The past few weeks have been the turning point for me as I officially welcome back my winter gloves . The mornings have turned cold now and with each passing day the bush seems to thin out a little more. Visibility is improving, the air feels crisper, and there’s that familiar sense that winter game viewing is beginning to gather momentum (even though we are actually in June).
Lions have been everywhere.
The dynamics at the moment feel particularly exciting with an extraordinary number of different individuals moving through Londolozi. The Gijima Males continue to dominate conversations after a measured but successful interaction with the Nwaswitshaka Males, who seemingly used experience over outright aggression. The Msuthlu Pride also appears to be entering an interesting period as some of the older subadults edge closer to the age where independence and pressure begin to creep in. The Ntsevu lionesses have been seen regularly, too, and it will be fascinating to see whether another breeding cycle lies ahead.
Leopards, meanwhile, have remained beautifully elusive, and the team has continued putting in long hours tracking these incredible cats. The Tinxiya Female, as per usual, found a way into the frame once again. Not that I need much convincing.
Elsewhere, the Sand River continues to drop and with that comes the quiet optimism that we may soon have all three crossings back in action. Finfoot in particular has started calling my name again… although history suggests that enthusiasm and confidence there should always be approached with caution, well, at least for some of us…
Large elephant herds continue to provide unforgettable moments and watching calves play never seems to lose its charm. Add in a spectacular sighting of the Hlambela Male and a wonderfully poised vervet monkey and this week delivered a little bit of everything.
Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
A stunning sighting as we watched the Gijima males march confidently towards the distant roars of the Nwaswitshaka males
He really is a powerful looking male lion. This was taken just before he met up with his blonder brother as they continued to march southwards.
The Msuthlu pride were at their very best as they played in an open clearing on some fallen over trees. The sky line behind them make it that much better! Hues of purple, blue and orange set the sky alight.
Lions as we all know can sleep 18/20 hours a day on certain occasions and so moments like this afternoon are to be treasured and enjoyed.
A bull giraffe walks through a clearing just before sunrise. Its always a mad scramble in the early hours of the morning to remove your gloves to allow you to take a quick snap of a beautiful moment…
One of the Msuthlu lionesses watches over the younger more playful members of the pride.
A elephant cow sways in the wind as she feeds on the remaining green shoots of grass. This particular shot had very harsh light coming through and so an easy option to try a black and white version.
The Nkumati coalition having sired off spring with the Munghen pride have really had a productive few months. They have added a interesting dynamic to the coalitions found in the Sabi Sands.
This zebra reminded me of a farmer with his strand of grass hanging out his mouth.
A magical morning with the Wild Dogs as we followed them. We all appreciated the warm rays of the sun!
Hues of gold and green as the Wild Dogs ran alongside us. It never ceases to amaze me how much ground these animals can cover in a short space of time.
One of what we think is Makathini’s cubs rests on a termite mound after having an awfully close run in the Munghen pride. Its such great news to have this female and her offspring around again!
The Dark maned Gijima male meets my eye line after a busy morning.
This young calf was full of energy after an unusually hot day. It was at that awkward age where it still struggled to use its trunk to suck up water and so it kept shoving its entire face in the river much to the enjoyment of itself and our vehicle.
Comfortably my favourite shot of the bunch as I got to spend an incredible morning with the Tinxuya female.
A confident and curious young leopard, that is nearing independence after a remarkable start to life alongside her resilient mother.
After ascending and descending a few Marula trees in the general vicinity she finally picked a spot to rest and soak up some sun.
I really hope she never loses her light blue eyes! With all the lions about Tinxiya will have her work cut out for her as she continues to find her feet.
This Hippo bull wasn’t too appreciative of us driving past his water hole. An endless amount of respect for these animals.
Bryce and Freddy pulled off a master class as they tracked and found the Shingi Male, after which he decided to survey the surrounding area from this beautiful tree. What a morning!
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
Playing with composition, we decided to take a few from quite a distance and then naturally a few from a bit closer. I have a knot in my stomach about this incredible young male and his pending nomadic phase…
White backed Vultures stacked together on this dead tree.
This young Vervet Monkey was full of confidence as he clambered around this Jackalberry. These animals and their distress calls have become increasingly helpful as we search for the elusive spotted cats.
An incredible afternoon with the relaxed Hlambela Male who I quite literally nearly walked into when tracking off in the bush. You can imagine my surprise when I gazed up to see this beautiful male three meters from me lying on a warm rock. Not a hiss, growl or snare. I backed off slowly and sprinted back to my Land Rover trying to gulp down air and explain to my guests the sighting that was about to unfold!
An impressive male, appearing as a rising force in the north. Making a name for himself by pushing other males out.
With a face full of sun the Hlambela Male pauses to gaze at some distant impala. Fingers crossed we see more of this male because he is such an incredible male to spend time with!
We spent the next two hours eyes glued to this male as he moved around with an air of confidence that only male dominant male leopards can exude. Towards the end of the sighting a herd of impala came running through as he narrowly missed catching one no more than 15 meters from our vehicle.
0 Comments
on The Week in Pictures #758