Our recent guest, Brian Datnow, provided us with an album of photographs which illustrates the type of images that a keen amateur photographer can capture on safari. Over the course of a few days, Brian photographed a variety of animals, birds, landscape and lodge pictures. We are happy to share Brian’s perspective of being on safari at Londolozi…

Frequently found around mud wallows at the end of winter, a lone 'dagga boy' (old buffalo bull) idles as an oxpecker sits upon his back. His enormous boss, full of abrasions, is particularly notable.

A herd of wildebeest move through the dry September veld. With the first rains inching closer everyday, the bush will miraculously transform almost overnight and give these animals a new lease on life as the green sprouts of spring arrive.

Constructed from the original railway sleeper that formed part of the original lowveld railway line running through the Sabi Sands in the early 20th century, they have now been laid to rest at the entrance to Varty Camp, a relic of an era long gone by. Our recent guest Merle, stands at next to these railway sleeper, about to embark on an morning game drive.

Always a favourite amongst guests, rangers and trackers - the irrepressibly cute Tsalala cubs once again provide for an interesting and entertaining sighting.

Londolozi Tracker, Judas, patiently watches a white rhino approach the vehicle. With ears pinned forward and snout carefully sniffing the air, this species poor eyesight means that it needs to rely on other senses to function effectively in the wilderness.

Descending into the dry bed of the Sand River, Ranger Byron and Tracker Judas set out to track and find the Vomba 3:2 Female leopard who frequents this particular area.

With its speckled white breast, brown head and proud shoulder blades the Martial Eagle is an unmistakable bird of the African bush. Although seen frequently over the last few weeks, each sighting of this spectacular bird is always a special experience.

Hot and bothered, the Majingilane Male with the scatter facial scars raises his head to look at his brothers movements. Seconds later he would flop back down and sleep for much of the rest of the day.

Fortunately Judas had removed himself from the tracker seat to sit inside the vehicle. If not he would have surely felt the white tip of the Vomba 3:3 Young Females tales as she sauntered past the front of the vehicle.

The Maxabene 3:2 Young Male casually struts past a white rhino. Barely acknowledging one another, each animal continued on their own path after this unique image was taken.

Room 3 at the Private Granite Suites looks out onto the smooth granite rocks of the Sand River. Shaded by a large Marula tree, this plunge pool must be one of the most relaxing places to be in the world.

The granite koppies in Marthly are home to an assortment of birds, reptiles, antelopes and of course the Tsalala pride's young cubs. Over the last 9 months, the 2 Tsalala lionesses have effectively used these magnificent landmarks to raise and nurture their young.

Nature's gentle soul - the Giraffe.

Elephant sightings are prolific at this stage of the years. Herd numbering up to 30 are frequently viewed close to the river as they use this natural water source as a form of relief from the heat and their own thirst.

A wildebeest quenches her deep thirst at one of the remaining pans with water.

African wild dogs number between 3000 and 5500 in the whole wild world, and today there’s one less than there was before. We were hot on the tracks of a young leopard who was proving elusive, when we suddenly found ourselves pretty much in the middle of a pack of these gorgeous dogs. We followed the adults and five young pups, driving hard over everything in our way to keep up with them, as they ran through the scrub, clearly in hunting mode. Their highly civilized social structure, which is fiercely protective of young pups, the elderly, the sick and the injured alike, forms a fascinating contrast with their obviously feral instincts and pure gumption – we saw them leaping at a rhino probably twice their combined size and weight! The pack continued on its way, and not wanting to lose sight of such a rare animal, we followed.

The pack of wild dogs about to leap at a white rhino by Brian Datnow

We had just entered a small valley, while the dogs, ahead of us of course, were making their way up the other side. The first strange thing I noticed was that they were all looking back into the valley, and then started running back down. Before seeing anything I remember hearing someone saying “Oh my god, a leopard is attacking the wild dogs,” and then I saw it. The leopard, who we later found out was the Maxabene 3:2 Young Male, otherwise known as Pinky – named so because of his extraordinarily pink nose, had charged straight into the pack, targeting a young pup. We had seen this pup minutes before frolicking with its siblings, tumbling here and there on the road, but now, with one great swipe of his paw, the leopard had incapacitated it entirely.

Wild dogs chase the Maxabene 3:2 Young Male Leopard towards a tree by Sanjana Manaktala

It was an attack born of desperation and was not to go unavenged – the entire pack turned and pounced on the leopard, refusing to let him finish the job. They got him down on the ground, as I watched in horror, trying through the tears that filled my eyes to bring my camera around to capture the tangle of bodies. He writhed and wriggled somehow out of their grasp and bounded up a tree out of reach within seconds. My heart was in my mouth and I almost didn’t know where to look, till a sudden high-pitched scream filled the air and someone yelled “Hyenas!” My camera moved almost before my eyes, and my finger was pressed down hard on the button, trying to capture digitally events that were moving too fast perhaps for my memory. With the pack focused on the leopard, hyenas had appeared within 20 seconds, sunk their teeth into the injured pup, killed it and begun to make off with it. The pack worried the hyenas for a few seconds, snapping at their haunches, but soon realizing there was no hope for the pup, they cut their losses and ran. The safety of the four remaining pups was paramount.

The wild dogs snap at the haunches of the hyenas before dispersing with the rest of their pack by Sanjana Manaktala

The hyenas brought the carcass within 5 feet of the jeeps, and began their little feast. There were three, but hierarchy within a clan dictates that the alphas feed first and so it was that two fed and one watched right till the end. The smell of death pervaded the air, reaching even my blocked sinuses, and the sound of bones crunching interspersed with their horrific shrieks is something I will never forget. The shock seemed to have numbed me, as I made sure my camera was steady as I recorded the hyenas tearing the carcass of the puppy to pieces. I watched and recorded as one hyena tore off a paw and stood with it sticking sideways out of his mouth, while another ripped flesh from bone, the poor pup’s head flopping limply from its powerful jaws. I almost couldn’t breathe but the recording went on.

The clan of hyenas prepare to feed on the deceased wild dog pup by Sanjana Manaktala

In the meantime, the wild dog pack had disappeared but the leopard was still up the tree in front of us. Once a certain calm prevailed, he slowly made his way down, and began creeping towards where the hyenas were devouring the carcass, their paws, chests and muzzles spattered with blood. He moved ever so slowly and carefully, and though we could see him clear as day, the hyenas hadn’t a clue he was around. Still, they picked up the carcass and moved to a spot further away, while we watched the empty belly of this desperately hungry leopard heaving with each breath. The third hyena reappeared suddenly, forcing the leopard up another tree. Grasping at every flash of a photographic opportunity, I recorded him watching the hyenas take the kill that was perhaps rightfully his further and further away. I knew he had to come down some time, so my camera remained trained on him, and of course, come down he did. The hyenas were far away by this time – his chance, however slim, was gone.

The Maxabene 3:23 Young Male Leopard waits for calm to settle before descending the tree for a second time by Sanjana Manaktala

We chose not to follow the grieving dogs, the starving leopard or the feasting hyenas, because each of them deserved their peace. Mike has said time and again, that whether we see it or not, there is no doubt that animals mourn. It was time to let the pack mourn the death of the fourth of their litter of eight, while the leopard searched for scraps for his meal and the hyenas gorged. Another thing Mike says fairly often is that The Lion King did for hyenas what Jaws did for the Great White Shark. Though it’s clear that hyenas outrank, outfight, and outsmart most other predators, it’s hard to let go of the prejudice against them, specially when you hear them shrieking – but let go we must. They won the day’s fight fair and square.

The Maxabene 3:2 Young Male Leopard casually walks past the white rhino earlier chased by the wild dog pack by Brian Datnow

It’s a harsh world out there – survival of the fittest, they say. We go about our daily lives uncaring of others, perhaps to the extent of ruthlessness. But the beauty of bush, coming back to pearls of wisdom cast by Mike, is that they kill because they must eat – there is absolutely no deceit in it.

Londolozi as a whole is impossible to forget, and perhaps one would say our luck has been extraordinary, but I prefer to believe that a lot of it has to do with Jerry and Mike and the skill and passion they bring to their day-to-day work. They’ve been our guides to the animal world – its love and loss, gentleness and brutality, life and death – embodying the indomitable all-encompassing spirit of the African bush.

Written by: Sanjana Manaktala (Londolozi Guest)
Photographed by: Sanjana Manaktala and Brian Datnow (Londolozi Guests) 

A few weeks ago, my ranger, Chris Goodman and I heard over the radio of a leopard with a kill. We talked about going to see it, but the sighting was closed down because the kill was still on the ground and they were hoping it would be hoisted to a tree. We decided to try first thing in the next morning to see it.

So early the following morning, we found the Camp Pan 4:3 male sitting in a tree munching on a wildebeest. To our surprise, we also found his 3 year old son, the Maxabene 3:2 young male sitting on the ground below, hoping for scraps. Within about 15 minutes, a leg fell from the tree and the young male had something to eat.

About 10-15 minutes later, Chris noticed another leopard approaching. The Vomba 3:2 female was seemingly stalking the young male. She got close and the male was oblivious to her approach. She made a quick attempt to steal the leg, but failed. She then also sat around for a short while waiting to see if more food would fall.

She left and shortly thereafter a large female hyena showed up. The young male made an attempt to climb the tree, but his father indicated in no uncertain terms that his presence in the same tree was not welcome. As the young male descended the tree, the leg he was carrying dropped and the hyena quickly grabbed it.

Maxabene 3:2 Young Male snarling at hyena - Michael Moss

The hyena quickly finished off the leg and also decided to wait for more scraps. It was quite interesting to see both the hyena and leopard within meters of each other for most part completely ignoring the other. A few times the male leopard hissed at the hyena, but he just laid there looking up for food (as was the hyena).

