Posts Tagged ‘kill’

Website update

Just a short message from the bush

Been a while since the last update posted, but much has happened in that time, almost too much for me to remember all the details. Have moved from the last lodge to one that is based inside the Kruger borders, have started here with the beautiful distraction for the last three weeks. Had a little gap off day during the move from the last lodge to our current home in the bush.

Exciting would be an understatement, there has been oodles of excitement and new things happening. goes with out saying that the sightings here at the new lodge are also truly awesome, from lions on tap, leopards in trees and buffalo herds of note, wildebeest eating cheetah, dogs on the road and many more.

Let me go a little deeper, the lion pride that abound around our current lodge are easier for us to locate, the reason being …we cheat. One of the females in the pride has a satellite collar attached that is used for research and only for research purposes, part of an ongoing study on lions in the Kruger. Bonus for us, we have access to that collar and can track there movement history and estimate where they may turn up. Yes not the way things are done and we do not abuse the system, but if that technology is there, why not use it. The rest we find with luck and hard work.

The dogs have been amazing; at only starting here for the last few weeks, I have already racked up more than 9 different sightings of different wild dog packs roaming in the area. Let me remind all that this is a massive area and that wild dog’s sightings are rare. So bully for me, love those guys!

Leopard density in the area is very very high, and still they are hard to spot, spot the spotted cat…ha ha sorry had to try. When we came in to start our new potion, on route in with my vehicles packed for the move in, and an awesome male leopard right next to the road? This must be an omen, a good luck sigh if you will

cheetah sighting, one of my best cheetah sightings yet, noticed a herd of impala running for there lives across the plains in the distance then crossing in front of me(here your live does depend on your running)  decided to wait and follow up and sure to believe it, three male cheetah emerged on the horizon, at first they were far and resting often, a binocular sighting, not too much to report, but p[patience in this game pays off, I sat it out and they came closer, however a herd of wildebeest close to us had other ideas, and decided to get closer to the cheetah and then promptly chare them? prey chasing predator around the three cheetah got separated from each other as the wildebeest ran amok, chasing one here then there, then in front of my vehicle and back across. the cheetah started chirping like birds to relocate each other when the dust had settled , very cool.

same stretch of road a few days earlier, saw a crash of rhino (yes a group is called a crash) and was observing and discussing them when another crossed the road in front of us, with one in tow 50 meters back. The big male at the far back then out of nowhere and for no reason charged and started to engage the other, a few meters away from us. Vicious and serious this fight was. Cruel to witness by great to record.

Well I am back in the saddle so to speak, and this was just a taste of my first two weeks at the new lodge, I promise to update and post photos soon, when the animals allow me.

Nocturnal

1.

of or pertaining to the night ( opposed to diurnal).

2.

done, occurring, or coming at night: nocturnal visit.

3.

active at night ( opposed to diurnal): nocturnal animals.

Let’s look at the last one on the list, night animals. These of course include the nocturnal predators such as lion, leopard and hyena. I have seen these many times in the day, I have even seen them hunt during day light hours, early morning or later afternoon, but they are classified as nocturnal, being more active at night. And more often than not they are active at night.

Currently our resident male lion has been ousted (see earlier telegraphs) this has left a vacuum for other male lions to stake there claim.

One such stake claiming is being done by 6 male lions that have moved into the area, they have snuck in under the cover of darkness and for a few weeks now, have been living-in and tasting the “what was” forbidden pleasures this area has to offer.

A while ago, they were loudly proclaiming this area, calling there trademark roars from the waterhole in the front of my camp. That very next morning I found them 10km away, on a buffalo kill, that 10km is still within our area of operation. Still within a prime territory for them to hold.

Lions often travel vast distances at night. That 10km at night and then have time to kill a buffalo was easy for them.

Less than a week ago and a week after there first buffalo kill here, they killed another big buffalo male, this time at my camp! Less than 100 meters from my front door! A racket and a big fight in the early hours of the morning, told us of there presence.

