It almost seems like the bush has accelerated during lockdown, with the sightings coming thick and fast, and the hardest thing being deciding where to go.
The problem is you never know what you are missing out on elsewhere, and with a few kilometres between sightings sometimes, one needs to commit to a specific animal(s) or tracking effort.
The pack of two wild dogs was found late this morning, quite close to camp, and although I didn’t see them myself, I know exactly where I am going this afternoon. The female is heavily pregnant (very early in the year) so we are going to keep a close watch on her movements while she and her partner are around.
While I go and do that, enjoy this Week in Pictures…
Some of you may have watched our social media video of when the Ntsevu Pride were found on a wildebeest kill. At one point, the two Birmingham males became very aggressive towards one another and had a proper tussle. This photo was taken of one of them immediately after the fight, and one can clearly see injury to his bottom lip.
A hooded vulture, hoping to scavenge some food from the lions’ kill, decides it would be safer to simply have a drink for the meantime,
Mopane worms are the caterpillar stage of an emperor moth. They got their name because of their propensity for feeding on the leaves of the Mopane tree, although the trees don’t occur at Londolozi, so the caterpillars have to make do with other options.
This elephant bull has been hanging around the central parts of the reserve, south of the Maxabene River. Although he is young and none too impressive size-wise, his tusks are pretty big for a bull that is probably not yet past his twenties.
Bark Spiders are named for their amazing camouflage, that blends them in perfectly with the bark of trees where they choose to spend their day. They re-weave their webs every night and re-ingest them before dawn to save the protein. This one either had something wrong with her, as she seemed pretty lethargic, or she was simply late getting to the safety of the trees.
Londolozi’s most numerous in front of Londolozi’s – and the world’s – tallest. An impala ram stands ruminating while a giraffe feeds on Tamboti trees in the background.
These tree squirrels had been alarming intensely only a few minutes before, and we were scouring the area for a predator as a result. Eventually they stopped making a noise, which led us to believe that either whatever they had seen had moved on, or they had simply been chattering at each other, which they are well known to do.
Evening clouds roll across the Londolozi savanna.
The Makomsava female is probably the most regularly viewed leopard north of the Sand River. “Regular” is a loose term though, as we’ll sometimes go a couple of weeks without a confirmed sighting of her.
The only surviving cub of the Nanga female, currently territorial north of Marthly.
Zebras take advantage of the good grazing while it’s still around; in a few months the grass will have browned even more, become brittle and relatively nutrient poor.
Pete Thorpe (foreground) lines up some photos of the Ntsevu pride as they finish the remains of a wildebeest they took down.
A hyena lifts its head from where it was trolling it underwater next to a hippo carcass. A number of the clan here were submerging their heads and trolling them around; possibly looking for morsels they might have dropped. If anyone has a better explanation, I’m all ears…
The main thing photographs can’t capture from sightings like these is the noise (and the smell). The air was filled with eerie whoops, crunches and splashes as the clan squabbled over what remained of the carcass.
The Ximungwe female gracefully descends from a marula tree. A wider angle can sometimes be more effective in situations like this, as it emphasises the scale of the environment, as well as the leopard’s place in it.
A herd of elephants use the last of the light to snatch a drink. The evening was cloudy and it was almost dark, so trying to get tac-sharp photos would have been impossible without pushing the ISO to unacceptably grainy levels. Instead we opted to play around with slightly slower shutter speeds, which aimed to strike a balance between freezing some elephants whilst capturing motion blur in others.
Love the picture of the Makomsava female, the Mopane worms and the clouds over the savanna. I always thought Mopane worms only fed on Mopane leaves. Interesting to see they feed on other trees aswell.
thank heavens for another wonderful start of the day. Here the north wind is howling and a chilly Good Friday. How great to have all these photos comme to visit. I think the moths are wonderful, never seen them before, but I am fairly sure my grandmother had an Easter bonnet that resembled them a bit. One can never have enough elephants or leopards and even the enormous pride of lions. I had not thought about the lack of noise, but you are right, there are always noises in the bush. Thank you and Happy Easter. Stay safe. Victoria
Enjoyable blog as always. Of particular interest was the sighting of the wild dog (pack of two) heavily pregnant female and her ever present male companion. Is this female missing an ear? These two touch my heart and am hoping that you managed to catch up with them. Looking forward to future updates. Many thanks, stay safe and be well.