The Camp Pan male then decided he was done with the remaining leg he had and started to descend the tree. He could see the hyena waiting at the bottom of the tree. Just before he made his final jump down, he opened his mouth and released the leg. The hyena quickly grabbed it and scurried off. It seemed that he did the release just to have the hyena not bother him as he jumped off the tree and that is exactly what happened.

The young Mxabene male then climbed the tree looking for food, finding none he descended and left the sighting and the adventure was over.

Maxabene 3:2 Young Male climbing tree - Michael Moss

To see three Leopards of Londolozi and a hyena interact was an amazing experience. Thank you Londolozi and Chris!

Written, Filmed and Photographed by: Michael Moss (Londolozi Guest)

Our recent guest, Rita Shaw, shares some of her best images from her stay at Londolozi Tree Camp. An avid fan of the blog and past visitor to Londolozi, it is wonderful to be able to share some of her images below…

A baby elephant threatens the vehicle. Although young, these animals are not shy to test out whether their bulky stature affords them right of way in the wilderness.

A Barred Owl peaks out from behind the srub. Sightings of this species are more common in the winter months when the bush is thinner and their movements more noticeable.

The Dudley Riverbank 3:3 Young Male spots movement in the grass. Seconds later a francolin burst out of the grass in flight, averting being the victim of a potential hunt.

A giraffe drinks out of a small pool of water. Awkward yet elegant, these animals are notoriously vulnerable when crouched in this position - rearing quickly upwards after each and every gulp of water.

A member of the Majingilane Male Lion Coalition poses in the late afternoon sunlight. This particular male is identified by the scar above his right eye.

A closer look at the scar of this Majingilane coalition member. Judging from the size of the wound, it was more than likely caused by claw marks as a result of a brawl with another male lion.

This member of the Majingilane coalition looks to his right as one of the Sparta Lionesses approaches him. This male, identified by the multitude of scratch marks on his nose appears to be the dominant member of the coalition and is thus be the first to mate.

The Maxabeni 3:3 Male Leopard (b.2006) appears for a brief cameo sighting. Stunningly good look, yet infrequently seen, this male leopard was forced out of his natal territory by a combination of the Short Tail Male and the Camp Pan Male leopards.

The lengthy wingspan of a Secretary Bird spreads as it takes flight. Despite using their legs to hunting on the ground, these birds will also take to the air to spot prey species such as snakes and lizards.

A Tree Squirrel is perched on the narrow branch of an Acacia tree. These nimble creatures often alert other creatures (and people) to the presence of nearby predators or snakes.

One of the Tsalala Cubs pauses eating to look up. Their primary diet still consists of impala, however this will surely change as they continue to grow and force their mother to bring down larger prey species to substantiate their hunger.

Adept and agile, one of the Tsalala lionesses watches her cub scuffle amongst one another as they finish off the remains of the above impala.

Wild Dogs play in the last remains of golden sunlight.

Dave and the Londolozi Team,

We are all safely back home now and it is time to say thank you and congratulations!

I have grown up in a well-known hospitality family and first started working in the restaurant, resort and catering business when I was 14. The most significant business concept that I was taught and that I have tried to live by in the over 40 years since, and the 25 years at my own restaurant and catering business is to “treat my guests as I would expect to be treated”. Londolozi is the epitome of that concept. We have never experienced such genuine and professional hospitality anywhere else in the world.

My wife Terri and I have led food and wine lovers on ten special trips so far around the world over the past eight years, and we have always prided ourselves on creating only the most unique, high caliber experiences. Our multiple repeat guests know that we will only take them to the very best properties, and that they will experience things that others can only dream of. We have stayed at four other safari camps in Africa (some claiming to have been honored as “best in the world”), and nothing has come close to our experience at your “slice of heaven” which you call Londolozi. Our travel partners Ryan and Malaka Hilton know that our groups are demanding, and the expectations are extremely high. Without a doubt our guests comments about Londolozi have been as near to perfect as we have ever seen. It was a treat to see Ryan back in the wild at his former home where he was a former Londolozi ranger.

Owner Dave Varty with Terri and Michael

From the moment we arrived, your team greeted us so professionally at the airstrip that we knew we were in for something special. Your safari team is passionate, knowledgeable and completely at ease in the wild. They exude confidence and our personal experiences with rangers Adam Bannister, James Tyrrell, Julius Ngwenya and David Dampier were truly special. I know that the rest of our group also told us that their rangers and trackers were over-the-top. What a pleasure it was to also see the history of the trackers – the stories we heard from our tracker James Siwela about his family’s history with your family were inspiring and moving.

Drinking Coffee and hot chocolate on the morning drive with Adam and James

Food and beverage in the wild can be very challenging as you are well aware, and the Londolozi team hit “a home run”. Craig Paterson and his team never ceased to amaze us with their creativity, quality and presentation. As a caterer, I was so impressed with your food and beverage team, even when they took their show “on the road” for our bush brunch. Nobody missed a beat, even though I know the hours they all put in must be very challenging. Terri’s food allergy was handled so beautifully and at every meal, and it never went unnoticed by the staff. It is even missed on occasion at our own restaurant! In addition, we challenged your team with special South African wine requests. Not only was your team open to helping us work with wine farms that our guests could access easily in the USA, they even arranged for one of your country’s top wine farm owners – Marc Kent (Boekenhoutskloof) to bring special wines in and to join our group for game drives and two special Boma events. He will be a great emissary for you. One of the highlights for all of us was the Princess Alice dinner at the Varty Camp. The setting was really amazing, the menu inspired and the service impeccable.

A great night of music and sing-alongs in the Varty Camp Boma

Staying at the “home base” Varty Camp was really special. There is a true appreciation and celebration of your family history everywhere you turn. It is an emotional experience for sure, especially since almost all of our group was either reading or had read yours and your brother John’s books! Alex Paterson and your lodging team were amazing (we enjoyed Sean and Dani at Varty). No detail was overlooked and all of our guests’ needs and requests were handled with such ease and professionalism that it seemed like the lodge managers already knew what people would be asking for. The accommodations are beautiful and tastefully decorated – we understand that our new friend Jimmy had a lot to do with the ongoing special renovations. The room attendants handled their duties unnoticed and all of our guests enjoyed the special room amenities and your special gifts for adults and children. We were given the opportunity to tour all of the different camps and we loved the individual and unique personality you have given to each.

Pancakes for the kids

On behalf of our children and the others that were with us, we wanted you to also know that they totally enjoyed every minute of the Cubs program and especially the extra attention from Cinzia. They were engaged on so many levels and never had to hang out at the adult special events unless they wanted to join us. The flexibility and attention to that component of Londolozi is wonderful. The kids even had their own game drives each afternoon and of course they always found the big cats first! The family program at Londolozi Cubs is fun, educational and exciting. It was truly a once-in-a-life experience for all of them.

Close up of a beautiful Leopard

We also know that our guests truly enjoyed visiting your spa for massages and the special area for yoga. We are sure that BJ will share with you that our group had a feeding frenzy in your Living Shop. The selection of unique gifts, books and apparel was exceptional. We are confident that all of our group will be happily showing off their Londolozi apparel for years to come.

Our last night at Londolozi will be in our hearts forever. What a special experience it was to meet you and spend time with you. Your inspiring talk about pioneering African conservation and insights into your family history at Londolozi left a lasting impression on all of our guests and children. The experience of having our guides and the management team join us that night was the icing on the cake. There is no doubt that these passionate professionals love what they are doing and feel motivated to contribute personally to Londolozi and the guest experience. Trust us, our kids Max and Mikayla will be ready to join you someday! The music and camaraderie that we all experienced that night was magical.

The Gulf Coast Connoisseur Club team photograph

We are already planning our return to Londolozi with another group in 2013. We are sharing our photos and enjoying the special ongoing connection that we have with Londolozi due to the wonderful blogs we receive from your team daily. We just have to return soon to be able to check on the special Tsalala lion cubs we met!

Please share our comments with your entire Londolozi team – we know we forgot some special people there. We think it was a brilliant idea to return Londolozi to an independent safari lodge. Londolozi is truly an original – your staff and family seem well-equipped to compete with the best hospitality families anywhere in the world.

Looking forward to seeing you again at Londolozi,

Michael and Terri Klauber
Gulf Coast Connoisseur Club
www.bestfood.com

'Princess Alice' themed dinner set up at Varty Camp

Entrance to Varty Camp Boma

Individual plunge pools in Varty Camp

Our recent guest, Francesca, spent 10 days at Londolozi with her family. Driving with Jess Boon and Jeffrey Mhlongo, she was able to capture a spectacular album of images during the course of her safari. Witnessing leopards mating, the infamous Majingilane Coalition, adorable Tsalala Cubs as well as the Marthly Male amongst others, below is a selection of her finest images. Well done Francesca and thanks for sharing your images on the blog.

Majingilane Male Lions

Tawny Eagle

The Lowveld Escarpment from Winnis Wallow

Fork Tailed Drongo

A backlit hyena at sunset

Hyena at Dusk

Lilac Breasted Roller

Majingilane Male Lion

Stweiss Koppie at Sunrise

Plaque Rock

Snarling Leopard

Londolozi Tree Camp Deck

Tsalala Pride Young Cub on the rocks at the densite

Tsalala Pride Older Cub

The Marthly 3:2 Male Leopard

Waterbuck Portrait

Zebra and Foal

Giraffe at Sunset

Photographed by: Francesca Grima

The impala saw the lioness too late. Already in mid-stride, the tawny flash bore down on the helpless ewe and smothered it within seconds. Barely a moment after alarming in fright, it now lay in a heap. Yet another victim of nature. The odd click of a camera stirred the eerie silence and with it the lioness turned to drag the prey from where she had crashed down on it moments earlier. For the photographers, the adrenalin slowly ebbed away as they gasped in amazement at just how closely they had witnessed natures primal rhythm in motion…

A few minutes later, 5 familiar faces appeared on the scene. The other Tsalala lioness sauntered down the road with her four cubs, the older set, to join in on the feast. Growing like weeds and ravenous as only carnivores can be, the lionees and her cubs were quick to join in the feast and claim any nutrition they could. Still just meters away from the vehicle, the young cubs snarled amongst each other, forcing their way into the carcass until one of the lionesses lost her patience and yanked the food away with an angry growl.