At 3.30am it started next to my house, and the fight took them thru the staff quarters to a site in the open where they performed the coup de grâce.  A site where we could view the remains the next morning, And the sleeping cats surrounding there prize carcass.

Only had a little sleep that night and the next, as lions and foreign guests sharing the same camp can be tricky.

Lion on buf

Last night whilst hosting guests for dinner, a hyena strolled through camp, unfortunately only the waiter and I saw this lonely male make his way through camp.

Lion on buf2

Every morning I read the signs (those that my limited tracking can decipher) to see who or what has been visiting us late at night and early in the morning while we people are still counting impala in our sleep.The lions have left the camp, and headed south again.

Other tracks also tell a story of noctunral vistors.

Civet is a regular to us at night. and on occasion hyena and leopard tracks.

Line up for lunch

The killed buffalo bull soon attracted a host of vultures; these fantastic birds (I like vultures) were adorning the surrounding trees at the entrance to our camp, waiting for the large cats to leave.

Viewing our camp from a little distance had a foreboding look about it, could make one feel uneasy.

On carcass

When the lions did leave,(there was plenty meat still on the bone) at this point a new spectacle was seen, the remains of the carcass covered and smothered by loud hungry vultures. They had waited patiently all night and a day for there chance, as did I. if you can stand the rotten smell, watching vultures squabble and fight over remains is a fantastic sight.

fighting for space

my share of the carcass

I am constantly amazed at what happens in the bush at night. We miss so much and can only deduce and hypothesis on what happened the following day.

Bushfire’s due to lighting strike, we are in the fire season at present, show a horizon glow from afar, three nights ago we saw a impressive fire in the reserve next to us. The horizon was orange and yellow from kilometers out, closer inspection saw a line of fire stretch as far as the eye can see. We hope that not too many creatures were caught up in this display of mother nature cleansing the bush.

End of the feast/day

Waiting for more

The sightings have been pumping, really well in the bush of late; can not even decide where to go on drive. We may plan a rough route to take, but within half an hour of game drive, the radio is buzzing. An awesome week to be out on game drive.

Shhh…crackle…pop..lions have killed… or 4 cheetah brothers next to the road..static..crackle… relocated on leopard cubs at…static

Really all the cats have been out and active, rhino, elephant, antelope and giraffe are all begging to have there photos taken.

Wanting to head north for a birds and trees drive, to relax and enjoy the smaller less talked about parts of the African bush, but the sightings keep calling us back, and we head off south or east to find again a beautiful creature.

At this point I must stress that these sightings and conditions is not the “normal”, the bush has just come alive this past week, and we rangers are taking full advantage.

There have been 6 male lions, a strong coalition of 5 young males along with a older and wiser male, they were first sighted and heard at the water hole outside our camp late at night, the next morning we tracked them down they had covered a considerable distance, about 10km from our water hole over night and still had time to kill a old buffalo bull, we converged on the scene as they were lazing about there kill with full extended stomachs. An awesome sighting

The two leopard cubs around the river road area, were hanging around the same patch for a few days so we could relocate them and view them on a few different occasions, one such occasion I took a chance in the morning and headed to that area, the reward was to witness the young female leopard execute a stalk on a herd of impala, we sat patiently for about a hour as we gauged her progress, in the end she failed in the final charge, but for that hour we had her, the adrenaline and excitement were palpable. Such a beautiful young lady in stalking mode, I was reminded again how hard it is to keep with them as she would stalk in and out of view as she used the local vegetation as cover. After having a good look at the leopard thru my binos,I explain that this female is still very young and  inexperienced, and may be punching a little over her weight class. Awesome morning

Our four cheetah brothers are back in our area of operation after not being seen for a month or two, they have returned from Kruger and are scent marking there old stomping ground, next to a leopard the cheetah is as beautiful and graceful. We may be lucky and they may stay in our area. Awesome again to see

Duikers, steenbok, stately giraffe, noisy zebra and other antelope are around, with the dry season not broken as yet, they are a little more few and far between but still there. And as much as the cats, predators and other big 5 are the most sought after, these others can not be ignored. We bumble thru the bush, me happily throwing a piece of information or two about the fauna and flora found here. I try to depart a piece here and there, but honestly the bush has spoken for itself and my guests are happy to simple drive around and enjoy the sightings.

