May Week 1 Highlights

Early in the week we headed out of camp along Main Mac towards Mackenzie Camp. As we approached the eastern clearings we found the older lioness from the Ximungwe pride and her two male cubs lying in the open enjoying the late afternoon sun. This lioness enjoys the southern section and her cubs are becoming quite daring.

Close by a young elephant bull was been watched by their mom and cubs. The cubs were wondering, how does one capture such a large animal?

As we were returning to camp Thlangisa the young female leopard was found on the southern end of Mackenzie airstrip. As we approached the sighting she disappeared. We drove along Spring Valley road out popped another female leopard. Metsi! These two leopards are trying to claim the territory that was vacated when Mambiri died.

Early the next morning outside of my house a large herd of buffalo where spotted together with two white rhinos. We watched the herd as the sun rose above them. We have been seeing the large herd on a regular basis. This herd numbered approximately 130.

A very young calf was seen still wobbling on its legs. Part of the umbilical cord could still be seen.
The two male rhinos crossed Newington Road and headed in an easterly direction.

At Schotia Dam the general was good. A female Nyala and a Burchells zebra were seen crossing the clearings.

As we approached camp we had a great sighting of four southern giraffes. While we were watching them I managed to get a photo of a red tipped butterfly.

We left camp early and headed to the wild dog den. After a short while the pack arrived at the den. The alpha female guarded the entrance and the pack members showed signs of submissive behaviour as they approached the entrance to the den.

The pack headed off on the afternoon hunt leaving the Alpha female to guard the den site.

The pups never came out of the den, as we drove south we found tracks from the pack. We followed the tracks and found the pack at Mackenzie Windmill.

 

After a brief rest the pack were mobile, all of a sudden they were after a steenbok. When we finally caught up with them two pack members had blood of their faces. We followed the pack back to the den, as the pack arrived, the pups eight in total emerged from the den. It was fantastic and special to see the pups, some still getting used to their legs. The adults regurgitated some of the kill for the alpha female and her offspring. We left the den site as night fall approach feeling extremely satisfied.

On the clearings at Mackenzie camp we had a brief sighting of the lion cubs.

The lion sightings this week have been particularly good. We found one of the Mapogo brothers on short cut Hippo Carcass road.

While we were watching him the audio of mating lions was heard. Sataan and a Ximungwe female mated several times.

We have had some fantastic sighting of the cubs this week. The two older cubs were found on the western clearings close to Magodi Pan.

 

From the distance a low tone lion call could be heard. The cubs ran in the direction of the call to greet the lioness.

We followed the three to Flat Rocks where the cubs played with some elephant dung.

Hlabankunzi was lying in a large marula. She was using the elevated advantage in search of possible prey. We followed her through the block to Georges Road.

 

We spent most of the afternoon at Windmill Mackenzie watching a hippo bull, which was performing. He was very vocal, launching himself out of the water and rolling onto his back.

A very relaxed spotted eagle owl was perched on a low branch.

After crossing the Sand River we stopped at Main Road Pickett for coffee. We noticed a grey tree frog in the crack in a marula tree.

A herd of Burchells zebra was to the east of top dam.

While crossing the Sand River at the causeway three large crocodiles were seen resting on the sand bank. A large crocodile has his mouth open to release excess heat that the body may have. This is a form of thermo-regulation

As the temperature rose the crocodiles slipped into the cool water.