Tsalala Pride Older Cub by Francesca Grima

With the intensity these four cubs are displaying at a carcass, one can’t help but be intrigued as to what the feeding patterns will be like when the remaining four begin to join the fray. It is suspected that they may already be feeding at the carcasses however we have not yet had the privilege of witnessing this yet. As for these older four cubs, they will no doubt get more confident during feeding periods and only serve to agitate their mother further. In time however, they will learn to kill for the rest of the pride and thus know how it feels to have their hard work shared amongst the rest.

Filmed by: Andrea
Photographed by: Francesca Grima

The Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Male jumps down past the Howard Mackie plaques at Plaque Rock. HOWARD MACKIE described as “the good companion” was in 1971, together with John Varty, the first ever ranger/manager and guide of an embryonic dream of a safari company. John and Howard were lifelong friends and as students at Wits University set off in the April of 1971, on a holiday semester, to seek fame and fortune on the Varty family farm called Sparta in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Their dream was to start a Safari Business which would ultimately become known as Londolozi.

The Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Male stands next to the plaque commemorating the life of Howard Mackie - Talley Smith

The “Howard Mackie” plaque, seen in this picture, is in memory of Howard and the great contribution he made to the start up of Londolozi and also as a Founder Pioneer in creation of “Helicapture” – the original and first ever game capture company in South Africa. Howard became a leading expert in the capture and after care of wild animals. This poignant photograph demonstrates the timelessness and enduring renewable cycle of nature as yet another generation of the Leopards of Londolozi visit at “plaque rock” in the heart of Londolozi.

The Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Male walks in front of the plaque in memory of Howard Mackie - Talley Smith

In Howard’s time Leopards were shy, elusive and seldom seen. Today the leopards have become the iconic cat which causes guests from across the globe to travel to Londolozi to see these beautiful spotted cats free, wild and safe as they go about their daily lives in the heartlands of Londolozi Game Reserve.

The view at Plaque Rock - Francesca Grima

Johanna Hagman visited Londolozi in January 2011 together with her family, including her grand parents and her cousins.  This is an article she wrote for the WWF Panda Magazine in Sweden.

From WWF Panda Magazine, Nr 3-4, 2011
Published in Sweden by the World Wildlife Fund

Safari in South Africa

Johanna has been on an exciting safari in South Africa’s Kruger Park and seen lots of wild animals. Here she tells her own story about the wonderful journey together with her own great pictures.

Safari in Syd Afrika

The safari started at four thirty in the afternoon. It was a warm beautiful day in South Africa’s Kruger Park, i.e. the most diverse mammal population in the world.

We sat up in the jeeps and already after five minutes we discovered evidence of large animals. Mud could be seen on the nearby tree trunks and our guide told us that it came from elephants who had rubbed of parasites (and mud) on the trees. Soon thereafter we saw who had done it: an old elephant bull who had been a long time in the area (so the guides easily recognized him).

Exciting meetings

A common sight were the impala, a small but elegant kind of antelope, and we saw them often in large flocks of several hundred. Now darkness was falling upon us and all of a sudden we found ourselves in the middle of a large elephant herd with animals on both sides of the road. A four meter tall bull slowly but steadily moved straight towards the vehicle. We all went completely silent as the bull came right at us. An there, two meters from the jeep, it stopped, as if he was contemplating whether to attack or not! Luckily he turned away and started to eat from a nearby branch. It was quite scary.

Elephant

But the adventure didn’t stop there. The guides took out their strong flash lights and shone over bush and trees (the animals’ eyes reflect the light at night). In the middle of the road we found a pride of 12 lion. They seemed unaffected by our presence as we carefully rolled by them. Like small pussy cats, but as soon as they yawned and showed of their razor sharp teeth, we were reminded that we were sitting just five meters from an animal that is built to kill…

Beware of the rhinos!

The next day we ventured out into the bushveld (a mix between savannah and sparse woodland) just before dawn, and saw a group of impala run past us in a frightful hurry. A group of wild dogs on the hunt! Within a few seconds the animals were gone. We barely caught a glimpse of the wild dogs, which are very rare.

The Big 5

After that we took a break in the middle of the wilderness. “Is it safe to get of here?” we asked. “Oh yes” said the guides. But when a couple of us had jumped down from the jeeps, my mother called out: “Rhinoceros!”. The adult male rhino, just 30 meters away, was probably as surprised to see us as we were to see him. After just a few seconds, when I had time to snap a few pictures of him, he jogged away from us. Those in the other jeep were a little paler than before.

Leopard tracking and a meeting with Tyson.

During our trip we visited two different places, both bordering the Sabi Sand River. The first place was a concession within the Kruger Park, the biggest national park in the world. There we saw all “the big five” (leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and lion). The second safari, Londolozi, is a large privately owned reserve neighbouring the Kruger Park – the most leopard dense area in the world!

Already on the second day at Londolozi we sighted leopard. It started when we drove through an area full of impala, zebra and wilder beast. But on this day, on this spot, the animals seemed unusually nervous and the trackers (the tracking experts) in the jeeps identified several tracks on the dirt road ahead of us. Without a doubt they told us that these were the tacks from a large male leopard!

We drove around a couple of large circles in the area without finding any more traces of the leopard. After a while we gave up the search. Shortly thereafter we heard from the vehicles radio. Those in the other jeep had found the leopard, exactly on the same spot where we were just half an hour earlier. Vi drove back as quickly as possible and saw him walking on the track. He had an incredibly thick neck and had been given the appropriate name Tyson. We followed him for a while until he stopped and sat down just a few meters from us. After a couple of minutes he stood up and vanished into the vegetation.

The trip to Africa was a thousand times more interesting than what I had expected. The a bit too close rendezvous with the elephant bull, all the exotic bird species, Tyson and not least the rhinoceros during the “safe” break. An naturally all the giraffe, warthogs (not pretty animals), hippopotamus, crocodiles and all the other animals I have not mentioned. It was a fabulous experience and one which gave an enormous respect both for the animals and for those who are involved in animal conservation in South Africas natural reserves.

Johanna Hagman
Age: 12 years.
Lives: Uppsala, Sweden
Member of the WWF Panda Club: Since 2006
Favourite animals: Leopards, wolfs and Swedish birds of pray (such as Marsh Harrier and eagles).
Best nature experience: If you don’t count the trip to Africa, it would be my first “real” dive of Martinique in the West Indies.
Hobbies: Karate, scuba diving and of course photography (both old fashioned black and white and digital).
Want to see: Whale during a dive; a leopard during a successful kill; cheetah.
Dream trip: The Great Barrier Reef outside Australia!

Text and photographs: Johanna Hagman courtesy of WWF Panda Magazine.

We had been searching unsuccessfully all morning for a pair of mating leopard that had been seen the previous night. After a few hours of following tracks, we were driving past Tingwe Camp,( the place where John Varty raised the abandoned lion cub, Shingalana.) when I noticed the rear end of a rhino sticking out of some bushes. One of the other rangers had seen tracks and dung of a black rhino a few days before so it had been on my mind that this was a possibility. As I saw it I immediately, even from the little I could see, thought it just looked different. Not wanting to shout out “Black Rhino” and then loook silly when a young white rhino wandered out, I held my tounge and reversed a few meters for a better view. Then, in a typical display of Black Rhino behaviour, it ran out of the thicket towards us to investigate, a bunch of leaves dangling from its mouth. After staring at us for a few seconds, it promptly turned tail and ran at full speed in the opposite direction.

Suddenly, even the possibility of finding a mating pair of leopard seemed to pale in comparison to what we had just witnessed. What made it even more special was that just the day before, Dan (the geust who took the photo below) had been telling me how how fascinated he was by rhino and how much he enjoyed seeing them, but none of us could have imagined we would see the elusive Black Rhino. That brief glimpse ended a five year wait since the last sighting on Londolozi. In a time when Africa is experiencing some of the worst poaching for rhino horn in its history, it is an encouraging sign to see one of these extremely rare creatures.

Black Rhino by Londolozi Guest, Dan

Photographed and Filmed by: Dan

It is not common to witness lions climbing trees.  Leopards are the most notorious tree climbers of all the big cats, however every so often lions will ‘break the rules’ and venture upwards into the arboreal realms. Notorious at Lake Manyara, in Tanzania, the tree climbing lions spend much of their time in the upper branches of the trees to escape the wrath of the dreaded flies and insects which constantly pester them.

In the below video, one could be forgiven for thinking that you are witnessing a sighting somewhere in East Africa. Truth be told, it is actually the Tsalala lionesses and the ever growing cubs exploring another environment in which to test their agile abilities in the Master’s Tree, the very same tree we wrote about when we first discovered the Tsalala Pride cubs.  Early in the morning, not far from their new den site where the new set of cubs were tucked away, the older cubs spent over an hour running and playing with the two Tsalala lionesses to give us this unusual sighting.

Ever alert, the lionesses are still wary of the many natural forces which could prevent their cubs from reaching maturity. The Majingilane coalition continue their reign of dominance even further south into the Dudley region below Londolozi, usurping territory from the young Southern Pride, now desperately on the run for a secure territory of their own.

Tsalala Lioness Looking out from Master's Tree by Rob Jansen

However, things are not always what they seem. Recent reports have filtered through to Londolozi of a coalition of 6 male lions making strident progress southwards into the Sabi Sands. These lions, known only as the Matimba males, could be a new force to be reckoned with and will most certainly want to challenge Majingilane dominance should they move down into Londolozi.

For the cubs of the Tsalala Pride, this could spell potential disaster as they are on the frontline of the Matimba male’s warpath and not yet mature enough to avert the potential threat.  Neither the lions nor the cubs will be able to do anything other than hope the Majingilane Coalition can hold their territory.

