A Week of The First Rains in Photos

After another hot spell, we finally heard the rumble of thunder, saw flashes of lightning, and felt the first drops of summer rain falling down upon the central Timbavati and the surrounding Greater Kruger Park. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to settle the dust and encourage a few more trees to bud with new leaves. The first couple of days of rain added 10mm, but an incredible electrical storm over the weekend brought with it howling winds, claps of thunder, hailstones, and 15mm of precious rain. The next day, the bush felt refreshed, and buds of green grass could be seen poking out of the moist soil. Sadly, though, the windstorm had the undesired consequence of knocking down several large, iconic trees in the area. Hopefully, the rain will kickstart the growth of new trees that will one day replace the lost giants.

On the subject of losses, it was a strange week of discoveries. The last remaining Nharhu male lion that had settled in the northern Timbavati was reported to have been killed by an incoming coalition of four males in the reserve’s northern part. Although he no longer ventured into our traversing area, he still gave us a few good years of game viewing, and his unending roars will be missed.

The Ntsongwaan male leopard also led us to another strange find. Looking quite lethargic, he suddenly jumped up and walked off slowly after we found him resting on the banks of the Nhlaralumi riverbed. We followed him — which wasn’t difficult; age and signs of a recent fight meant he walked like an elderly leopard, slow and measured. As we followed, we caught a whiff of death, though I initially thought it was coming from the lions feeding on a dead elephant calf nearby. I was wrong. Ntsongwaan soon arrived at the source of the stench – a dead cheetah! Or so I was informed. Saddened, I was also surprised, as this was not ideal cheetah habitat. Ntsongwaan picked up the scant remains of the kill from the long grass and dragged it into the open. Once there, we could see that hidden among the simple spots were a few rosettes – this was a leopard, not a cheetah. Based on the location, I am 99% sure it was the Xiwumbane male leopard. He was in such poor condition last week that he didn’t have much time left. Whether he succumbed to exhaustion and starvation or ended up in an altercation with Ntsongwaan is unknown, but with the wounds he was sporting, it’s possible Ntsongwaan indeed killed Xiwumbane. Time will tell if this identification is correct, but if it is, it may be a kinder end for Xiwumbane, as seeing him in that state was unpleasant. Amazingly, the next day, guides in the west followed another male leopard to the remains of yet another dead leopard! This one, however, I haven’t been able to identify, but from what I’ve seen, it wasn’t any of our regulars.

The leopard that led the guides to the second dead leopard had actually surprised me the afternoon before. Hemet spotted a large male crossing the Nhlaralumi while we were en route to the hyena den, but with binoculars fixed on him at a distance, I didn’t recognize him. We tried to get closer, though I didn’t expect much – I assumed it was one of the skittish males in the area. I couldn’t have been more wrong – the male confidently walked up the bank and right past us! On closer inspection, I saw it was the Mondzweni male. Although he surprised us a few weeks back in the far west, this was the first time he’d been back to his natal area in six years! We really hope he sticks around; at nine years old, he still has a few years left in him, and if Xiwumbane is gone, this prime territory is now up for grabs.

We also added a sighting of Dzindza, a few sightings of Ntsongwaan with an impala kill, and another of one of the new male leopards with an impala kill. I hope this streak of good leopard viewing continues into the summer!

The lions didn’t maintain their presence quite as much as last week, but we still had several good sightings of our prides. The River Pride remained in the same general area as last week, and though we found them with full bellies a few times, they didn’t get up to much when we were with them. Later in the week, two of the cubs were missing; we hope they had simply been left somewhere and that the scratch and bite marks on one lioness weren’t a sign of something more sinister. The Sark Breakaways were around near the Klaserie boundary for a few days, providing some great viewing – they are a joy to watch. A group of younger lions left the area briefly, but we caught up with them and their bulging bellies early in the week. It was good to see that, even without the adults, they were proficient hunters, particularly with the buffalo herds in the area.

That lion pressure pushed a herd of 900 buffalo to the south, while a second herd of 300 moved past Tanda Tula during the week. Two Vuyela males also pressured the herd southward, though it seemed they had little success.

The elephants remained very active around Tanda Tula and in the landscapes just east of camp; with knobthorns budding earlier here than in other regions, this area drew in not only the elephants but also giraffes and kudus, making for good game viewing around camp.

On the wild dog front, only our single, tailless wild dog continued to roam the central regions. However, she remained elusive, offering only glimpses now and then.

Bird-wise, the barn swallows are back, signaling summer’s arrival. Although not abundant yet, a few cuckoo species can now be heard calling, announcing their return after several months’ absence.