Big 5 Sightings 23 – 29 January 2012

This week we were able to get out in the bush again, but due to all the rain and very wet roads were only able to drive on a small area for the first few days as the vehicles were getting stuck everywhere! But, this did not keep us from having a wonderful Big 5 sighting as this week we saw BB the lioness reunite with the 4 youngsters of the Tsalala pride after they split up at the end of last year.

BB the lioness

Monday, 23 January 2012
(30ºC)

• 1 Elephant bull feeding on EP airstrip

Tuesday, 24 January 2012
(32ºC)

• An unknown male leopard scent marking on Mfezi open area

Wednesday, 25 January 2012
(29ºC)

• 2 Nkuhuma male lions resting on Eastern Bank Manyeleti
• 4 Tsalala lionesses resting on EP airstrip

Thursday, 26 January 2012
(33ºC)

• Salayexe moving south on Robson’s boundary
• A breeding herd of about 30 elephants feeding on Saseka Road

Friday, 27 January 2012
(34ºC)

• Tingana, the male leopard, scent marking on Elephant Carcass
• A breeding herd of about 25 elephants feeding on Parallel road
• Mvula, the male leopard scent marking on Chitwa Chitwa old driveway

Saturday, 28 January 2012
(29ºC)

• Salayexe and Tingana fighting on Robeson’s boundary
• 3 Buffalo bulls feeding on the firebreak close to Simbambili
• A breeding herd of about 25elephants drinking water in Our Father crossing

Sunday, 29 January 2012
(30ºC)

• BB the lioness and the 4 youngsters of the Tsalala pride resting north of A-Main
• 3 Buffalo bulls feeding close to Methlowani open area
• A breeding herd of about 15 elephants feeding on MMM North
• Shadow and Nduna moving west of MMM North, south of Simbambili/Safari cutline

Big 5 Sightings 16 – 22 January 2012

As most of you would know by now, the Mpumalanga and Limpopo regions of South Africa, including the Greater Kruger National Park, experienced large amounts of rain, as well as flooding, during last week. Due to this we were only able to go on two game drives, but we still ended up with a Big 5 highlight out of this world! We were driving along Londoz boundary when we came across 9 Wild Dogs busy killing a kudu. We usually see them hunting smaller animals like Impala, so this was quite a special sight.

Cameleon by Richard Davis

Monday, 16 January 2012
(25˚C, 20mm)

• 2 Nkuhuma male lions stalking impala on Bushcamp East
• An unknown male leopard moving south on Rhino Ring east
• A small breeding herd of elephants feeding at Boundary Pan

Tuesday, 17 January 2012
(21˚C, 280mm)

• 5 Female lions of the Tsalala pride resting at Big Dam
• A small breeding herd of about 7 elephants feeding on Zebra Drive
• Breeding herd of about 20 elephants feeding around poachers corner

Big 5 Sightings 9 – 15 January 2012

Our Big 5 Highlight of the Week

This week we had a lovely surprise, not out in the bush, but right here in our lovely camp. As I was walking between the rooms I heard a Barred Owl calling in the tree above me. It was quite relaxed so I went back to fetch my camera and when I returned I was able to get some lovely pictures of it.

Barred Owl. Photo by Richard Davis

Monday, 9 January 2012
(32ºC)

•  Tyson (male leopard) stalking impala at Serengeti
• Elephant bull feeding at Boundary Pan

Tuesday, 10 January 2012
(31ºC) 

• 9 Wild dogs sleeping next to water puddles onMamba Road
• Nduna (young male leopard) resting on a termite mount on Oom Korie’sLoop
• Herd of about 60 Elephants on EP Open Area
• Elephant bull walking east on Big Dam Link South

Wednesday, 11 January 2012
(29ºC)

• Elephant bull feeding of MMM South
• Elephant bull having a mud bath and eating marulas, east of EP Airstrip
• Salayexe (female leopard) marking territory on Marula Bult North
• Buffalobull resting in Big Dam

Thursday, 12 January 2012
(29ºC)