One of the older Tsalala Pride Cubs by Rob Jansen

These new Matimba males remind me of the problems that we face in the world today.  From global debt crises, global warming, global overfishing, diminishing big cat populations, rampant rhino poaching, escalating water shortages and human greed comes the concern of how to cope with each of these problems.  Much like new coalitions, each of these global issues wants to cast their influence and effects onto the environment, adding to our sense of uncertainty towards the ever persistent unknown.

Here at Londolozi, the issue of a new coalition moving into Majingilane territory is a very real and potentially devastating threat.  One can only have faith in the uncommon and unusual laws of nature playing a hand out to its own effect.  On some days these unusual occurrences provide us with lions playing in trees whilst on others they may play an entirely different role towards the lion dynamics in this piece of wilderness.  One can only jump on the roller coaster ride of this world and wait to see how it all continues to unfold…

Written by: Rich Laburn
Filmed and Photographed by: Rob Jansen (Londolozi Guest)

It is always exciting to watch a young male leopard mature and become territorial and resident. Most of Londolozi’s young male leopards leave us around the age of 3 and disperse into neighbouring properties and probably beyond. We often follow their progress by reading other lodges blogs and similarly male leopards that arrive here are more often than not from somewhere else. So when a youngster that we’ve watched from birth finds a gap in his natal area – well it’s exciting to say the least! It is even more riveting when that young leopard is the Dudley River Bank 5:5 Young Male and a direct descendant of ‘The Mother Leopard’. That makes him part of the Londolozi ‘Royal Family’ which we’ve had the privilege of watching for more than 3 decades. The twists and turns of this families fortunes are intriguing and fantastically just a microcosm of what probably occurs with the secretive leopard everywhere.

Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Young Male

Having expressed my joy at watching this Dudley River Bank 5:5 Young Male come into his own, it is sad however to report that it is becoming apparent that the object of this young male’s attention is the territorial fiefdom of one of Londolozi’s perennial favourite leopards: The Camp Pan 4:3 Male. The pressure is now on the ageing Camp Pan Male as this young upstart has been seen marking and calling furiously and regularly within the bounds of what has always been considered Camp Pan’s. We have also witnessed several rare interactions between the 2 leopards.

Camp Pan 4:3 Male Leopard

The first spat took place around the beginning of April (Ingwe junction/Munghen road), and when the two of them were found it was clear that they had physically come to blows. Both combatants looked exhausted and the more experienced Camp Pan was sporting a bloodied nose. They finished off their encounter with a bout of deep growling and eventually went their separate and resolute ways.

Since then, Camp Pan has been seen rarely. It had been suggested from various quarters within the Team that he had lost the turf war and had gone ‘fugitive’ and nomadic, but then just as everybody seemed to write him off as a spent force he was found by Alfie and Bennet on an impala kill around Tortoise pan.

The Dudley Riverbank Male in direct comparison has been seen frequently and in a two week period was viewed feeding on warthog, hoisting a baby zebra nto a Marula Tree, chasing the much younger Maxabeni 3:3 Male, being trailed by the Vomba 3:3 Young Female as well as marking and calling all the way along the Sand River.

A few days ago the two were found circling each other in a territorial dispute which eventually resulted in a massive fight. Close by was the Vomba 3:2 Female and the Marthly 3:2 Male, both onlookers of the battle. Take a look at this astonishing footage captured below:

Despite winning the fight, the Camp Pan male left alone. Bloody and scarred, the Dudley 5:5 Male limped off behind the Vomba 3:2 Female and mated with her later that day. Even though he lost the battle, he still somehow managed to get the spoils.

I am sure this is not the end of it and for now observations seem to indicate that the Camp Pan 4:3 Male has the ascendancy. But where does Camp Pan go from here? Does he stand and fight or will he be allowed to peacefully hold onto a sliver of what was once a mighty territory. Like everything else in the bush, the outcome is uncertain and we’ll just have to wait and see. The smart money is on the younger of the two warriors and the end of the chapter of the remarkable Camp Pan Male.

Who do you think the victor will be?  Leave you thoughts in the comments section below.

Leopards Fighting Filmed by: Farzin Pourmokhtar, Byron Serrao and Rich Laburn

Written by: Tom and Kate Imrie

The Wild Dog has often been viewed as a controversial hunter. Functioning in a pack, the cursorial dog’s technique is to exhaust their prey by chasing it over a long distance. Vocalising to one another the pack functions together as a well co-ordinated unit, eventually bringing down their prey before swiftly disemboweling it for consumption.

Many people find the Wild Dog’s hunting technique to be incredibly barbaric, however when you look at the high rate of hunting success amongst Wild Dogs, around 80% as opposed to the lion’s 30%, you begin to realise that although odious, it is ultimately successful.

Wild Dog with Trophy

Despite the nature of the Wild Dog’s approach to hunting and killing, the dynamics at a kill make for interesting observation and much can be learned about the depth of this specie’s social structure. Firstly, the dogs are never violent in their approach to one another and are able to establish dominance and hierarchy without violence. The use of submission is critical as, for example, different members of the pack will either steal or beg energetically for food rather than presenting a physical confrontation.

Having fed, what often occurs is the development of a game between the members of the pack wherein a piece of the carcass (usually a skull or bones) will be grabbed and used as a ‘trophy’ as the pack excitedly chases each other around. Whether this occurs as a way of warming down the hunt or to reinforce the social bonds between the pack is plausible on both accounts. You will be able to see this clearly shown in the video above.

The final interesting element is how members of the pack return to the den-site and regurgitate pieces of food for those who remained such as the pups and injured/sick dogs. The success of the pack is heavily dependent on the well being of all the members and their ability to work together in order to hunt, kill and thus survive. By looking after the collective the pack enhances its longevity by making certain that pups, sick, elderly and dominant members are all fed and looked after the same.

What I find most interesting about these interactions is how the pack starts to play with a ‘trophy’ once the kill is devoured. I would be interested to hear your own thoughts and ideas as to why this would be the case – is it reinforcing social bonds or something completely different?

In October last year, Londolozi was incredibly pleased to host a fairytale wedding for two of our closest ambassadors and their friends.  In the midst of the wedding party was renowned wedding photographer, Ryan Graham who spent the weekend taking a selection of extraordinary and beautiful images of the event.  Says Ryan, “This was probably the best wedding I have photographed in my thirteen year career as a wedding photographer…” and judging from his images it is not hard to see why.

To see more images of the weekend and Ryan’s write up, visit his blog by clicking here.

There are something in the order of 11 million hits when you simply Google the term ‘Cuckoo’. Admittedly a fair amount of those relate to human behavior – but that’s no longer surprising…

At Londolozi we are spoilt for Cuckoos as it is possible to find at least 9 different species throughout the summer months. You have to be experienced, lucky or both to find them all because most cuckoos are as good at hiding themselves as they are at sneaking their eggs into other birds nests. If you haven’t heard of brood parasitism – it’s worth reading about. I’m guessing though that for most of you the curious habits of the cuckoo are known. And they are curious habits aren’t they? Imagine for a second leaving your young to be reared and cared for by another person and having absolutely no hand in parenting? If you detected any sarcasm in that question it is because at various times through history it has been fashionable for humans to leave their young to their hired help. Victorian Cuckoos?

For me the magic about Cuckoos is not that they have discovered a loophole in natural biological processes and succeeded at it so remarkably, it’s that every cuckoo is born with that genetic encoding for brood parasitism and that they all execute those instructions perfectly. There are no manuals for wannabe parasites and there is no verbal handover from generation to generation. Cuckoos are simply bought into the world through an absurd evolutionary mechanism with a subtle set of instructions deeply embedded within their cranium as to how to continue the process.

That for me is the beauty of the Cuckoo and in a way it sheds light on the fact that much of what wild creatures do and achieve is pre-programmed and possibly unavoidable. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions as to what that suggests about human behavior and the next time someone suggests that somebody else has gone cuckoo, you might ponder for a second and think about what that really means.

Filmed by: Mike Miller

It was spectacular to watch. Deep into the night the sounds of bellowing, stampeding buffalo could be heard in the southern grasslands of Londolozi. 5 hours of sitting with a hunting pride of lions was about to pay off!

The Buffalo cow was exceptionally brave as she managed to chase the young Southern Pride Coalition of 5 males off her struggling calf; but it was the single lioness, made nearly invisible by the moonless night, which ran in from the flank and picked the calf up in her jaws. Within seconds she had run away from the protective buffalo herd.

Once the kill had been made the marauding males heard her start to eat and charged in for a piece of the action.

Here you see a guest’s filming of the events which unfolded…you can clearly see the confusion a lion hunt can bring! Last year we saw this same pride taking on buffalo. Have you ever been lucky enough to witness a lion kill? If so how did the pride dynamics play out? If not, would you want to witness one? Let us know in the comments section below…

Southern Pride Male by Adam Bannister

Written by: Adam Bannister
Filmed by: Michael Pearl (Londolozi Guest)

It’s been awesome to see the response that blogs about Lions are receiving. For those that have been following the story of the different Prides, the update is as follows:

Matters with the Tsalala Pride have become a little bit complicated now that the pride has been split into two. See Tom Imrie’s piece as to why he believes this has happened. The outcome has been that the legendary Tailess female has pulled the four surviving 2-year old females away from all the trouble moving them towards our Western Break both north and south of the Sand River. Recent sightings of these 5 means we can be sure they are surviving the latest Majigilane maneuver purely by keeping out of their way. Still under the guidance and leadership of Tailess one still has to back their chances of survival.

Trouble though seems to have been brewing  on the eastern front of Londolozi as we are now seeing the 2 remaining Tsalala females more regularly. The sad thing is that of late, these sightings have been of them apart. News from our east suggests that the one female did indeed drop young sometime in early January/late December and that these cubs (thought to be two) are doing well at the moment denned up on Stweiss Koppie. We wait in anticipation for our first glimpse of these new additions. Sadly it appears that her sister must have lost her litter as she has been seen three times in the last week, alone, calling, and not lactating. On the 19^th January she was even observed mating, once again, with one of the Majingilanes!