The Birmingham male is an impressive shot.
Has the Lockdown had a significant impact on Wildlife in the overall Kruger or is it much too early to tell?
Hi Ian, still very early days but I doubt it will have much impact at all. Business as usual for most of the animals out here…
Is there any indication as to the cause of death for the hippo?
Unfortunately not, it was found when it was already half consumed.
Loved the photo of the Ximungwe female leaping down from the tree! What athleticism and grace! Choosing the wide angle lens was a great idea!
James, I especially liked the photo of elephant, and the herd elephants, liked the sunset, and the leopard, and the leopard in the tree, and the squirrels 🤗. I saved them all in pictures!
James some excellent photos. I liked the Elephant bull. Very majestic. Also the Hyena with the mud face. Nice capture
Hello James, Beautiful pictures! I especially liked the ones on the hyenas! It would be fantastic if the wild dog couple settle down and make a den at Londolozi! If they do they have probably heard the rumour that their is very good food at Londolozi! 😉
One can only dream about it!
I have two questions, Do you see honey Badgers sometimes? Isen’t it the mating season for black mambas now? Do you see them now and then?
Looking forward to your answer! Thank you for this week in pictures!
Beautiful images. Reflecting on the imagery and the meditations of the past week and using each with one another.
Lovely TWIP James. My favourite is the Ximungwe female descending the tree, beautifully captured.
I think, of this week’s TWIP, my favorite photo was of the evening clouds over the Londolozi savanna.
It seems a well rounded TWIP, from the stunning portrait of the young elephant bull framed in the greenery to the hyena trolling next to the carcass, a term I’ve not heard previously. I so appreciate your bringing the residents of Londolozi to us even more so during these difficult times. I know I’m riding along on your virtual safaris everyday you take one. Thanks so much!!
James – Thank you so much for your stories. They are giving me much-needed access to nature in these pandemic ‘days of our lives’ being self-quarantined in my apartment in New York City. Question for you – I was fascinated by the hyenas eating the hippo. Perhaps it can’t be known, but do you think the hyenas took down the hippo? I wasn’t aware they could do that if that was the case…
Hi Eve, it’s certainly possible, but if that was the case the Hippo would most likely have been injured or ill already. For hyenas to even think about taking on a healthy hippo when there are much safer food options available is highly unlikely. The fact that it was in a small pan suggests that it had been forced out of a bigger one, which may well have involved some physical conflict and subsequent injury.
Having seen crocodiles battling to tackle a hippo carcass at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie, I wonder if the hyenas were sticking their heads under water to see if there was an easy way in, to feed? The crocs were battling to get through the hide.
As a writer, I’m interested that all the guides refer to the two wild dog as a “pack.” Is that the technically correct term? It seems more like they are a “couple.” Let’s hope they have pups and form a bigger pack!
The elephant bull in that picture, to me, was huge! When I read that he was young and not very large I thought, no way! So, I will live in my belief, from the picture, that the bull elephant was humongous and, I, having never been to South Africa, nor on a safari, know more than you!
What a terrific capture of one of the injured Birmingham males! A friend posted a recent image of one of the brothers who looked pretty rough due to age and a lifetime of past battles.
It is nice to get Londolozi’s blogs in a time like this. Reading your texts and looking at the pictures, I can dream of visiting your wonderful camps again – one day, as soon as these horrible virus problems are finished. The first thing after this lockdown here in Europe – as soon as traveling is possible again- is to book a flight to South Africa and connecting flights to my favorite places there.
what are the names of the Birmingham males?
Would this aggression be due to the females as well?
nice pictures
Hi Adriel,
I have no idea of their names, but I’m sure they’ll be on a Facebook group somewhere…
Best regards
How many Birmingham males are left?
Only two
Amazing set of images this week!! That shot of the Makomsava Female has an incredible atmosphere and I also love the elephant herd drinking in monochrome.