20 April
PM
We saw two lionesses with their cubs deep in the bush, the cubs were playing with their mothers tail and generally getting up to mischief! We also saw Kudu, Zebra, Impala and Wildebeest. We headed beck to camp slightly early because it was raining. The lightning was amazing as it streaked across the sky and we were very thankful for our ponchos.

21 March
AM
This morning, we were excited to finally track down the Sandy Patch lionesses at Paul Kruger's Camp. They were on the open clearing, when we first joined them, but then took off into very thick bush. We did our best to keep up with the two cats, but eventually, the bush was just too thick and we had to leave them. Shortly after, we sat watching a trio of juvenile Gymnogenes, as they flew about above us. They were playfully circling each other, swerving and diving acrobatically. It was an amazing aerial display as well as being an unusual and unique sighting. We also had some great sightings of elephant bulls, up to their usual business of feeding and bathing!

PM
This afternoon, the sun was blazing and the bush was alive and vibrant. Up north, inside Manyeleti, there was a great sighting of three rhino. The bull, female and young calf had just finished drinking at S8 Dam, when they were spotted. At the same time, a female cheetah made an appearance by Gowrie Gate. She was heading towards Sydney's Dam, where she went to lie up, near the spotlight. Her belly was very full, so she must have made a kill, earlier in the day. Later in the night, we spotted a male lion, near Galago Shortcut. He was heading straight towards Vuyatela, so we had to warn the camp that he was coming their way. During the night, he remained in the area and we could hear him calling until the early hours of the morning.

22 March
AM
We headed towards Bush Lodge, this morning, to join a leopard sighting on Gowrie Main. The big male, Pink Nose, and the young male, Ncila (With the kinky tail.), were lying up together. We then realized that they must be father and son; otherwise the older male wouldn't tolerate the younger one. Both cats were very lazy, and nodded off in the long grass. As we slowly made our way back to Vuyatela, we came across a herd of elephants, in the Mlowati. They were in a hurry, sprinting over the road, before disappearing into the south. Later in the morning, a lioness from the Sandy Patch Pride was hanging about Vuyatela. While we sat having breakfast, she chased a group of zebra across the open area, before going down to the dam for a drink of water.

PM
By this afternoon, the sky had filled with rain clouds and a slight drizzle had started to fall. We rejoined the male leopard, Pink Nose, just south of Kudu Corner, as he walked south, patrolling his territory. He didn't pay too much notice to us as we tagged along with him as he sniffed about and marked his territory. Before we knew it, we'd already been with him for most of the drive. Later in the evening, the Sandy Patch lioness, we'd seen this morning, was relocated at Buffelshoek Dam. She was on the prowl, and headed north into Buffelshoek, where she disappeared into the bush.

The Ranger's diary is updated weekly

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