After avoiding the Majingilanes for some time the Sparta Pride as a whole are now bearing the brunt of these formidable males. On the 21^st of December the breakaway two Sparta females managed to make two buffalo kills off Weavers Nest quarry. All the noise and commotion must have been heard by the patrolling males, who stealth fully moved in and caught two of the cubs. The third managed to survive the attack but only because of the bravery of one of the adult females. We can tell this by the sheer number of scars and bite marks she has, even one month after the incident. One has to feel for the sole surviving cub as he now has to roam around the bush under the watchful eyes of the two Sparta females; expecting a hiding shadow around every corner.

We were all a bit surprised on the morning of the 3^rd January to find one of the breakaway Sparta females, one Majingilane (the one with the skinned nose), a wildebeest carcass, a dead hyena and lots of lion tracks at the same place near Shingi Dam. Our interpretation of the events were that the two Sparta females must have killed the wildebeest, who together with their sole surviving cub, fed on the kill before the male arrived on the scene. Another fight must have prevailed but fortunately the cub was led away to safety by one of the females. The other female was not so fortunate and was almost held captive by the male. An inquisitive hyena came through hoping to scavenge some scraps and was caught by the male in much the same way as the Majingilane Murder last year. It is not thought that the Majingilane mated with the female that day as she was seen reunited with the cub and sister 2 days later. Since then the three of them have been on the run. With one female badly injured, one has to feel that it is a matter of time…

As for the remainder of the Sparta Pride, they too have suffered a set back. One young male was seen coming off second best in a failed buffalo hunt. Although his body was never found, he was in a very poor state and it is now assumed that the buffalo got the better of him.

This footage below was taken by Londolozi Tree Camp Guests, Jason and Brooke Miller.  This occurred a few weeks ago when the Sparta Pride was still numbering 9.  They had just brought down a waterbuck and were looking formidable as the wet summer season began in earnest.

Of late we have been encountering 6 Sparta lions, this consists of the Tsalala Young Male, 2 young males and 3 young females.  The oldest female of the group was found yesterday by Rich Ferrier and Mike Miller on her own. Potentially she has come back into season and is now looking to mate. (Who she finds is going to be fascinating!) This means that a young female is missing and circumstantial evidence suggests that the Majingilanes had a fight about a week ago with the Pride and possibly this explains her absence. Most of the Pride are sporting a few wounds as is the darkest of the Majingilanes.

Majingilane Male Crossing Manyelethi River

The two females with the single cub have not been seen since there failed attempt with the herd of buffalo. I have no doubt that they are lurking around the south in good health.

With the heavy rains that we have been experiencing for the past week, the Majingilanes have not been able to cross south over the swollen Sand River. So for now it’s all quiet in the turbulent lives of the Sparta Pride. At the moment the males are pre-occupied with mating the Tsalala lioness that hasn’t had cubs and that may just buy a little bit more time for the beleaguered Sparta Pride. Worth remembering however is that the Sparta youngsters were all born in early to mid- 2007 and as such the females will be coming into season soon. That will properly shake things up around here.

Following some of the debate regarding coalitions: I don’t think we’ll ever see a fight between the Mapogo and Majingilanes`. Both have lots of territory and an adequate number of females. Fights between adult males (that I’ve witnessed in the Sabi Sands) are usually between the have’s (resident males) and the have nots (young males new to the area.) I think it’s fair to say that the Majingilanes are now resident and I would be very surprised to see any further territorial ambitions beyond some unfinished business with the Sparta Pride. The next coalition to occupy the western sector could well be the Tsalala young male and his 2 Sparta brothers. To do this they will have to bide their time for 2 years, stay out of the Majingilane’s way and then evict their fathers from the West.

Please continue to leave your questions, thoughts, predictions and opinions in the comments below.

Written by: Tom Imrie and Adam Bannister

Just a few weeks earlier, in almost exactly the same the spot as we now found them, the two Sparta lioness killed a young buffalo for themselves and their three cubs. Unfortunately, the noise attracted the attention of the four new males in the area, the Majingillanes. That night, two of the cubs were killed and one of the lioness was savagely injured.

2 Sparta Lionesses

Now they lay, just one cub and one healthy lioness, and a herd of buffalo numbering in their hundreds, strengthened by the summer rains and new lush grass. We sat for and hour or so watching the lions. For the most part they just slept, occasionally lifting their heads as one of the herd strayed a little too close. It seemed as if they would simply let the herd pass them by when suddenly the bulk of the herd turned straight towards where them. The injured lioness remained seemingly passed out on her side, whilst the other was in full crouch position and had lined herself up behind a tree just wide enough to hide her from view. The herd continued to file past, not more than 20m away and completely oblivious to the lions presence.

She was clearly waiting for a younger one, or one that would stray from the protection of the herd. Sure enough, two cows and a subadult broke away from main group the and wondered past on the other side of out vehicles. She immediately turned her attention to them and soon broke cover in a full sprint towards the younger of the three.

Although her first attempt didnt do much more than slow it down, it was her sister who came from nowhere to deliver what almost turned out to be the decisive blow. Launching herself into the path of the oncoming beast, showing no regard for herself or her injuries, she was able to slow it down enough for her sister to get a throat hold. Side by side they hung onto the throat of the buffalo, ancient enemies involved in an epic battle for survival. Knowing that the herd would soon return in defence of their companion, they needed to inflict as much damage as possible before the time. Sure enough, the sound of stampeding hooves grew nearer and the cavalry, led by some bulls and older cows, soon arrived. Hanging on to the last possible second, the lioness finally let go and headed for cover, the last remaining cub already in a precarious position up a nearby tree. The herd, worked up on adrenaline and the scent of lion, milled around, kicking up the soil and even chasing the young bufallo who know smelt like a lion.

Unfortunately for the small pride, the game was up and they would need to wait for another opportunity to hunt, possibly with less intimidating prey!

Filmed by: Elizabeth Tucker (Londolozi Guest)
Photographed by: John Holley
Written by: David Dampier

‘Madame Africa’

An evening in the bush inspired by the eccentric imagery of Madame Zingara. A world of deep and rich colour, where anything is possible and your wildest and most intimate dreams take form.  This was the stage for New Year’s Eve at Londolozi….

Georgia Veale

To create the atmosphere our events coordinator Georgia Veale decided to work with a palette of rich oriental colours, original ornaments and creative lighting. Red feathers, roses, and silver Moroccan candle-lights were laid out in abundance. To further enhance the evening’s entertainment a table of dress up outfits; ranging from feather boas to pink wigs and glittering top hats was set out, along with a photo booth to capture the nights magic.

In accordance with Londolozi’s culture, great effort was taken to use as much as possible from our local communities. To this end the table accessories used were created from recycled fabrics such as curtains, sewn together by our resident tailor. The community created silver stars after a workshop regarding the recycling of cans. Led by Heidi-Lee Stockenstrom, our creative team produced innovative invitations, wire hearts, and Chinese ball lights that illuminated Varty deck.

Londolozi New Years Eve 2011

From the moment our guests arrived on deck the Londolozi charms took hold and the senses were never left wanting, from the aroma of the banquet to the taste of Champagne and the sound of laughter. As we bid farewell to 2010 the dance floor under the direction of the DJ came to life with the spirit of the new year. It started with the junior break-dancers who were slowly replaced by the more experienced partygoers as the hour grew later. Just before midnight a few prizes were awarded including: best junior dancer, best dance couple, best dressed couple, best air guitar, and lastly best Game Guide which had everyone touting the qualities and attributes of their guides.

As the moment finally arrived and the countdown reached its end genuine wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year were given out and a feeling of togetherness swept through all in attendance, reminding us that although we may be physically separated by vast oceans and tracks of land we are always connected and share a common future.

Then the music reclaimed control of the dance floor and the revelry began anew until the early hours of the morning.

Written by: Wade Williams

For a single heart stopping moment, they stood and stared at each other with just meters between them.  Four male lions, confident and big, had piercing gazes locked on Adam and Solly.  A low growl sounded, reinforced by two, then three low rumbles from either side.   Stepping backward slowly, Adam and Solly created distance between themselves and the coalition eased back down into the grass, never letting their sights off the pair.  There was an undeniable tension in the air.  An intangible energy which had already set the Majingilane coalition on edge.  Something was in the air.  Something was up….

3 of the 4 Majingilane Coalition

Two minutes later the four male lions got up and walked straight past the Land Rovers.  Suddenly, like a flash, one male set off at speed into the dense bush amidst rampant thunders of aggression.  Seconds later, the remaining three members of the coalition were by his side, forcing themselves onto his quarry, delighting in the savage violence they could inflict on the lone hyena.

It is not uncommon for lions to kill hyenas; hyenas to kill lions; leopard to kill hyenas; hyenas to kill leopards and lions to kill leopards.  The hierarchy of predators is competitive and it has bred an environment where the strongest survives.  Sometimes you win by yourself, at other times you may lose despite being in a group.  Such is the nature of life.

There was nothing particularly unusual about this interaction between the 4 males and the hyena.  Male lions have an intense loathing for hyenas and typically act aggressively towards them.  Whether this is to secure their territory for the safety of the pride, for fun or simply as a revenge from earlier incidents is all debatable.

What I found to be fascinating about this interaction was the unbridled aggression that these dominant males displayed towards the hyena.  Merciless, demonstrative and intensely aggressive, the Majingilane Males look as though they are out to prove a point.  And whatever that point is, every lion, leopard and hyena in the are should take note.  The longer these Majingilanes move through their newly acquired territory, enforcing their rule, the longer they are going to here to stay!