We rangers have a little knowledge on the bush and always wish to share and show off, at the same time, the more we guides find out the more we need to find out more. A good guide will recognize that he/she does not know it all and learn everyday.

would love to have all the answers for the bush out here, but nature simply does its thing and we are the observers, who sometimes wonder and ask why…sometimes it is nice not to have natures answer and simply say ”Nature does as nature does”

Awesome week

Currently I am sitting in the sweltering heat, it is 37 degrees in the shade and it is only spring! I sit here cursing the fan in my office that does not work and contemplate the sightings and the bush around me.

Even though I am not out driving guests, not on drive as someone has to keep the camp running, that someone being me, I still get to view magnificent animal sightings.

I wish I had my camera with me at all times, I Drove to morning meeting at 7:30 this morning, and found two leopard cubs chilling in the road, stopped fairly close to them and admired there beauty, only then did I notice mum leopard keeping a eye on her cubs as well as us. After about 10 minutes she decided it was enough, collected her cubs and disappeared in the bush, three leopards on the way to work.

I write this in my aforementioned sweltering office, and I do so with a smile on my face, I smile because there are three elephants drinking out my pool, right now.  They are three male jumbos arranged in a neat line next to the pool, from biggest to smallest, slurping and spraying water all over the pool deck. Loving it, did I mention this is also lunch time for the guests, have an African lunch with the elephants, this could be scripted.

With no guests two days ago, I managed to organize an old land rover for a staff drive, two rangers and myself headed out looking for four legs and a heartbeat to photograph, we sat with fourteen lions in the shade for a few hours, yep fourteen lions lazing in the shade a mere three meters from our vehicle!, pity it was so hot and bad lighted for good photos. Still awesome to sit and observe.

Not so awesome was a resident territorial holder, our big male lion called mandevu (mandevu means bearded, or big big beard, hair thing) he decided to take away a legitimate kill from three youngsters that pop up in our area from time to time, this three youngsters are not so youngster anymore and did not want to share, would love to have seen the fight, but it was late at night, I caught up with him the next morning, he looked like he had been dragged over broken glass, very sore and sorry for himself, blood and lion hair dotted the road at the scene. He will make it but will not roar or advertise his presence for a while. In fact he may be lucky to survive this one.

Beaten up lion

Late afternoon traffic at the waterhole in front of the lodge, currently we have a hippo bull in the shallows, trying to keep cool and count a few sheep, or is that count a few hippo cows? The water barely covers half of him, alongside him and amazingly he tolerates it, is a small herd of buffalo bulls. Drinking and mud wallowing around the sleeping hippo. The baboons circle the trees around, a few impala and wildebeest are coming and going, drinking albeit a nervous drink. In the shade are some waterbuck, desperately trying to stay out of the direct sun.

And watching me watch this menagerie of animals is my resident bushbuck, cute little fellow eyeing me out from five meters away.

Ilana on the way back from morning meeting saw a yellow billed hornbill, eating a mouse, a kill was seen! It counts as a kill to us.

Not out driving, but still so much to see…

Back from leave and almost back in the saddle. Been a rest in the big smoke, the big smoke being Johannesburg. That is if you can rest in the big smoke? Had a chance to reflect again on the last couple of weeks in the bush, some funny moments and then some more funny moments.

Rock Python

Had to chuckle when I think of our poor trackers, those that sit on the little seat on the front on top of the bonnet, looking for game and spotting spoor, indicating to us rangers where to possible go according to the tracks they find. They (the tracker) and I work as teams to try come up with the four legs and a heartbeat. Most have amazing eyes and can spot a green snake in a green tree or a lion swoosh its tail at 50 yards.