•  2 Elephant bulls chasing each other around Leeukuil.
• Salayexe (female leopard) walking east on A-Main/Serengeti, being followed by 8 Hyenas
• Group of about 20 Elephants feeding south on Robson’s Boundary
• Hyena den is active onBee Eater Road

Friday, 13 January 2012
(34ºC)

• Salayexe (female leopard) walking east on A-Main / Leopard Drift Junction
• Elephant bull feeding on EP Airstrip
• Group of about 15 Elephants feeding south on Eastern Bank Manyeleti
• Group of 10 Elephants feeding east from the Marakeng
• 3Buffalo’s sleeping in Red Dam
• 3Buffalobulls resting in a mud wallow at Serengeti
• Herd of about 7 Elephants feeding south onRhino Pan Road

Saturday, 14 January 2012
(27ºC) 

• 9 Wild dogs hunting and killing a kudu onRocky Road
• Thandi and her cub (leopard) walking west past Chitwa Open Area
• 3 Buffalos resting at Serengeti
• Group of 20 Elephants drinking at Big Dam
• Group of about 20 Elephants on EP Open Area

Sunday, 15 January 2012
(28ºC) 

• Group of about 30 Elephants feeding south on A-Main / Leopard Drift
• Herd of about 12 Elephants walking north from EP Open Area
• 3Buffalobulls sleeping in the water at Serengeti

Big 5 Sightings 2 – 8 January 2012

Our Big five highlight of the week:

This week we had a huge bull giraffe die from pneumonia brought on by old age. This has been giving us hours of great sightings. First we had nine hyenas come along and eat until the could barely move, after that it was the turn of the vultures with probably 80-100 White Back and Hooded Vulture showing up. Then last but not least it was the turn of the king of the beasts to make an appearance, we had the two Nkuhuma males show up and have themselves a free meal.

Monday, 2 January 2012
(30ºC) 

•  2 Nkuhuma (male lions) resting on Bush Camp Open Area
• 1 Young Tsalala (female lions) resting on A-main, west ofNcombe Road
• Salayexe (female leopard) resting in a Boerbean tree on Kudu Drift
• Breeding herd of about 20 Elephants drinking water at Serengeti Pan
• 3Buffalobulls resting in the water on EP Open Area
• 9 Wild dogs drinking water at Knobthorn Pan
• Shadow (male leopard) scent marking on MMM North, north of Zebra drive
• NDuna (young male leopard) resting west of Knobthorn Pan
• 2 Buffalo Bulls resting in the water at Red Dam
  

  Nkuhuma male on giraffe

Tuesday, 3 January 2012
(31ºC)

• 9 Wild dogs resting on the southern side of Safari Airstrip
• Breeding herd of about 20 Elephants feeding on A-main, close to Milkberry Junction
• 2Buffalobulls resting on Chitwa Open Area
• 3Buffalobulls feeding around Serengeti Pan
• 1 Elephant bull feeding on A-main close to Big Dam Link South

Wednesday, 4 January 2012
(32ºC)

• NDuna (young male leopard) moving west from MMM North, north ofKnobthorn Pan Road
• 2Buffalobulls resting in the water at Boundary Pan
• Young Nkuhuma (male lions) resting on the north eastern side of EP Airstrip
• 3 Young Tsalala females (lions)  resting on Gowrie Main, east of Chitwa Old Drive Way
• Young male leopard chasing Impalas around Big Dam 

Thursday, 5 January 2012
(31ºC)

•  8 Hyena’s feeding off a giraffe carcass on Bush Camp East
• Group of about 60 Elephant feeding on Robson’s Boundary
• Group of about 30 Elephant feeding on Saseka Manyeleti Crossing
• Salayexe (female leopard) moving east from EP Airstrip

 Friday, 6 January 2012
(28ºC)

• Salayexe (female leopard) feeding on a Impala kill on A-main
• 3 Tsalala female (lions) resting at Big Dam Link South
• 3 Male Buffalos resting in the water at 2^nd Windmill
• Herd of about 20 Elephants crossing east over MMM South
• Male Elephant mud bathing on EP Open Area
• Herd of about 20 Elephants feeding West of Puff Adder Road

