25 October
PM
1 female Leopard (White Cloth) was found at 3 Pan where she was drinking. After she finished she moved into the woodland scent marking very often as she walked. She walked all the way to Bush Lodge where she was left heading into the riverbed South of Bush Lodge.
Another female Leopard (Mashipiri Female) was seen on the Southern Boundary of the reserve. She moved North until she reached 3 Pan where minutes earlier White cloth female herself had been drinking and the Mashipiri female was smelling the scent marks that white Cloth had left behind with great interest. It is the first confirmed sighting of this female leopard on the reserve, but it is understood from knowledge gained from the "Bush Grape Vine" that it is the 5 year-old daughter of The White Cloth.
White Cloth has moved well north from where we used to see her and occupies most of the late Kaalkol female's territory these days.
2 young male Cheetahs were found at Cheetah Plain Pan, where they were resting on a termite mound. They took little interest in 3 Reedbuck who were standing nearby, and had obviously eaten well recently.

26 October
AM
A large herd of Buffalo was found on Rhino Cutline moving slowly to the North.
Three Elephant Bulls were seen on the Hyena den open area browsing on small saplings in the clearing.
Good General game was seen throughout the reserve.

PM
4 Rhinos were seen at Cheetah Plain Pan where they were slowly moving towards the pan for a drink.
3 Elephant bulls were located at Kudu Corner where they were feeding in the drainage line.
2 Lionesses (Skuthane Pride) were found East of Green Pan on the Kruger Boundary. They had killed a sub-adult Zebra and were feeding on the remains of the kill. There were a number of Vultures, both "White backed and Hooded" perched in the trees surrounding the kill.

27 October
AM
2 Rhino bulls were found on Cheetah Plains grazing.
4 Elephant bulls were found in the Lion Pan area feeding.
A Large herd of Buffalo was found near 2nd Rock where they were grazing.

PM
A Large herd of Buffalo was found at Paradise Beach where they had a drink before moving south.
A large male Leopard (Newington Male) was found at 3 Pan. It is the first time we have seen this Leopard for a few months. There has been a lot of pressure been put on him by a larger male (Jordaan's Male) in recent months and this has forced him South into the core of his territory, to the South of our Boundary. He was marking heavily and vocalizing repeatedly. Another Leopard answered him from the North and it was first thought to be a female responding.
However it was instead the Jordaan's Male who was found on the Nkorho Driveway moving towards where we had left Newington minutes earlier moving back South along the same path as he had came. He was later lost in the riverbed and not seen again.
Newington was then found on the Jacobin Open area with the White Cloth female. She was looking very interested in mating but Newington played hard to get and continued to move south away from Jordaan's and into his core territory. If he had mated Jordaan's might have heard them and they he would have risked losing the female to the bigger and more dominant male.

28 October
AM
Drive started with a great sighting Rhino (2 Bulls and 2 cows) on the Kruger Boundary.
Elephant Bulls were seen all over the reserve.
There were Hippos at Buffelshoek Dam.
1 Cheetah (female) was seen at Umbrella Thorn Clearing moving in the direction of Milkberry. She was not very relaxed with the Vehicles and so the sighting was restricted to one vehicle at a time. She eventually crossed into the Kruger.

PM
2 Rhino bulls were seen close to Cheetah Plain Pan grazing peacefully.
A large herd of Buffalo was found at Nyala Dam moving south after drinking.
A young male Leopard (Mihloti) was found at Kobus' Dam drinking. He was very relaxed and was left heading south in the drainage line where the vegetation became too thick to follow him.

29 October
AM
2 Lionesses (Skuthane) were found at Milkberry camp, where they were investigating the remains of a Giraffe carcass that had been killed some time before and there was very little left besides the smell.
4 Elephant bulls were seen on the Djuma access road. One of them was a particularly large bull with enormous tusks.
A large Herd of Buffalo was found at Nyala Dam.

PM
The drive started with a sighting of 3 Rhinos at Buffelshoek dam. They had just had a drink and a mud bath and were slowly moving away from the water towards the south.
A large Male Lion (Manyeleti) was found at Nyala dam and looked intent on moving south towards the Buffelshoek dam area. He was following the scent marks of other lions and was followed until he heard them vocalize near Buffelshoek dam. He joined up with the 2 Lionesses (Sandy Patch) and immediately they started moving east through the woodland. They stalked a heard of Impala in the dark and it wasn't long before we heard the sound of hooves running and the sound of success for the Lions. They had managed to bring down a sub-adult ram and all three were feeding together.
A male Cheetah was found near Nyala Dam. He was quite nervous of the Vehicles and the sighting was kept to just one vehicle at a time to save the animal from too much stress.

30 October
AM
A large male Lion (old eastern male) was found at Djuma dam feeding on a fresh Buffalo calf kill.
A large herd of Buffalo was found at 3 Pan moving slowly away from the water.
Bull Elephants were seen all over the reserve.

PM
A large herd of Buffalo (approx.200) was found on North rock clearing grazing.
Another large herd of Buffalo (approx.550) were seen at Vuyatela Dam drinking.
A third herd of Buffalo (approx. 400) was found at Green Thorn, milling around on the boundary.
The Hyena den at the rock bridge was active with 3 cubs and 2 adults were spotted.
The Lion (old eastern male) was still feeding on the Buffalo carcass.
2 Breeding herds of Buffalo were found on the reserve; one at 3 Pan and one near Torchwood camp.

31 October
AM
The Old Eastern Male was still guarding his Buffalo carcass at Djuma dam.
A large herd of Buffalo was seen in the Mluwanini riverbed moving slowly to the north.
4 Elephant bulls were seen on Greenthorn road.

The Ranger's diary is updated weekly

ARCHIVES