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18 March
AM
Rhino, such a special animal because sometimes we struggle to
find them in the area. Most special are the females as they are
always traveling around. Males are much more territorial which
means we know where to find them, but it took us almost two nights
looking for them. On our last morning safari, we found them at
Philemon's cut line grazing.
Also quiet interesting to understand the behaviour of the animals
sometimes. For example, when a Buffalo bull gets old, he is pushed
out by the younger ones and starts living by himself, or joins
other older bulls and then they became much more dangerous to
people. We came across one older bull that was covered by a wound
around his body, we found him drinking at Khaya Manzi dam. Lovely
sighting.
PM
We have such a great breeding herd of elephant into the area which
the are much more relaxed with the vehicle, one afternoon we were
watching them drinking at Hardekool dam. Suddenly one of the young
bull give us a charge and he only stopped 10-20meters away.
We left the area and when we looked behind us, the whole breeding
herd was coming after us, but we managed to drive away from them.
It was such a rare sighting to watch a Leopard going for one of
our rare nocturnal animals, an aardvark, of which there are very
few in the area. Mafufunyane, our old male Leopard, around by
9-10 years, managed to take down an anteater (aardvark). We only
heard the noise coming from the poor prey. We tried to locate
them but it was among dense bushes. We came back the following
morning we found the Leopard up the tree with the prey. That was
my first experience to see Leopard with the Anteater. That was
great sighting.
19 March
AM
It was a very morning cold and windy when we left on our game
drive, looking around for our resident pride of lions called Nkuhuma.
We left them feeding on the Wildebeest kill and relocated them
while they were drinking some water at cheetah pan. The great
news was that they had all the cubs with them. All the cubs had
very full stomachs and in good condition. We left them lying "flat
cat", and the cubs busy drinking some milk. We spent almost
an hour with them.
A lonely bull Elephant, ready to mate was unhappy with us when
we found him. He pushed down the trees across the road, and we
were keeping our distance away from him. After a very few minutes
we decided to leave him in peace.
We were looking around for the Buffalo when suddenly we came across
the tracks of them, fairly fresh ones. We spent almost 40 minutes
trying to track them down. Luckily we located them lying down
in the open plain where we could see them easily.
PM
The Nkuhuma Pride, our resident pride of lions, came across from
Manyeleti, our nearest government reserve, about two years ago.
When they arrived at Djuma they found another pride of two Lioness,
one Male, and four cubs. They had a big fight and Nkuhuma Pride
managed to kill our old resident Pride After a few days later
we started to see the Nkuhumas on the property, but they were
shy of vehicles. We would try to track them on foot but they used
to be run away, or they would be aggressive.
Buffalo - breeding herd of about 70-90 which we tried to track
down later in the afternoon. We followed them in the vehicle and
it was only the dust and the flies that showed where they were
all lying down in the long grass. We spend almost 20 minutes enjoyed
the sighting. When we look carefully, we saw one cow giving birth.
20 March
AM
Before game drive we had the Nkuhuma Pride calling very early
around 4AM. When we left the lodge we went into the area to start
looking for the tracks. We only found the Cubs lying down in the
open. No parents to protect them from any danger. We spent only
very few minutes because we might attract the Hyenas, and Eagles.
We left them still laying into the same spot no change.
Black Rhino bull - we have only the white Rhino into the property
but during in winter time we occasionally also get the black Rhino.
The reason why is it depends on the vegetation. White Rhino live
into the savannah grass land and the Black Rhino live into the
dense bushes. We were very lucky to find one Black Rhino drinking
some water at Kobus Dam. It is very rare to see them in this area
and was good luck for us.
PM
Nkuhuma Pride was located again but it was still the same Cubs
lying into the same place waiting for the lioness and male to
come back for them again. Some other time they travel almost for
two days without coming back. The Cubs stayed in one place very
patiently until the mothers came back. While they were hunting
they were lucky to catch something. They sent one of the lionesses
to go back and fetch the Cubs and walk them back into the kill.
Elephant breeding herd - there were 10-15 of them at First Rock
north grazing and relaxed. Some of them were feeding the calf
and some of them were having the mud bath also rubbing themselves.
That was a great afternoon safari.
21 March
AM
Kurhula female Leopard (the one with two Cubs). It was raining
that morning when we found her on the MMM boundary lying down.
We took lots of pictures while she was lying down. She got up
and started moving into our property. We followed her through
the bushes. Suddenly she stopped and started calling. We saw her
head pop out from the bush, looking around, and started running
towards the car. The young male come running towards his mother,
smelt her mouth to see if the she has got any kill.
Wild dogs very rare, and we often spend more than 6 weeks or more
than 2 months without see them. We watched them one morning while
they were going for some Impala. They started feeding on the poor
Impala while it was still running. They always run while they
are hunting, normally covering more than 60 kilometers a day.
PM
We followed the Wild dogs, the same three we relocated in the
morning, while they were hunting some Kudu down at Philemon's
deep. That was amazing because the mother was far behind and the
pup was behind the tail. This showed the mother was teaching them
how to hunt. They manage to take down that kudu. While they were
feeding, a Hyena came along and stole the meat.
22 March
AM
It was raining a little bit which made it easy for us to see the
tracks of the Nkuhuma Pride. It was early morning when we found
the whole pride at East West cut line after the Buffalo. We followed
them for more than 3-4 kilometer. With luck we found them feeding
on a Buffalo kill at the water in front of Milkberry camp.
Buffalo breeding herd approximately 60-70 of them at central road.
The nice thing with these breeding herds is that they choose one
of the old females to be leading the whole herd. She is the one
who decides where to find water or grass so the whole herd follows
her behind.
Rhino, one Female with 5 Bulls at Impala Plain grazing. One of
the dominant Bulls was trying to mate with the female. It was
also quiet interesting to watch when the male was pushing the
other males away.
PM
Nkuhuma Pride were still feeding on that Buffalo kill at Hyena
Dam east of Milkberry camp. They were joined by the cub that had
been missing for almost a week. He immediately joined them and
had a bite because he was very skinny. He fed on that kill until
he got a very full stomach.
Leopard, Mafufunyane, such a relax male, was found drinking some
water at Twin Dam. When we left him he was lying down busy licking
at himself.
23 March
AM
Wild dog were at Zoë's road. It was the mother and the two
puppies that were hunting some Impala running around trying to
catch them. Impala were scattered everywhere because of the dogs.
Nothing had been killed and they decided to go away.
Leopard, Beacon mother, is around 6-7 years old and she has got
two cubs around by a year and half old. We named some of our animals,
we have got Rupert the male cub and Beacon daughter is the young
one. It was such a great morning because it was all three of them
were together feeding on a pregnant grey duiker.
Nkuhuma Pride were still feeding on that Buffalo kill with the
lost young male. There were also a lot of Hyenas, Jackals, Vultures
waiting for any left overs.
PM
Nkuhuma pride was still feeding on that buffalo at Hyena dam,
all happily lying down with full bellies.
Three Mapogo male lions were found lying at the central road at
about 7PM getting ready to start hunting.
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