Photographed by: Adam Bannister
Filmed by: Steven Foreman (Londolozi Guest)

Never before have I been so aware of the profound changes taking place across the world.  Almost daily I read new stories about once impressive structures crumbling down; once brilliant innovations now worthless and once revered individuals fallen from grace.  The world is coming ever closer to being completely flattened as it resides in an increasingly rapid state of flux without any parameters defining how, when and in which direction to head.

Change is a given.  What is here today will, most likely, be gone tomorrow.  All of our manmade constructs serve their lifespan and then die.  Innovations, ideas, organisations, societies and empires all come and go.  The only constant seems to be the cycle of the natural order.

So when I see impalas lambs falling every December, they come with a reassuring sense of calm that the world continues to spin, the rain continues to fall and the sun continues to shine amidst the world in which we live.  To me, the impala have endured longer than the Ancient civilizations, Roman empires, the Industrial age and, now, the Information age.  These delicate creatures form just another part of the yearly cycle, yet they are indicative that system is still working.  Still perfectly attuned with last year, last decade and last century.  The timeless progression continues year in and year out.

To come to Londolozi and the African wilderness is to experience this.  To experience a true reality, something which is older than any ancient empire; deeper than any ideology and more complex than the latest innovation.  But most importantly, it is to be able to draw in a deep breath and feel comforted that if the cycle has come this far, the cycle will endure far beyond this coming century’s exponential rates of change.

Photographed by: Adam Bannister
Filmed by: Steven Foreman (Londolozi Guest)

Sheila, a regular reader of our blog, was at Londolozi recently and I asked her if she would mind me using a few of her photographs to talk about on the blog.  The reason I wanted to do this is that more often than not, nice photographs can be greatly enhanced by a few simple tricks that will make them really stand out.

I have used three of  Sheila’s photographs below, the first being the original and the second being my edited copy.  Below each is a short explanation of what I have done to enhance the picture in photoshop through cropping, contrasting and color editing.  With a bit of luck you will be able to begin to use these techniques to increase the presence of your photographs as well.

LEOPARD IN TREE

Leopard in Tree

Leopard in tree Post Editing

I cropped this image tighter as I wanted to give more space on the right for the leopard to look into.  Although the green at the bottom of the original adds nice colour, I felt it was important for the leopard to take up much of the space of the picture, in particular because of the lovely S shape created from the leopard’s tail to his curved neck, as well as the interesting Y shape that the fork in the tree brought.

I enhanced the contrast to about 15% and added a bit of vibrancy to make the colour of the coat ‘pop’ out.  The last thing I did was sharpen the photograph once to give it a crisp edge.

MALE LION

Male Lion

Male Lion Post Editing

This male lion had such a smug look about him, however he was getting lost in the grass owing to their similar colours.  This is a common problem for photoraphin animals at the end of the dry season.  The key is to contrast the darks and the brights to make certain elements stand out.  For instance, by increasing the contrast to about 10-15% the black of his nose & mane as well as the white of his beard began to stand out.  This is great as we want these elements to be the focal points of the picture.  A little bit of vibrancy & saturation boosted the colours and lastly a single sharpen make his crisp against the blurry backdrop.  A nice effect for any portrait picture

I also cropped him tighter as the space above his head was unnecessary.

ORANGE SUNSET

Orange Sunset

Orange Sunset Post Editing

Sunsets can be fantastic if done correctly.  By that I mean, a balance of a rich colourful backdrop against a dark & silhouetted foreground.  If the foreground image is interesting, that makes it even better.  I picked this sunset as it was one of Sheila’s most colorful photographs and I really liked the different African trees on the horizon line.  This picture needed to cut out the majority of the black to leave just the bottom third instead of the bottom half black.

Furthermore, with the richness of oranges and yellows, a little bit of vibrancy and saturation (5-10%) really enhanced the color of the photograph.

What do you think of how I have enhanced these pictures?  Is there anything that you would have done differently?  Let us know if the comments section below…

Thanks to Sheila for allowing me to comment and crit her photographs on our blog.

Upon landing I was excited to step into the lap of luxury but was detained by the drug dogs in customs. I was confused why at first until we realized that Spot was just hungry for the pretzels in my pocket. Note to self, when going through customs don’t stash treats in your front pocket.

Finally I pulled up to the Intercontinental Hotel in Johannesburg. On the list of the most luxurious hotels I have stayed in, I was delighted to check into my suite and stayed for one night.

In the morning I was greeted by Rhino Travel and escorted to a private airport. Boarding the jet to Londolozi we only had to fly one hour to reach one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Dave our park ranger picked us up in a roofless safari Land Rover and drove us to Granite Camp. It almost seemed like a mirage. Consisting of 3 luxury villas each with their own private pools, we were given villa 2, the best of all.

Private Granite Suites Room 2 by Beth Shak

After unpacking we met the manager of Granite Camp, Kate, in the common room for her to explain daily schedule while I sipped on amazing South African coffee. Our day started out with a 5am wake up call, French press coffee, scones & biscuits. Anyone who knows me knows the way to my heart in the morning is delicious French press coffee. With my eyes barely open I layered up to prepare for the brisk early weather of South Africa.

The best time to spot the magnificent leopards and lions are at dusk. Our handsome ranger Dave was accompanied by Bennett the animal tracker (he had 20 years experience). It was fascinating how Bennett knew every detail about the tracks left behind of each species as well as the sex of these gorgeous creatures.

Londolozi Lions by Beth Shak

The feeling of being so close to a pride of lions, only 2 feet away was breath taking. I felt so honored to be able to combine my love for photography with my love of nature at its best.

After our early morning drive we came back to Granite Camp we were treated to a lavish cold breakfast buffet along with several choices savory warm foods. After eating we were able to nap, work out, get an amazing massage, or explore the grounds at our leisure.

One of my favorite things about the lunch served on our second day was the unique luxury tree house experience.  Called “Tree Tops” atop an actual tree, we were served our food in this romantic private environment. I couldn’t believe how beautiful these tree houses were. Large enough for six adults, these fully furnished tree houses were exceptional! We were actually eating lunch with baboons surrounding us.

At about 4:30pm each day we were taken on another game drive. This time of day was ideal for spotting elephants, giraffes, monkeys and hyenas’.

Maxabeni 3:3 Young Male Leopard by Beth Shak

After showering in the magnificent stone spa-like shower with a glass view into the wilderness, I prepared for dinner. The first night was a delicious dinner in the common area. The second night the crew surprised me with a private dinner in my suite, scattered with rose petals, and a candle lit warm bath drawn for me to unwind.The third night I joined Kate and David for dinner in an elegant wine cellar. There was a variety of wines for us to taste and enjoy. This was a perfect end to the most unforgettable and surreal experiences of my life.

Thanks to Bianca Johnstone at RhinoAfrica for planning this experience. I never have could imagine the supreme quality of this vacation.  Initially I would have never thought going on a safari could be romantic, but was I wrong, this would be the ultimate honeymoon experience.

Written by: Beth Shak (Londolozi Guest)
To follow Beth on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/bethshak or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/beth.shak

Once the hyena was dragged up the tree, he no longer stood any chance.  Instead of being the one to lock his firm jaws around flesh and bones, he now felt the powerful grip of the Maxabeni 3:2 Young Male Leopard around the back of his neck.  Suspended 5 meters up and wailing for assistance from any creature that might hear him, the only other animal that arrived was the Maxabeni 3:3 young Male Leopard.  After one too many stolen kills and aggressive encounters, the Maxabeni Leopard Brothers were now exacting their revenge….

It is hard to surmise precisely why this encounter happened as leopards do not typically hunt, let alone eat, hyenas.  The obvious conclusion suggests the unsuspecting hyena was in the wrong place at the wrong time; suffering the actions of the two brothers who act more confidently than usual when together.  The small, lone hyena stood no chance against the two brutes who opportunistically decided to attack him.  He was an unsuspecting victim in the ecosystem.  But is there a deeper reason as to this aggressive outburst on the side of the Maxabeni brothers?

The hyena population at Londolozi has increased largely over the last 5 years largely owing to the instability of the lion dynamics as well as the growth of the prey species populations.  The increase in competition for food has led to greater conflict than normal between the leopards and hyena.  You will remember our post, Hyenas chase Maxabeni Brothers off a Kill.  Surely these such encounters only add to the leopards’ motive for acting with such aggression towards hyenas?

Maxabeni Leopards Killing a Hyena

The maturity of these two brothers has also crossed through my mind.  Are they at the stage whereby they are now looking to assert themselves dominantly?  Is this the beginning of further conflict between these two predators and even between their own species?  The brothers are still living underneath their mothers care despite being over 24 months of age.  Natural aggressive tendencies and dominant instincts could well be coming forward prominently as they mature each day.

What other reasons do you think contributed to this rare and isolated event between the two brothers and the hyena occurring?  Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Filmed by: John Caden (Londolozi Guest)
Photographed by: Linda Caden (Londolozi Guest)

As we rounded the last corner, the unmistakable sight of a large pride of lions feeding on buffalo carcass greeted us. Nearby, however, was another smaller pride of lions. On closer inspection we discovered that it was one of the Sparta females and the three cubs lying off to the side of the kill, whilst a large portion of the Southern Pride sat feeding on the kill.

There were 9 Southern Pride lions feeding on the buffalo carcass (You will remember this pride bringing down another buffalo in Buffalo Thrills and Lion Kills), yet at this stage there was no sign of the second Sparta female. We sat watching the feeding for some time, with the lions scrapping amongst themselves for the best spot at the feast. Just 30 meters away, the three cubs sat, thin and whining in frustration at not being able to feed. The adult female kept calling for her sister, keeping a close eye on the cubs.

Then, quite unexpectedly, the four of them got up and walked to within ten meters of the feeding, the adult female still calling. We suddenly realized that the second Sparta female was sandwiched in between the 8 members of the Southern Pride, feeding as if one of them! The cubs, particularly the youngest of the three (whose mother was the one feeding) showed amazing courage (or desperation!) and kept trying to somehow sneak in and grab a morsel to eat, getting within meters of the kill before being chased off by the young males of the Southern Pride. As they started to confront the cubs however, the Sparta female who was feeding would hand out a few well placed blows to the lions closest to her in order to protect her cubs. On another occasion, she became engaged in a tussle with one of the young males at the carcass and her sister promptly ran in to her rescue.

