If winter was mild last week, then it clearly handed the baton over to summer this week, with temperatures peaking in the high-30s (Celsius, that is), making for a hotter August than I can recall for many years. Despite the Tree Wistarias joining the already flowering Long-Tailed Cassias in heralding in the start of an early spring, the heat of this week really made the landscape look like a typically winter one – red sunsets, dusty herds and very active waterholes. It was an absolutely cracking week on the game-viewing front, and based on the fact that I clicked over 2,500 images over the past seven days, clearly one that presented a good few photographic opportunities!
The elephant herds continued to be active in absolute abundance around Tanda Tula Safari Camp this week, and our waterhole was a hive of activity, with some days drawing in well over a hundred elephants. I do not recall a time when I have seen as many elephants around the central regions of the Timbavati. Their presence did have an effect on the vegetation, and with the bush already being so dry, they really went to town on the trees and shrubs around the reserve.
Despite the elephants presence, it was once again the lions that stole the show, with the River Pride in particular providing for some excellent viewing. The Sark Breakaway Pride began the week in a hunting mood, and shortly after we left them one evening, they caught a young giraffe. Hoping to catch up with them the next day, we heard that htye had already finished and were resting off their fat bellies on Nkhari, but this wasn’t all bad news for us as the River Pride managed to catch not one, but two giraffes themselves the same night! Sadly, it was a mother and calf, but it was a meal that kept them in the area for three days. The one lioness brought her two young cubs to a kill for the first time, but did take them back to the den as more and more Vuyela males arrived – by the end of the kill, there were four males present. The other lioness from the pride also brought her three brand new cubs into our concession for the first time, and we caught our first distant glimpses of them as they settled in a new den off of Giraffe Plains close to Tanda Tula.
This lion sighting almost became the low light of the week, as it happened a day after we watched a giraffe cow in the midst of giving birth! We stayed with her for over an hour, but without any sign of progress, we left, but returned in the afternoon to see a hours-old giraffe calf. When we heard the River Pride had a giraffe kill, we feared it was her, but fortunately mom and calf were found alive and well the next day.
The leopards were playing along too – Dzindza spent three days with a bushbuck kill north of camp, and Xiwumbana male and Rihati had an altercation over a large male nyala kill that this big male leopard had brought down – it was my first time seeing a leopard with such a large nyala kill! Needless to say, he didn’t let Rihati share, and chased her off, but that evening he lost the kill to hyenas. Nyeelti walked around the central areas most of the week, and was seen with a scrub hare kill in front of camp, but Dzindza was in the area making sure her mom didn’t get too comfortable – despite our best efforts, we were unable to find them after our staff reported seeing them whilst setting up bush breakfast!
The wild dogs were less active this week, with just one morning visit, but they did spend the whole morning in the area allowing all of our guests a chance to see these rare carnivores.
One of my last highlights of the week was watching a herd of over 200 buffalo descend upon Machaton Dam – it was a sight and sound to behold!
We also found an ostrich nest near camp, which explains why we have been seeing the small flock around Tanda Tula so much of late.
I will let the pictures do the talking – enjoy, and be sure to check back next week!
Until next time!
Cheers
Chad
