Take a break and go on go on Safari!

JEK

Senior Insider
From a blog I subscribe to
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Dear John
It seems that as the pendulum swings past the middle of summer and the days start to shorten, there is still a time and a place for cute, small creatures to steal the show! The beginning of summer is usually when the height of the breeding season occurs, but we have seen some fantastic sightings where the young have been a highlight.

Watching the birth of a buffalo calf was an obvious highlight for those of us who were lucky enough to witness it! It is always mind-blowing to see how calm the rest of the herd, and particularly the mother, is during this whole process! From the moment when we first noticed the birth starting, it took no longer than 30 minutes, and only about 12 minutes for the calf to learn to stand on very wobbly legs! This is an obvious necessity, as the calf needs to be able to follow the herd and its mother as soon as possible, in order to have the protection of the herd from predators. For a short video of the calf finding its feet, please click here.





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Another bonus for our guests was the discovery of a hyena den. Hyenas are always a bit of an anomaly in the bush, as they fascinate us so much, but at the same time are often falsely ridiculed, as they steal food from other predators. This all changes, however, when watching at a den site! It doesn’t matter which species it is, but youngsters are always just so adorable, and this is no different with hyena.



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Elephant, however, are always a favourite species, and when there are youngsters around, time seems to fly as everyone loves sitting for hours watching these playful, cheeky creatures discover their environment, and learn all things elephant!



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Tlangisa’s two cubs are growing well and, although we have not seen them recently as much as we have in the past, the pleasure is always great when we do find them! Like most cats, leopards generally do not enjoy water, but one of the cubs either missed that class, or was in the process of learning that lesson when she apparently decided to chase some small fish caught in a shrinking pond. She seemed completely unperturbed by the water and returned into it a number of times for more fishing efforts! Not surprisingly she was unsuccessful, so she later decided to chase her sister instead!

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Cuckoos are infamous for their parasitic behaviour and for laying their eggs in other nests when the hosts aren’t looking, forcing them to raise the chick instead of the cuckoo doing it! A few of our guests were fortunate enough to witness the chick of a Great-spotted Cuckoo being fed by its host parent, which was a Burchell’s Starling. It still baffles me how the host does not realise something is not right…

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The regular game viewing has been spectacular, as everyone has come to expect, it seems! We briefly mentioned earlier in the blog how relaxed the breeding herds of elephant have become and there is very little that can beat the exhilaration and sheer overwhelming sensation of being surrounded by a herd of these behemoths. Time really seems to stand still, but at the same time fly by while watching the herd go about their business, and it is very easy to spend hours in their company.





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There has been some very interesting lion activity over these past two weeks, especially from the Majingilane coalition, who have been present on our concession for much of the time. One or more of the Ottawa females must be in season, and there has been a lot of competition between them for the rights to the females.

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When a stray impala runs into four male lions and is killed, brotherly love also goes out of the window! The amount of meat on an impala is not enough for four males, and so the fighting is intense for the remains of the kill! It is somewhat amusing to see the struggles between the brothers. It seems that once you have a grip on the carcass, it is too risky to let go to eat, as it might be ripped from your grasp. This results in much growling as they all grip onto the kill, and then end up with no feeding for some time, as a game of patience ensues. Eventually, one tries to pull free and a bit of tug-of-war takes place, resulting either in the carcass being split, or a return to the state of growling with no feeding!



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The Ximungwe pride seems to be relaxing a little, as the short-tailed female appears to be pregnant and this might make them more at ease, in that the Majingilane coalition may no longer be interested in killing the previous cubs. These cubs are now 2 years and 4 months old, so hopefully out of harm’s way. It seems that the adults feel this, and are no longer doing their marathon walks up and down our western boundary, but are settling down more in the central areas of their territory and not moving about so much.

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Our leopard viewing continues as it has always been… fantastic! What is always interesting to see is the dynamics between territorial males. The Dewane male has now recovered completely from the injury to his front left foot, although there is still some swelling. He has thus regained some confidence and is pushing Nyelethi much further east, out of our concession. He is walking around with much more conviction and regaining what he lost during his injury.

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Kashane is also still extremely dominant and holds a very large territory, most of which is east of us. He does, however, come on regular patrols through our south and east and is still a striking and fierce-looking male, even though he is starting to show signs of being in some major battles over territory and females.

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Kashane’s son, the Ravenscourt male, is one of the two young nomadic males that are remaining quiet in the south, patiently waiting for maturity and size to grow before they challenge for their own territory. It is easy to see the difference between a young male, still free of the scars of battle, and the condition of the older, dominant males, which are constantly defending their territory. Ravenscourt is particularly handsome and the genes of Kashane are clear to see.

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The Torchwood male is the second of the nomadic males and is also seen regularly. He is often found in trees, as he seems to be more comfortable resting high up. Perhaps this is because he has come from far afield, and unlike Ravenscourt, does not have the luxury of being in his father’s territory.

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The females are also doing well, but not seen as often as the males. Scotia seems to be moving around quite a bit, but is avoiding prominent paths and roads. It has been difficult to tell where exactly she is spending most of her time, as she seems to move through her territory without leaving many signs and she is often just ‘bumped’ into as she crosses the road. The thick vegetation also makes it more difficult to find these females.

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Tlangisa’s cubs were mentioned earlier, and she herself remains a favourite leopard in her own right. Unfortunately, she is still firmly cemented in her territory in the north, so it is always quite a trek to get up to her, but nevertheless well worth it!



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The male cheetah has been coming around fairly frequently and is often found on large termite mounds scanning his surroundings, or on the move. At this time of year, with the grass being as long as it is, when the cheetah decide to lie down for a rest during the heat of the day, it is virtyally impossible to find them!

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The pack of wild dog has also been on our concession quite often lately and has provided fantastic action. These animals, however, are notoriously difficult to follow when on the move, and even more so at this time of the year when the vegetation is so thick. When chasing prey at up to 60 km/h (37 miles/h) for distances up to 2 kms or 1,2 miles at a time, it is very tough to follow. So when the whole pack comes out onto the river bed and stops for a short while, the opportunity to photograph these tricky animals is too good to pass up!

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The general game has provided some great viewing inbetween the excitement of the high profile animals, and it is always fun to stop and look at the less obvious treasures that nature has to offer. A monkey eating a chameleon, two young male giraffe sparring, or the crocodiles and hippo resting during the heat of the day are always favourites of our guests.

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Some interesting birds have also been seen lately - from the rare and beautiful, such as this Cuckoo Finch to the stark, deathly patience of the White-backed Vultures.

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We have been blessed with some spectacular sunsets of late, and this is how we leave you until we bring you more updates of life at Savanna in the next blog.



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With warm wishes
Paddy and The Savanna Team
www.savannalodge.com
SAVANNA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE FOR THE ULTIMATE SAFARI EXPERIENCE
Copyright © Photographs taken by Paddy Hagelthorn, Neil Whyte,
David Wilson and Daniel Fincham​
 
These photos are gorgeous! Those leopard photos are stunning! Such magnificent cats! I would love to go on a photo safari; unfortunately I don't think there are enough drugs to get me on a 18 hour plane ride. ;) I will have to live vicariously through beautiful photos!
 
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