up brought home the reality of how big these cats really are…………….especially as he was only 2 years old.

 

Savanna Clowns

On a lighter note, some world class circus acts have been experienced in February and top of the list are these young olive baboons. The early morning antics, after a long night roosting in the safety of the big trees, are typical clown acts. The play and fun are all part of growing in strength and improving co-ordination as well as establishing, from a very young age, the complex hierarchy that exists in a baboon troop.

The circus continues, this time 3 young warthogs and 2 male cheetah decided to call it a truce…they were all spotted resting, very contentedly, under the shade of the same tree. The hot day, coupled with the shortage of trees out on the plains, forced these old enemies to lay
side by side…

 

The Sabora Serval

The Sabora staff and guests have been delighted on numerous occasions over the last few weeks. A Serval youngster, obviously newly independent from its mother, has taken up residence in camp and Ryan has had his camera handy for a few unique daytime shots. These normally shy and predominately nocturnal cats are seldom seen during the daylight hours. This particular youngster has been become so habituated to the staff that it allows close approaches on foot– quite unperturbed by the upright human form.

The English common name is derived from the Portuguese word for lynx – “lobo-cerval”. This beautifully marked, slightly built cat has long legs and neck, a small head and particularly large ears. Rats and mice are by far their favoured prey, with birds and reptiles making up the difference. Small mammals, insects and other arthropods are also taken on occasion. The Serval is famous for its high bounding leaps, pouncing downwards onto its prey. The long legs (proportionally the longest of any cat) help it to gain elevation when hunting in long grass, a favourite pastime. The big ears also come into their own here, acting as funnels for sound, assisting the cat to locate unseen prey. It’s long and slender forelimbs also assist it to reach down into burrows or into tree hollows.

As the sun sets on a fabulous February, certainly the most productive February we’ve had here in the last 4 years, we look very forward to an exciting March.