Having received a decent amount of rain last week, my hopes were high that we’d start to see an end to the dry season. However, a week-long spell of sweltering, dry weather which we are still experiencing now has begun to scorch what moisture might have settled on the land. This year’s dry season still seems to have a firm grip over Londolozi as we patiently wait to break through towards more consistent rains. This is no cause for concern at this point as these dry spells prove to be cyclical and I have no doubt the rains will cover us in the next short while.
Despite the extended dry conditions, the game viewing has still been fantastic. While elephants have in fact proven quite difficult to find, we were lucky that our only two sightings of them were rather picturesque in the late afternoon light in the Sand River. The Mother Cheetah and her cubs continue to be a highlight both for our guests and us as guides and trackers. Those of you who have spent any time here will know how few and far between cheetah sightings can be let alone the regular views we’ve been lucky to get of these young cubs.
Leopard viewing, as always, has been great. The Nkoveni Female and her remaining young male that she’s raising still make up the bulk of our leopard sightings. A couple brief views of the colossal Maxims Male last week were a reminder of not only his impressive size but how wide his territory really extends and continues to grow. An interesting find, which Kirst and I both unfortunately missed, was a trio of leopards found in the deep southern corner of Londolozi; the Nweti Male was mating with both the Mashaba Female and Ndzanzeni Female at the same time! Rather interesting behaviour that I haven’t heard of before (blog on this to follow soon). Lions have been a bit more scarce than their spotted relatives. The Kambula Pride were only seen less than a handful of times over the last 10 days or so while the Ndzhenga Males proved to be even more elusive with only one appearance.
We wait with bated breath for this heat wave to pass and the rains to settle in. But, in the meantime, here are a few snapshots of the last week through the lens of Kirst Joscelyne and myself.
Let us know your favourites in the comment section below.
Enjoy this week in pictures…
The mother cheetah is still doing well raising her three young cubs in the western reaches of the reserve. While walking through the open grasslands she ran up onto this rock as a vantage point to scan her surroundings. Fortunately for us, there was a dazzle of zebra behind us which caught her attention briefly to capture both her ears and eyes pointing directly towards the camera.
Sean Zeederberg positions himself for the perfect shot of a pair of elephants crossing the Sand River one afternoon. Despite the recent rains we’ve had, the elephants are still largely concentrated around the river.
This picture doesn’t quite convey the feeling of having a lion roar towards you – however, it certainly allows you to imagine it. The two Ndzhenga Males are still doing well in securing the territory of the Ntsevu and Kambula Prides and keeping rival males at bay.
This very full hyena walked towards us early one morning. We were still coming up the crest so was able to capture her at eye level. The scars on her face certainly tell a story.
A mother elephant pauses for a drink in the Sand River while her calf nurses. While elephants have appeared to be few and far between over the last while, the river is always a reliable spot to search for them.
The silhouette of a Saddle-billed Stork after the sun had set. You can just see the gap in the storks bill.
The return of the migrant Wahlberg’s Eagle is also an exciting time in the summer months as breeding pairs return to previous nesting sites to raise offspring once more.
The Maxims Male marches his way past us on a territorial patrol. He’s an incredible specimen of a leopard and certainly in his prime, holding one of the largest territories I’ve seen in the Sabi Sand.
Fairly skittish male that is presumed to have come from the Kruger National Park.
The Nkoveni Female has certainly been through some challenges while raising her latest litter. Here on a bank while backlit she turned towards where her remaining cub played. You can see the wound on her back leg from her altercation with the Kambula Pride where unfortunately her one cub was killed. Fortunately for her, the Young Male and she managed to escape. The wound is superficial and is healing well.
A gorgeous female who is found to the east of camp. Easily recognised by her 2:2 spot pattern she is often to be found in Marula trees.
Lion vs buffalo in a sighting is often an adrenaline-filled sighting. This very large herd of buffalo came across the sleeping Kambula Pride and soon formed a wall as they approached them. With little chat of hunting them by the sheer numbers of the buffalo united together they eventually chased off the lions.
One of the oldest female leopards that we currently view. The Nhlanguleni Female now 13 and a half years of age rests on a termite mound. The characteristic pink nose with dark spots makes her easily recognisable.
Initially skittish she spent a lot of time in the Sand River, now relaxed she makes up the majority of leopard viewing west of camp.
A peaceful scene on the banks of the Sand River one afternoon. Take a closer look at how small the elephant calf is, next to the adult in the bottom left. I’d estimate that calf to be no more than 6 weeks old.
The characteristic red eye of the Reed Cormorant captures the morning sun
One of the cheetah cubs perched itself on this boulder. I love the lichen on the rock before with the soft winter tones of the grass behind it.
While walking through an open area the Nkoveni Female and her son flushed out a small scrub hare from the cover of a guarri bush. Suddenly, the two of them ran after it. The young male managed to catch it (briefly) before dropping it and the scrub hare managing to run off to safety.
A gorgeous female who is found to the east of camp. Easily recognised by her 2:2 spot pattern she is often to be found in Marula trees.
Vibrant photos, Chris. I found the cormorant and cheetah especially appealing.