We’ve set up a camera trap in the deep south of Londolozi, as a few days ago trackers Jerry Hambana and Rob Hletswayo discovered a veritable city of aardvark activity down there. Tracks led back and forth between a number of termite mounds, some of the tracks piping hot, having been made literally a couple of hours before. This came right on the heels of Malvin Sambo’s brief viewing of one of these elusive animals only the day before. To put this into perspective, I have seen a pangolin four times here (pangolins are considered by many South Africans to be the holy grail of wildlife sightings), but I have never seen an Aardvark. In fact only two have been seen in the five years I have been here, and and I think maybe only one in the 10 years before that. They are certainly here, and there are quite a few of them, as regular tracks all over the property show, but they only come out in the dark of night and in this area are very, very shy.
I have seen half an aardvark, but that certainly doesn’t count, as it was up in a tree and being devoured by the Makhotini male leopard.
The camera trap was deployed at a termite mound that seemed the most active, and in a week or so we will be heading down there to see if it has captured any images of this fascinating animal. So far our “In Search of the Otter“ series has yet to turn up an otter photo, so in a sneaky attack while she is on leave, we are hoping to steal a march on Andrea Campbell and capture a photo of an aardvark before she gets one of an otter. Place your bets…
That will be a post for a week or two’s time. For now, enjoy this Week in Pictures…
In a similar way to the oft-photographed salt flats in Bolivia, the Londolozi airstrip can allow one unique opportunities to play with perspective and distortion, as this rather large looking Crowned Lapwing proves with the giraffes in the background. A much wider depth of field would probably have been more effective for some photographic trickery. Next time… f4.5, ISO 320, 1/3200s
After being chased off their attempted buffalo kill by the Matimba males in the sighting we posted about earlier this week, five of the Mhangeni lions headed south to get out of danger. We followed them hunting on the open clearings in the central parts of the reserve, but all being young lions, their over-eagerness and lack of experience was evident as they botched a number of hunting opportunities. Here ranger Callum Gowar enjoys the sighting with his guests as the sun sinks swiftly. f2.8, ISO 800, 1/1000s
Not a particularly great photo, but the subject matter is what makes it unusual. A deadly vine snake, who was spotted in remarkable fashion by tracker Life Sibuyi. Vine snakes, or twig snakes as they have been known, are some of the most camouflaged snakes on earth. Look at the colouration of the snake and compare it to the bark of the tree. Then imagine trying to spot it from about thirty metres while moving at 20 miles an hour in a car. Life’s unbelievable powers of sight revealed not one but two of these beautiful snakes engaged in copulation. f3.2, ISO 1000, 1/500s
This Tsalala lioness was moving away from the Matimba males and attempting to find the rest of her pride. She made her way very slowly along the riverbank, teasing us with the promise of a crossing, but we eventually had to leave her fast asleep in the shade of a river bushwillow tree. f3.2, ISO 640, 1/640s
After searching all morning for the Mhangeni pride and trying to make sense of their tracks that had gone up and down, backwards and forwards, they were eventually bumped by ranger Tom Imrie at one of our river crossings. They soon settled down on the rocks for the day. f3.2, ISO 500, 1/1250s
With the heat of summer a constant, hyenas will often take to waterholes and pans to cool themselves down. This one, along with two companions, was using the pan at Ximpalapala Koppie as a convenient wallow. f2.8, IS0 320, 1/1250s
A smaller hyena that was accompanying the one above. I slowed the shutter speed down in this photo to create the blurred effect in the background. f18, ISO 320, 1/30s
A tree squirrell emerges from it’s leadwood home. The black in the background is charred ground on a firebreak we recently burned. f4, ISO 320, 1/3200s
The cattle egret is reported to be the most widespread bird in the world, with populations found on every continent except Antarctica. f5.6, ISO 320, 1/5000s
Guides and guests gather under a homely Tamboti tree in the African night to drink G&Ts and listen to the evening calls of the African wilderness. f4.5, ISO 800, 2s
With the dry conditions persisting, waterholes are at low levels, and this elephant calf was really forced to stretch out in order to get enough to drink. f3.5, ISO 200, 1/1600s
Helmeted guineafowl are often overlooked in South Africa as they are relatively common birds around big cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg, but they are an important part of bushveld life as well. Beautiful in their own right, they will alarm call at predators, and many times we have found leopards moving through the undergrowth as a result of the warning the guineafowls have given each other. f2.8, ISO 800, 1/800s
Buffalo thorn trees tend to get unceremoniously hammered by elephants during the dry parts of the year. Favouring the roots and the cambium lower down the trunk, the elephants will often smash up a whole tree for relatively little food reward. This young bull obviously really liked the taste of this branch. f5.0, ISO 500, 1/4000s
Like the hyena a few pictures up, elephants will also make use of mud wallows, although to a much greater extant than the hyenas will. The mud serves as a protection against the sun’s rays, also helping them rid themselves of ticks and other ectoparasites. f4.5, ISO 320, 1/3000s
A young male lion from the Mhangeni pride slowly wakes up as evening falls… f2.8, ISO 800, 1/250s
The young Tsalala lioness has mated multiple times with the Matimba males, but as yet she is not showing signs of being pregnant, although she is certainly at an age at which she can conceive… f3.5, ISO 640, 1/800s
Great to see some animals and snakes not normally shown in WIP. However the baby elephant at the waterhole is my favourite.
Great pics and I also agree with Mike…..I love that baby ellie!!! They are the cutest!!!!! Thanks for info and pics!!!
Has it been raining recently?
Hi David,
Not very much I regret to say. A couple of the photos have vivid green backgrounds as they were taken in or near the river, where the riparian vegetation remains green for the most part.
It is raining as I type this, but only a light drizzle..
Great pictures James! The elephant calf is my favourite…so cute. The cattle egret is also fantastic, with such close up detail on the feathers. I hope you get some rain there soon — the water levels look really low!
I also love the baby elephant!