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Spring is definitely in the air at Djuma! Whilst the calendar might tell us
that it officially only starts on the 1st of September, the wildlife and soaring
temperatures are telling us that its already here. Migrant birds have returned,
nests are busy being constructed and the cries of amorous male tree squirrels
echo through the camp from dawn till dusk. It's still cool in the evenings, but
the daily temperatures are already at the 30C mark and the pool has seen quite
some activity from the many families who've visited us during August. Along with
families we've also had a number of honeymoon couples visit and we wish them all
the very best for their futures together. Return visitors included John Law from
LA, Sue Spencer also from LA and Karin & Steve Stern from Atlanta with their
friends Anne and Deborah. We hope they enjoyed their repeat visits as much as
before.
The wildlife viewing has been simply fantastic the past few weeks and the rangers
are spoilt for choice, often extending their drives to try and fit all the activity
in. There has been a marked increase in sightings of cheetah and the female with
her cubs has provided our guests with sightings of great chases as well as a kill
or two. The wild dogs also returned and whilst we aren't sure if its the same
pack or not, they again made a kill right in front of Bush Lodge. This time it
was an impala, which was brought down and quickly devoured by the hungry pack
in the dry dam next to the swimming pool. A leopard and her cub also made a kill
right behind the camp one night. A few hours of oblivious staff strolling around
the next day finally brought the realisation of a dead antelope hanging from a
nearby tree and an unamused leopard mother watching us closely. Needless to say
we beat a hasty retreat and whilst the best game viewing was from Neliswa's therapy
room, we sensibly restricted our viewing to the safety of the game vehicles. A
number of buffalo 'dagga boy' bulls have been hanging around the lodge for a few
weeks and they vary in number from 1 to 6 daily. Piet had an adrenalin charged
walk one morning when one of the bulls was found dozing under a tree on his route.
Luckily Piet's eagle eyes didn't miss a thing and he spotted it from far enough
away to take evasive action long before the Buffalo even lumbered to his feet.
Still it reminded us once again that this is their territory, not ours. The spotted
genet is still visiting the main building most nights for treats at the bar and
we've had some great sightings, although it is slow going on the habituation process.
With the departure of Jimmy, Chris has transferred over from Vuyatela Lodge to
join us and we extend a warm welcome to him and trust that he will make a wonderful
addition to the Bush Lodge safari department with his enthusiasm and outgoing
personality. He will be teaming up with Morris, and Abel will be tracking for
Piet. Of course the BIG news this month is the marriage of Jimmy to Shirley. They
got married next to the beautiful Buffelshoek dam under the trees and it was a
memorable day for all. We wish them all the best for their future and although
they'll be based in the UK we hope they come back to visit us often. Lynneth and
Life celebrated the birth of their son this month, which they've named Olly. Both
mother and child are doing well and we can't wait to meet this new addition to
the Djuma extended family. There were also a number of birthdays to celebrate
this month and congratulations go to Jurie and Zoë Moolman, Edward (in his
absence) and Bongi.
And on that high note we wish you all the best till next month.
Warm regards
Liane and the Bush Lodge Team.
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All in all Vuyatela has had a very busy August, not only as far as guests were
concerned, but also animal traffic in and around the lodge. Two breeding herds
of elephants have been paying frequent visits to the dam. One of the herds has
up to twelve family members with a tiny baby of only a couple of months of age.
The matriarch and other cows are very protective over the youngster, shielding
it between their legs so that we only get fleeting glimpses of the little one.
No sooner has the herd arrived, quenched their thirst, when they move off to the
dense bush again. We have also been seeing the "skew tusk/gammy leg"
bull elephant regularly again. He has been seen here for so many years, sometimes
months go by with no sign of him, and then he comes back. It is surprising in
what good condition he is in, even though it appears as though he struggles to
get food into his mouth past the strange looking tusk.
One night just as the drive was ending, the Sandy Patch pride of lions was seen
just west of the lodge on the Quarantine area, heading towards us. Mark happened
to be checking on the pathway lights near Kaya two, and unbeknown to him, one
of the lionesses killed a young waterbuck right next to Kaya one! It all happened
very quietly as we think the meal was too small to be shared among the whole pride,
and the remains were found the following morning, much to Mark's surprise.
Vuyatela, not to out done by Bush Lodge, also has a genet cat visiting our reception
building on a nightly basis. Little tit bits of biltong are making it quite used
to the twinkling lights on the main deck.
On the guest front, Sue Spencer was back again, between Vuyatela and Bush Lodge
on her twelve-day safari. She was lucky enough to witness the female cheetah teaching
her three cubs to hunt. Mom caught and stunned a duiker and then released it for
her cubs to practice their hunting skills. Although heartbreaking to watch, it
is a once in a lifetime sighting, the stuff one would only see on TV documentaries.
The Daniels family from New York took the whole camp for a few days, and they
too had a marvelous holiday, brim full of sightings. Jimmy and Shirley Hurlimann
eventually took the plunge and got married at Buffelshoek Dam in the middle of
August. While the service was taking place, two elephants came down for a drink
and no sooner had they left when a buffalo arrived to take the limelight away
from the couple! During the "I do's", a troop of baboons was doing a
lot of vocalizing, not that that held Jimmy or Shirley back from their commitments
to each other. From all of us at Djuma, we wish you both much love and happiness
in the years to come.
The Sabi Sands have been doing some more elephant capture, this time eight bulls
were successfully darted and transported to their new homes in the Eastern Cape
and the Kalahari. On a sad elephant note though, we witnessed a bull elephant
die from wounds he must have received in a fight with another bull. With the elephant
population on a steady incline, we are expecting to see more of these battles
and deaths in time to come.
As far as staff goes, Chris Stamper has moved to Bush Lodge, to guide there. We
will miss his antics and charm, but no doubt will see him often. In his place
we welcome Charles Gumede. Charles has been a guide for many years and we welcome
his experience as he joins the growing Djuma family. The Scotts have been in Portugal
for a while and we are really missing them and can't wait to hear their stories
of foreign lands! We are also very pleased to hear that Charmian's dad's heart
op was a success. Helen also returned from a family visit in Canada, with a few
days in Las Vegas. She brought Nic some Elvis sunglasses, which, believe it or
not have been worn religiously on game drives! Mark and Neliswa are on a course
to learn how to do Hot Rock therapy, and we look forward to trying out their new
skills.
Farewell 'till next month, from the Vuyatela team.
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