Posts Tagged ‘lion 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

Swear I could hear the cats laughing at us, playing there cat and mouse (excuse the pun) laughing and talking amongst them themselves in lion talk, “come try and find us”

Here in the north where grass is as high as an elephant’s eye, ok so not that high but still well above my door, Grass that is covering a few square kilometers, grass that was as high as a man’s shoulder if you were unlucky enough to be walking in the north. And here I was, here I was suppose to find the pride of lions? The guests I had were really keen to see the big cats. Out there somewhere maybe around the next barely-can see-corner was 16 of them.

And as usual, persistence pays, found them lounging in the only open area amongst that tick ridden grass for a kilometer in every direction. Doing what big cats do, try to look like small cuddly cats. Lording it over the plains in that typical “I could give a…” look that lions have. Guest’s happy, tracker happy and I beaming from ear to ear.

This with an afternoon drive with the dogs being back in town. Looks like one or two of the pack are pregnant, watch this space.

The following 3 days had a couple from Belgium on honeymoon, and they not only brought with them, sunscreen and fear of the bush (that fear that says we will be eaten, fear things are out to get you, but we are here anyway, the ranger will protect us, type fear)

Believe me, things are not out here to get you, safer here than most big cities. Animals fear us and our greed more than we need to fear them.

They brought all this and some heavy luggage from Belgium (did they think they needed to bring there entire wardrobe for the African bush?)And they brought luck with them, oodles of luck as we I went about my business of driving around giving an interpretation of the bush and finding the four legs and a heartbeat for the cameras, this we did at a phenomenal rate. We found wildlife sightings like those guys who work at a driving range, find golf balls. Elephants, rhino bulls, buffalo and buffalo herds, impala and zebra enjoying the late season green grass, a journey of giraffe or two and those 16 lions devouring a wildebeest. All that and so much more. Birds coming out of my ears.

Luck was with us, as we found the five most sought after animals (big 5) to see in the bush one after the other, and all of them posing nicely for photographs. Along with all the other of gods creations. Normally I could stretch this over a few days but we bagged up all good sighting on the first days and first morning. This including an elephant encounter on a bushwalk after breakfast. That was a time for rational fear and caution.

Of course know that we had see most on the first time to Africa honeymooners list, we could spend the rest of the time cruising around, anything else being a bonus, and I could spend time showing off knowledge on birds and trees, but did we get that bonus at this slow pace, you betcha! Two leopard cubs in a drainage line, oblivious to the vehicle, just playing around. Awesome and beautiful. Click, snap whir goes the cameras. Best leopard sighting of my career.

However we were not done, as the two cubs then sighted  a puff adder, a venomous snake and proceeded to investigate it, I of course called this on the game drive channel, and the response from all those that were listening, was that just this once against the rules out here, I had to interfere and separate them. They all asked me to go against the grain and interfere with the natural order of the bush. Long story short, you have me about 20 meters from the safety of my car, a large irritated puff adder 2 meters away and one of the cubs, being cheeky sitting watching me about 6 meters away. And where was mommy leopard? Never in my life did I expect the cub not to run, to sit there, and watch me whilst on foot! Insane! And still were was mommy leopard with here cub so close to a human on foot! So now what goes through my head?

1. Retreat and risk a cub getting a snake bite that will kill it. This is no good!
2. keep eyes in the back of my head for mom leopard, chase the snake and save the day

No real choice there, the Belgians had a good eyeful of my backside in the air whilst I was knees down under the bushes chasing a venomous a snake and a bemused leopard cub was watching. Worst of all, gave my camera to my tracker and he didn’t even take a photo!

Belgian honeymooners bought me a few beers that night.

The rest of this week has been manual labor, no guests this side, so slashing of fire breaks, fixing of roads, blisters on hand, tick bitten feet and sweaty t-shirts. Not all good all the time. Only a hand slasher, grass a meter high and a hundred meteres to cut.

At least I can know say bring on the fires season.

Right know I am going to take my very sore from unaccustomed labor, body back to my bed, crack a beer and remember that one time with the leopards…they will be around for a few more photo sessions.

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 »