Saturday, 7 January 2012
(26ºC) 

• Salayexe (female leopard) on a Impala kill at Shirley’s Open Area
• 9 Wild dogs sleeping off Gowrie Main
• 2 Nkuhuma (male lions) feeding on a giraffe carcass on Bush Camp East

Sunday, 8 January 2012
(30ºC)

• Wild dogs chasing a female leopard (Salayexe) up in a tree on EP Open Area
• Two male lions, Nkuhuma’s, walking east on the firebreak from Simba Dam

Big 5 Sightings 26 December 2011 – 01 January 2012

First of all we would like to wish all our readers a happy 2012! May the year ahead be all that you hoped for, and more! Our sightings highlight of the week was definitely seeing the pack of nine wild dogs hunting and killing two duikers. Later on during the day these killing machines went on to kill five more impalas. Wow!

One of the wild dogs drinking water - Willie Woest

Monday, 26 December 2011

(28 °C)

• Salayexe the leopard scent marking on the northern side of EP airstrip
• A young male leopard moving south of Serengeti Pan
• A breeding herd of 20 elephants feeding on Rhino Ring South
• A breeding herd of about 40 elephants drinking water at Kraaines
• One Tsalala lioness resting south of Magic Willy open area

Tuesday, 27 December 2011

(28 °C)

• Two young Nkuhuma male lions feeding on a buffalo kill west of MMM North
• Salayexe the leopard scent marking around Serengeti Pan
• One young Tsalala lioness resting close to Seef’s Pan
• Twelve Buffalo bulls resting in a mud wallow on Little Gowrie open area

Wednesday, 28 December 2011

(27 °C, 8 mm rain)

• A breeding herd of about 150 buffaloes resting on Safari airstrip
• Salayexe the leopard resting on Horseshoe West
• Two Nkuhuma male lions resting on the firebreak
• A breeding herd of about 25 elephants feeding north of Shirley’s Crossing

Thursday, 29 December 2011

(26 °C)

• One Tsalala female resting on EP airstrip
• A breeding herd of about 10 elephants drinking water at Serengeti
• A breeding herd of about 150 elephants resting on the southern side of Safari airstrip
• Three buffalo bulls feeding in Serengeti / Manyeleti Crossing
• Two Nkuhuma male lions resting north of Boundary Pan
• Nine wild dogs chasing and killing two duikers close to Boerbean open area

Friday, 30 December 2011

(27 °C)

• One young Tsalala female resting on Serengeti Pan’s wall
• A breeding herd of about 40 elephants feeding on Arathusa Main Road
• Nine wild dogs resting on MMM South
• Thandi the leopard and her cub feeding on a juvenile impala close to Chitwa
• One buffalo bull resting in the water at Treehouse Pan
• Two Nkuhuma male lions resting close to 16th Crossing
• Salayexe the leopard scent marking on Kudu Drift
• Kwatile the leopard resting on a termite mound on Londoz boundary

Saturday, 31 December 2011

(28 °C)

• Salayexe the leopard resting west of Shirley’s crossing
• Moya the leopard resting close to Londoz boundary
• One elephant bull feeding on Leopard Drift
• A breeding herd of about 25 elephants feeding west of Serengeti Pan
• Two Majingi male lions, three Styx lionesses and one cub resting south of Ingwe Pan
• A breeding herd of buffaloes drinking water at Misi Mati

Sunday, 01 January 2012

(29 °C)

• Two Nkuhuma male lions resting on Bushcamp open area
• One young Tsalala lioness resting on A-Main
• Salayexe the leopard resting in a tree close to Kudu Drift
• A breeding herd of about 20 elephants drinking water at Serengeti Pan
• Three buffalo bulls resting in the water on EP open area
• Nine wild dogs drinking water at Knobthorn Pan
• Shadow the leopard scent marking on MMM North
• Nduna the leopard resting west of Knobthorn Pan
• Two buffalo bulls resting in the water at Red Dam