Shame, I have lost count of how many spiders have built there web across the road and I have driven my tracker right through that web, leaving the poor spider hanging onto my tracker for all it is worth, until he gentle deposits it on the next tree close to the road. They never complain , my trackers no matter how many spiders they get a face full off nor when I take the corner (we go back later and out it back) and they are halve buried in the tree that was on that corner. How many close brushes with thorn trees I give these guys every drive is embarrassing and they do not moan.

They need these thorn trees in there lap like I need to take a bowling ball on drive with me, some of these encounters are close though, I had been driving down a particular “tall grass on the side of the road” patch with the sun below the horizon, visibility not so good, out the corner of my eye I saw a snake crossing , just at the last minute, that is to say, he was about to go under my front left wheel should I continue, so naturally what do I do, I hit anchors. But on the front left is where my tracker was, and I say was, as I hit brakes hard, he went flying off the vehicle, almost onto the snake. Managed just to doge the snake as the car flung him forward. Not a word, just a look in my direction, a look that said it all and back onto the bonnet with a smile just reaching the corners of his eyes.

I have had my tracker sit patently on the front whilst lions were a mere two or three meters from where he sat. All exposed on the front and all. Never forget Devance (a tracker) and myself tracking (no pun intended) the group of 7 lions down by the big dam, we saw where they walked, we saw where they stopped and lay to rest and where they were heading. After a half hour further along there chosen route, we bumped into them (they is they were obscured by grass until the last minute, then I was on top of them) engorging themselves on a buffalo cow they had killed no more than a half hour before. Here with fresh meat and nervous lions eating, all deviance did was sit back on his seat in front and enjoy the show. Having munching and crunching lions 2 meters away, glancing up and growling every know and then and all he does is seat back on his perch on the front of the Land rover , throw a cheeky grin  at the guests and smile. Gotta love the nerves!

Buffalo herds, elephant herds, rhino, male buffalo dagga boys and coalitions of cheetah and more, all no sweat for our trackers, there “office” on the front of my vehicle gives them the best seat in the house.

Poor Phillip (another tracker) on route home, him with the spotlight, tying to get the eye shine, when a bushbaby (small nocturnal monkey type) jumps the tree and lands no less than in his lap, Phillip of course unceremoniously dumps the bushbaby off his lap, onto the nearest bush, this little nocturnal creature then turns and jumps again onto Phillip, he of course now things this is a estranged  bushbaby out for vengeance? Attacking him? Yes even grown up trackers can shriek like girls. This poor little bushbaby attacked Phillip three times before I could control my laughter and speed of away from the scene, of the almost violation by a bushbaby. Elephant charge he can take, but an attacking bushbaby?

All respect to the guys who sit in front and take it all in.

Lions everywhere or none

Some days are slower; this morning was one of those days, not much happening in the African bush, not much at all.

Seems that someone forgot to close the gate last night and all the animals left? That is how we roll, and this morning was more typical, not always do we have four legs and a heart beat parading around for a photo. In these cases we can cruise, observe the smaller fauna and birds, and trees and… It’s nice to be out there wind blowing you back, listening for that faint rustle or call, smelling that fresh dung in the morning.

But not always… Read the rest of this entry »

Had a interesting day yesterday, been some quite s**tty drives of late then yesterday morning,  followed a rhino bull for about 1/2 hour, would not get out of the road, he was following a female cow with calf.  She must be in estoruis, but was having none of it and spurring his advances. Saw a opprtunity to get past him -  and he saw me as competition! Lucky I did not put another dent in the car, full 2.3 ton rhino bull charging at me, while I am flooring it out of there….missed me by inches…..! Read the rest of this entry »

What a morning. Male cheetah killed an adult tessebe close to the road, visual 5 out of 5. Dig it man. Super relaxed around vehicle as well.