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Greetings from Bush Lodge.
Little rain fell during the month of March and so the bush is starting
to take on the typical yellowish-brown hues of winter. Some of the trees
have already begun to drop their leaves around the camp and the Grounds
men are having a busy time of it, between the watering and raking! Out
in the bush, Piet and his team have started on the checking and repairing
of the water pipelines which run up to 3-in-a-row Pan and Cheetah Plain
Pan, so that these water points can be kept full through the dry winter
months. The crib at Bush Lodge is starting to see more activity and
elephants are visiting most days. On one occasion we even enjoyed the
rare visit during lunch of a breeding herd of elephants, with some very
young calves present. Some new residents around the camp are 3 'dagga'
boys (buffalo bulls) who have settled into the drainage line in front
of Chalet No and are regularly seen drinking at the crib during the
day. Also present are a waterbuck herd and some impalas that seldom
wander far away. An unusual sighting at the crib on a number of evenings
has been a group of 4 hippos - two adults along with 2 juveniles. As
it is rare to get a good view of these enormous animals outside of water,
their presence in the spotlight has been much appreciated by all.
The mystery has possibly been solved as to why our lions have been so
absent lately. Both females from the Sandy Patch Pride have borne cubs!!
The one female's cubs look to be around 3 months old and the others'
a little younger. Although we are incredibly excited about this discovery,
the rangers are allowing the cubs and their moms' lots of time alone
until they grow a little older. All fingers are crossed that they survive.
Due to the much-reduced presence of lions in the area during March,
our leopard and cheetah sightings have increased dramatically. Both
'Kalkol' and "White Cloth' female leopards have been seen with
their cubs on a number of occasions and some guests were fortunate to
see "Newington" male kill a waterbuck calf right in front
of them! The cheetah family is also still in the area, although the
cubs are starting to spend more and more time alone, leading us to believe
that it won't be long before they leave her completely.
In the camp, Kim and Chris travelled to the UK to visit Kim's family
for a fortnight. Their timing was perfect, as they arrived during heavy
snowfalls and freezing temperatures - needless to say we all had a giggle
at their expense as we sweltered in the heat. But they enjoyed the change
in climate and scenery and had a great time catching up on all the family
news. Sean came to fill in as a guide for a few weeks whilst they were
away and Sue also enjoyed a break in Johannesburg before returning to
continue as our current student.
We've had a number of honeymoon couples during the month and we extend
congratulations to Alistair & Hannah, Hiroshi & Sashi and Stephen
& Zoë. May you all enjoy wonderful futures together.
With warm wishes until next month,
Liane and the Bush Lodge Team.
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Easter came very early this year but we still had some lovely goodies
for all the guests and staff. We did not see to much rain over the month
so the dam is drying up rapidly at the moment.
Early one morning Nelly, one of our housekeepers, had her life flash
before her eyes. She had gone into the library to get it ready for the
day and noticed a lamp lying on the floor and a picture too. She picked
everything up but as she placed the lamp where it was supposed to go,
was wondering how they had got knocked down. Nelly saw a forked tongue
appear just above her head. She dashed out of the room shocked by the
3 meter black mamba perched on a buffalo trophy on the wall. She summoned
help from all. Warren and Campbell were there within minutes with equipment
to relocate said serpent. Marietjie and Mark watched from a distance
while Campbell and Warren got down to the business at hand. In no time
they had the Mamba caught and were carefully taking it away from the
lodge. We decided to relocate it as far as possible and were going to
use a large plastic bin for the transport. The mamba was having none
of that. The guys got the mamba into the bin when, out of the blue it
got loose, and came sailing out. Between Warren and Campbell there was
a hasty retreat with adrenaline flowing. The mamba narrowly missed the
guys and escaped into the fresh morning. We all needed some quiet time
after that and Nelly needed some down time, as she was still as pale
as a sheet.
We have seen the first sighting of the newly born Lion cubs. One of
the Sandy Patch pride lionesses had not been seen for a while and was
thought to be off giving birth. A second female is thought to have given
birth too. We will keep you posted, as the cubs get older. We have had
the Sandy Patch females around the lodge quite allot so we are assuming
that the cubs are not to far from us in a drainage line or thicket.
We have had Cheetah in front of Vuyatela drinking at the dam and moving
around the open area. Elephant have been around as well. They have been
seen mud-bathing in the fast disappearing dam. The buffalo have been
around too, wallowing in the dam during the heat of the day. We have
also had very good plains game around the lodge. Herds of Zebra, Wildebeest,
Waterbuck, Impala, Giraffe etc. We have also seen two newly born Impala
just behind the lodge. These are rather late births in our area but
never the less great to see. Also seen, some lovely breeding herds of
Buffalo through the reserve. Leopards have been spotted literally every
drive with a new young male frequenting the Vuyatela area. Hippos have
been seen in Buffelshoek dam and appear have a new arrival or two. We
are rather exited about seeing them, as they are truly divine.
The "Rubbing Post" at Djuma is a full [ Comfort Zone ] spa
with vast pampering and highly luxurious treatments on offer. [Comfort
Zone] from Italy, is a unique product for self-indulgence. A complete
care and pleasure system for the face, body and soul. An extraordinary
experience for the senses, an unsurpassed passion for beauty. Nonku
awaits you in the spa for copious amounts of rest and relaxation. Mark
has been filling in whilst Nonku has been away and is enjoying the new
avenue in treatments. There have been a couple of days that the spa
has been so busy that both Nonku and Mark have been run off their feet
pampering guests.
On the staff front, Jimmy Hurlimann kept us all on top form as usual.
It was great having him with us for two months. He left us at the end
of the month to join his wife, Shirley, for some quiet time on the beach
at Umhlanga - (Northern Kwa-Zulu). They return to the UK in a couple
of weeks. He will be sorely missed but we are sure to see him and Shirley
quite soon again. Aubrey has made a full recovery from the wrist injury
he sustained last year and is back in the seat again with Solly. We
had two birthdays this month. Happy birthday to Campbell and Charles.
We welcomed Wikus and Nicolene van der Walt back to the bush to celebrate
their fathers 60th birthday with friends and family. Congrats and may
the year ahead be amazing. We also welcomed Russell and Sandi Savadier
and the boys back for a couple of days of rest and relaxation. Nice
to see you all again. On a very romantic note we had a wedding on the
1 April just before 12. Sean Keogh and Jane Nelson tied the knot at
the dam with family and friends watching. We had a handful with us on
the day but all back home watched the ceremony on the live web cam at
the dam. Congratulations to Sean and Jane Keogh from all at Vuyatela
and Djuma Game Reserve. Pierre Naude came in for the day to perform
the ceremony for us.
Until next month autumn greetings form the bush!
Mark and the Vuyatela Team
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