After feeding for some time with the others, she simply sat up, walked over to her sister and cubs, greeted them, drank and they all then promptly lay down just a few meters away relaxing.  Later on that day, rangers found the Southern Pride sleeping and the Sparta females and cubs taking a turn feeding on the carcass together!

Southern Pride Drinking

Such interactions amongst different, unrelated prides of lions are almost unheard of. And old saying though, is that animals don’t read the behavioral guides we write. After a while, you begin to expect the unexpected out here.  When looking a little deeper, it was noted that the makeup of this portion of the Southern pride was 5 young males and 3 young females. None of the adult females were present. This seems to be the only logical explanation for the interaction. The Sparta females, although outnumbered, had age, size and experience on their side. The Southern Pride, although possessing strength in numbers, were unconfident without the older females there to help push home their advantage. In the end, the two groups met somewhere in the middle and an awkward truce ensued, where both sides managed to leave with full stomachs.

Written by: David Dampier
Filmed by: Dan Goodwin (Londolozi Guest) & Rich Laburn

In today’s shallow and materialistic world we have forgotten the meaning of loyalty.  Loyalty within the African Bush runs thick, and every now and then as a guide we are allowed to witness such acts – acts that leave both the guide and guest absolutely speechless and at awe.

The Sparta Pride has been on the run for some time now – running to keep the remaining sub-adults out of the Mapogo’s reach. During this time, two of the three lead lionesses strategically split from the pride, to sire the young of the Mapogo and in doing so keep their previous litters safe. The result was that the pride was left to fend for themselves and as such the young needed to grow up, and grow up fast.

Lions chased off kill by buffalo

In a very short period of time, the pride’s young have proven themselves to be extremely skillful at buffalo hunting, and this sighting was an example of an immaculate execution of such a hunt. Without the experience of the 2 adult lionesses, the Sparta Pride has been forced to rely on the power of the young males in the pride to provide.

Having ingeniously split the large herd of buffalo into bulls in the east and cows and calves to the west, the young males could go about isolating and hunting one of the calves in the herd, without the concern of the retaliation of the big bulls.  For the next two and a half hours eighteen guests witnessed in broad daylight an immense and draining battle between two of the most powerful African beasts.

In a dramatic show of loyalty, the cows repeatedly attempted to chase the feeding pride off the carcass, invoking countless aggressive responses from the lions charging after the fleeting herd. This ding dong battle continued for some time, before the bulls, finally, returned stampeding towards the pride, which was now wedged between the bulls and the cows.

Lion killing buffalo with herd attacking

A young male was taught a valuable lesson in buffalo interaction, narrowly escaping disaster twice. The first mistake was climbing a flimsy bush in an attempt to escape the enraged bovines. On this occasion he managed to slip through the herd unscathed, and hid on top of a termite mound – his second and biggest mistake. Completely surrounded by the massive beasts, the panic stricken lion was flicked in the air and was trampled before miraculously squeezing out from under the hooves of the 600kg beasts to safety.

Lion growling at buffalo attacking

The herd returned to the carcass in an emotionally charged scene as the mother of the calf desperately tried to piece the body together, and encourage the young calf to rise to its feet. This continued for some time before, and a bull flicked the carcass in the air in a last desperate attempt to bring the body back to life. There are no words to quantum the loyalty of buffalo.

Buffalo tossing buffalo calf into the air

The sad realization finally set in, and every member of the herd slowly moved past the lifeless calf to pay their respects. And as the cows cast their last hopeful glances back from a distance towards the calf lying alone in Shingalana clearing, one can only imagine the grief experienced as they watched the lions feed.

Filmed by: Bill Bradock (Londolozi Guest) and Freddy Ngobeni
Written and Photographed by: Mike Miller and Graeme Marais

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“All things are ready if our minds be so.” – William Shakespeare

Serendipity is a funny thing…at once exciting yet at the same time a mystery giving us new opportunities when we weren’t looking for them, it wafts in and out of every individual’s life at one or another time.  It is at the heart of Newtonian Theories, the Slinky, Microwave Ovens and Corn flakes.  It is the propensity for making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated….and there has been a lot of it raining down on Londolozi as of late.

Tutlwa Female and Cub Looking through grass

Some drives are spent chasing the dust.  Every animal disappears as you arrive, fresh tracks run you in circles and even the birds seem to ignore you.  This last week has felt much like that every time I have gone to look for the Tutlwa Female’s new cub.  But then there you have other drives which are are spent looking for nothing in particular only for it to offer up a fortunate discovery of something unrelated but significantly better.  This is when you know serendipity is on your side.

Former Londolozi head ranger Oliver Sinclair, his wife Michelle and tracker Solly Mhlongo experienced a moment such as this yesterday.  Bumbling through the area where the Tutlwa female’s new cub was thought to be denned, the trio were looking for birds and instead found the new cub with its mother.  The cub stood up on shaky legs and walked slowly into towards a large boulder.  A few moments later it emerged from underneath the boulder, providing the perfect opportunity to capture the first ever video footage of this new leopard cub on Londolozi.

In 1898 the Kellogs brothers accidently left cooked wheat unattended for a day, rolled the mass to obtain sheet and ended up with a flaky material which became cornflakes.  Percy Spencer noticed his peanut candy bar had melted in his pocket as a result of exposure to radar waves, thus allowing him to invent the microwave oven.  US Navy engineer, Richard T James accidentally knocked a torsion spring off his work table and upon observing its unique motion came up with the Slinky.  All it took was an apple to fall for Isaac Newton to begin musing about the nature of gravitation.  And sometimes not looking for a specific animal leads you right to it…

4 Week Old Leopard Cub

Perhaps this new leopard cub will have a fortuitous life or perhaps it will be a catalyst for breakthrough thoughts amongst those who are fortunate enough to spend time with her.  I know that the luck of the bushveld is never just luck, it is a system of interlaced complexity that affords each and every day to offer new moments of serendipity.  All we have to do is spot them.

Special thanks to Oliver, Michelle and Solly for providing us with this initial footage and to Lucien Beaumont for the photographs.

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It takes time to become as skilful a hunting unit as the South Pride. With many foiled hunts under their belt, the sub adults are finally at the age where they are adding massive value.  Now, the experienced females are no longer alone in hunts and as a result the prides precision has been taken to new levels.

Early last week the pride had been eyeing out the large herd of buffalo since the morning drive, however there was still no kink in the herd’s armour when we returned that afternoon.  We sat with the pride, with the most action coming from a young male who spent the time snoring (along with my guests).  Then a large buffalo bull wandered up the road towards us and the pride.

Neither species paid much notice towards each other at first, until one of the invincible young male lions yawned and tried to sneak behind the bull. Within a few seconds the rest of the pride were observing what was going on, just in case they missed out.  Suddenly the bull became startled, snorted and then turned and ran.  The pride rose in union and began to steadily follow with renewed enthusiasm.

At the bottom of the hill, the pride spotted a portion of the large herd of buffalo heading down to a watering hole for their afternoon drink. Gazing at the herd with killer intent, one could see how they were strategising a massive assault between their pride numbers and epxerience levels. The lead lionesses started to move into position. Not one of the sub adults moved. They watched their older females positioning and when they got the signal they followed suite.

South Pride Lions Chase Buffalo Cow

Patiently waiting until one of the lead lionesses broke rank the rest immediately followed. The buffalo herd panicked, splitting apart and within a heartbeat a small calf had been caught. While the calf was pinned down, the remainder of the pride chased a cow right passed our vehicle. We followed after them and found that the pride had chased the cow into a watering hole. The lions did not follow her into the water, but they circled the pan, eagerly awaiting their next victim. The bellowing of the cow brought a group of big bulls back into the arena and the lions were quickly forced back. What we witnessed next was utterly amazing:

Looking at this video and reviewing the hunt in hindsight my thoughts are these:  The oldest lioness had quickly assessed the buffalo’s assault and realised that with the bulls around there was little hope of luring the cow out of the water. She charged full speed at them and was forced to pull off a killer sidestep before they ran over a tree. This brave move changed the bull’s attention and allowed the rest of the pride to focus in on the cow.

The cow tried once more to charge at the lions in hope of catching up with the rest of the herd but the lions got their 2 inch claws into her face and neck. She retreated back into the water and dragged two of the younger pride members with her. The young lioness held on for dear life and after a battle of 15 or so minutes the cow gave up and the lions drowned her.

Lion with claws in drowned buffalo

Many experts suggest that lions are rather simple, lethargic creatures. However, after seeing such a precise assault, there is a lot more to the strategic thinking of these brutish animals than we give them credit for.  Furthermore, the shifting dynamics with the dominant lion coalitions adds a current angle to the above thoughts on this pride and whether this has played a role in refining their skill as a unit.  What do you think?

Huge credit goes to my guest Anthony Cheng for filming the incredible episode as it unfolded, amidst the rushing and excitement of the hunt and for giving us the footage to use on the blog.

Filmed by: Anthony Cheng (Londolozi Guest)
Written and Photographed by: Mike Miller

Vomba 3-2 Female Leopard Londolozi Game Reserve

We were barely out of camp on the morning of 14 August, when a distinctive white-tipped tail-belonging to an animal crossing the road about 100m ahead of us  appeared in the half light.  On closer inspection we saw it was the Vomba female leopard, whose territory completely surrounds camp.

Vomba 3-2 Female Leopard Territory Londolozi Game Reserve

We began following her into a thicket and a short while later she spotted some impala. However the impala soon moved off into an area too open for her to get close enough for a stalk.  Despite this, her attention was still focused in the drainage line just in front of her and we suspected a scrub hare or possibly common duiker was sheltering in there.

She stalked for about fifteen minutes, often motionless in mid stride for what seemed like an eternity.  Her first attempt was a bit feeble though, and what turned out to be a scrub hare made an easy getaway.  Unfortunately for the hare, the leopard doubled around without it noticing and before long the hare moved straight back into her path.

She sat for a while until a small movement from the hare alerted her to its whereabouts and she pounced.  A short chase ensued but it was all over in seconds.  Prey clasped firmly in her razor sharp teeth, she soon found a soft patch of grass, lit up by the rising sun, and settled in for a well earned early morning snack-a perfect start to the morning!

For more footage of Vomba hunting, take a look at: Vomba Female Hunts Massive African Rock Python.

Filmed by: Roderigo silveira (Londolozi Guest)
Written by: David Dampier

The Kruger had to cull their elephant herds and it was agreed that Londolozi could translocate the calves to a boma, quarantine them for a time then move them to other reserves such as the Pilanesberg. But funds were needed to make this a reality. To that end Dave went to the USA to raise funds from well know celebrities. They donated dollars to “buy” an elephant. It was also agreed that a movie would be made around the darting and transfer of the elephants to Londolozi.  The story was that of a balloon lifting the sleeping calves over the fence to a new home. Cheryl Tiegs was the leading lady.

The shoot went of relatively okay, but every time the balloon was inflated, the wind tended to blow it into the Acacias and puncture it! In fact, apart from Peter Beard (dating Cheryl Tiegs at the time)  walking off into the bush for two days after a tiff, with only the clothes on his back, it was a great success. We made no attempt to search for him as his reputation made us look like zoo guides! He returned none the worse for wear.

The calves were then housed in the boma and it fell to us to assist with their care. What an experience, these poor orphaned elephants, which seemed so vulnerable. We had large bottles of prepared formula and hand fed them. They would rumble and push against us, slowly edging us into the boma fence, where they continued pushing! Mike was very nearly crushed during one feeding session!

Later these elephants were translocated to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve where they formed the nucleus of their elephant population. Unfortunately, as they grew into “teenagers”, they became extremely aggressive. They killed some rhino males in territorial battles and constantly broke out of the park. Eventually some were culled as the final option. It was later deduced that the matriarchal system that governs elephant individual and herd behavior was more influential than ever before realised.

I know I am forgetting so many experiences as I write. Some memories flood back and the others are just too hidden in the recesses of this city boys mind! What I can say is that I had a unique opportunity to share the life of the Varty’s and to – in a small way – contribute to the early conservation ideals of the Londolozi team.

To live in a camp where the emphasis was on keeping an “old time”, raw bush experience going – no electricity, the “us against the wilderness” feeling was magical. But it was fused with the comforts of a luxury safari. Good food, great activities and great rangers! We never really had to try and be happy – it just happened all the time!

Written and Photographed by: Peter Pyburn

A few days ago, one of Londolozi’s guests, Nic Lacgalvis was fortunate enough to witness the Camp Pan male making a spectacular kill in broad daylight.

Although traditionally leopards are known to be nocturnal hunters, they are also extremely adept in the daytime as well…

This video is a great example of the predator dynamics within the Sabi Sands.  Typically an apex predator, such as the Camp Pan male, will make a kill and begin to feed on it.  Once other predators arrive, the leopard will hoist its kills up a tree to evade these scavengers.

This is an incredible sighting to be able to witness and catch on camera.  Well done to Nic.

Filmed by: Nic Lacgalvis

Written by: Rich Laburn

We personally woke guests at 4:30 AM for pre-coffee drinks on the main deck before the early game drive. We took turns in waking the guests each day. Sometimes also rousing a ranger from a young ladies room, where he’d been “protecting” her from the dangerous night life!
We were each assigned a vehicle. There were only three barely-running landies. Pete Arnot worked magic to keep them going. Covered in weld marks, smooth tyres and dashboards from Mad Max with wires hanging down and missing dials! But they gave us such special times!

Prior to driving the GVV to the parking lot, we each had to clean it and check it for reliability! Check what?  It was held together with bloudraad, duct tape (which incidentally formed the major part of the toolkit) and Pete Arnot’s inventions! Nevertheless, Dave did an occasional vehicle check.

After the morning game drive, we returned for breakfast on main deck. Guests and staff all ate together, both on the deck and in the boma. Breakfasts were legend, especially the home baked bread. The spread made the deck groan!

On many occasions we took guests to the river for breakfast and we were quite adept at cooking eggs in a variety of ways!  I had a party of Australian male directors who had a bush breakfast every day. I never cooked a thing!

Some guests and rangers spent time at the only pool, after clearing the night’s before hippo’s, elephants and snakes!  And in hot weather, we often had days of 40 plus degrees, clearing the night’s before ranger’s and young guests!

Game drives were trips of note. The big five were thinly distributed throughout the Sabi Sands reserve. The Kruger Park’s veterinary fence made sure of that! If we saw a leopard once in six-month’s it was quite something. So, when a single. Buffalo was sighted (let alone an elephant), the radio crackled with the directions and extreme low flying was done! Guests were extremely quite during the dash, probably because the wind tore the words from their mouths!  Once on the sighting, we would invariably have to do considerable bush-bashing to get close. Ken Tinley’s bush clearing had just begun, so the habitat was very dense in places.

Written and Photographed by: Peter Pyburn

My room was small to say the least. “Doesn’t matter you’ll not be there much”. I was told. And that was true.  When it rained, which was not often it leaked. When the temperature hit 35 degrees and more, which was often, could not step inside. When the spider and snakes made it a home, which was all the time, you wanted to be outside anyway! And if inside, we shot holes in the roof trying to drive the nasties away.  Across the way and only slightly better in condition were the “senior” ranger rooms. Lex Hes, Ken Maggs and Map Ives.

Orginal Londolozi Donkey Boiler circa 1980

We had a communal outside shower. Like the rest of the camp, there was no electricity except between 4:30 and around 7:00 PM, when we had the guests out on game drives and the generator ran. Hot water came from the donkey. One of us had to ensure that the guy in charge of the boiler did in fact stoke the fire at around 3:30 AM every day!

We shared toothbrushes and shavers and the insects and reptiles that enjoyed a damp climate. Maybe that’s why Mad Mike never shaved – but then he was hairy all over!  And when the water stopped, we had a bucket hung in a tree. After all cleanliness was next to generating tips in a hot GVV!

Main Varty Camp Boma circa 1980

It was unwritten law that you did not retire until you last guest had done so. On a few occasions, when the morning wake up rounds were done, guests and rangers were still to be found in the Boma!  Sometimes the morning wake up was not done at all, because the appointed ranger was still partying in the boma!  Time and again, Dave and John had to point out that guests were paying good money for a professional safari and we should not be so irresponsible!

Written and Photographed by: Peter Pyburn

As a young man barely into my 20’s I was fed up with the drinking, fast cars and partying life I was leading. I had an unfinished legal degree and was running a mobile discotheque as a business. I felt like I was stuck on the records I was playing at parties!

One Monday I made an appointment to see the Londolozi boss in Auckland Park for an interview. I had some bush experience through a close friend who had a camp In the Klaserie reserve, where I had been fortunate enough to spend considerable study vacation time!

I was introduced to Dave and John, sitting feet up on a desk, in the most untidy and cramped office I had ever seen. “Good morning, my name is Peter Pyburn and I’m here…” I started.
“I see you went to KES”, Dave cut me short.
“ Yes”, I replied, “great school and you?”
“Parktown”, said John. And that was that! The interview deteriorated into a free-for-all as to which school was the best at cricket. No testing of any bush lore. No testing of any mechanical skills. No testing of people skills. Just an offer to join the camp at a salary of R104 per month, board and lodging provided. I left with a job, starting in four days!

Friday saw me in Skukuza after a flight in a Dakota which had to power-up the engines to fly over the power stations cooling stacks en-route from Johannesburg! Then a true beauty – Veronica – approached me to enquire if I was the new ranger? Shoo, if this was a dream let it never end! We climbed into a small white Triumph car. ”I’m going into Skukuza, so I’ll drop you insider the reserve and they’ll pick you up soon”, Vee said. And there I sat, on a large rock inside the Sabi Sands reserve. And sat. And sat. I played on my guitar, smoked my pipe and patiently waited. What if no one arrived? Was this my first test?

Eventually a somewhat worse-for-wear landy appeared. And sitting, again with feet up on the dashboard, was John. Driving was “Mad Mike” Penman. Seriously, I had just made this monumental decision to drop the Johannesburg partying life and here was one of the architects of propping up a bar counter, in the bush picking me up!

“Can you drive a GVV?” asked John.
“Sure,” I replied (having driven a landy before). I climbed into the driver seat and set off. Nothing was said for at least ten minutes.

Perhaps because I was bouncing the landy off the ground over the storm water humps and virtually doing two wheel turns on the track!
“China, if that’s how you drive guests, better you get out now and go back to Skukuza”, John cuttingly commented.   Mike was roaring with laughter in the back!  I slowed to the customary crawl and on we went.

On the way I had my ranger pre-FAGASA test! “Pretend you’re a game drive and we are the guests”, said John.  I did, describing the animals, birds and insects I could identify. I passed, although was told I needed to learn a lot more bush lore if I wanted tips!

We arrived at the lodge. From what I could see, it consisted of four rondavels, a reception/come office along a wooden walkway and a lovely thatched lounge with a large deck jutting into the Sand River.

“Let’s see if you can shoot”, said John handing me a rifle. “See that Marula? Put a hole in it”.  I took aim and pulled the trigger. I remember lying on my back in the dirt!  My shoulder felt broken. John and Mike were again crying with laughter. Yes, I had been given the .458 Elephant gun! Yes, the Marula had a sizeable chunk blow from its trunk. And yes, I had passed one of the rookie tests!

Written and Photographed by: Peter Pyburn