Wildlife Weblog – June 2021

It was hoped that 2021 could be a greater 12 months for all, however it appears that evidently the chaos of 2020 has adopted via into this 12 months. In some ways, it has been barely higher and we proceed to have a gradual movement of native friends, with some hints at issues bettering for our worldwide travellers. However time additionally simply appears to fly by in these loopy occasions, and it’s with some embarrassment that I realised that we missed the April and Might editions. For these die-hard supporters, we apologise, however hope to make up for it with a bumper subject in June.

Lions

Lots of you’ve got been following our social media on Fb, YouTube and Instagram, in addition to the updates from different lodges, and would have seen the unhappy and really sudden demise of the magnificent Ottawa male. He grew to become very assured and determined to problem the Birmingham males to his east, in an try and broaden his territory. Sadly, being on his personal, he was killed within the combat, and we misplaced one of the unimaginable males we’ve had for a while.

This has had some main ramifications for our lion inhabitants, as one would possibly count on. Extremely, the Mhangene satisfaction appeared to have picked up in a short time that he had died, and that their new cubs have been at risk, so moved a lot additional west and into our concession. For the previous month or so, they’ve been completely on Savanna’s property and have been giving us unbelievable viewing of the younger cubs specifically.

The 2 youngest cubs (each feminine) at the moment are round 4 months previous and are stuffed with power, combating with each other, practising their stalking strategies and tackling their older cousin, who’s now one-year previous. Their antics are actually a pleasure to look at!

The satisfaction itself now consists of 5 grownup females, a one-year previous feminine and the 2 younger cubs. We’re not certain what occurred to the sixth feminine, as she has hardly been seen because the satisfaction got here west, however we’re nonetheless hoping that she is okay. They’ve been common sightings on our drives, concentrating within the south-west of our concession, and lately had a big buffalo kill for a couple of days which saved their cubs very content material. As is common after such a feast, a protracted thirst-quenching drink is so as! For a video replace on the satisfaction, take a look right here.

The Ottawa satisfaction has been simply as rewarding, as they too have some younger cubs. These are a couple of weeks youthful than the Mhangene satisfaction’s cubs and so one can respect that they too are unbelievable viewing in the intervening time. They don’t have an older sibling to harass, in order that they take it out on the moms and aunts, who sometimes usually are not within the temper! The one benefit they’ve is that there are three of them, so they’re able to make do with one another if the mother and father are lower than taking part in. Please click on this hyperlink for a video replace!

The Thumbela males are additionally gaining in energy and confidence because the loss of life of the previous Matimba male. We’re seeing them roaring with fairly some power of late, however they nonetheless appear to be sticking with the Ottawa satisfaction more often than not. Apparently, they haven’t proven any curiosity in heading south towards the Mhangene satisfaction but, however maybe they’re unaware of their presence for now.

Leopards

We even have some kids within the leopard inhabitants! Tlangisa has a brand new litter and, though we’ve not seen her and her cubs a lot up to now few months, it appears that evidently she is doing exceptionally nicely. She is her regular calm self, and it displays in the way in which that the 2 younger cubs are already extraordinarily relaxed across the autos.

We even have some kids within the leopard inhabitants! Tlangisa (pictured proper) has a brand new litter and, though we’ve not seen her and her cubs a lot up to now few months, it appears that evidently she is doing exceptionally nicely. She is her regular calm self, and it displays in the way in which that the 2 younger cubs are already extraordinarily relaxed across the autos.

Khokhovela (pictured under) has additionally been fairly scarce these days, however she was lately seen mating with Ravenscourt, so hopefully there might quickly be some extra cubs operating round.

Ravenscourt has been sustaining his dominance nicely within the west and appears to have picked up a bit together with his patrols to the south, presumably in response to Thamba, who’s placing strain on him from the south. He nonetheless, nevertheless, spends most of his time alongside the river, the place the situations are most suited to him.

He has additionally been getting some strain from Euphorbia within the north, and we lately had a sighting of the 2 of them mendacity about 30 metres aside, growling at one another. What was attention-grabbing was that it was on the southern facet of the river, i.e. extra in Ravenscourt’s territory than Euphorbia’s and that Euphorbia didn’t appear to be backing down, however was holding his personal.

As talked about earlier than, Thamba is rising in dimension and is increasing his territory. He’s positively turning into way more assured and has made the south his personal. It has been actually good having an everyday, relaxed and dominant male near Savanna, and we see and listen to him frequently.

Nyelethi continues to be the dominant male to the east of Ravenscourt, and that boundary appears to have been settled a while in the past. He’s, nevertheless, getting on at 12 years previous, and might be coming increasingly underneath strain from youthful leopards. At this level, it’s not clear the place that strain goes to come back from, however for now he appears secure.

One chance is Hlambela, who’s the son of Boulders, and is now three years previous. Nyelethi will in all probability maintain on for an additional 12 months or two, which can imply that Hlambela might be 4 or 5, which is concerning the time that he might be searching for a territory of his personal.

One other younger male within the space is Scotia and Nyelethi’s son (pictured within the under sequence). At simply over two, he nonetheless has the ‘teenage’ gene in him and we lately had the privilege of watching him stalk and pounce at a rodent subsequent to the street. It’s all the time spectacular to see the endurance, opportunism and agility of those cats!

Cheetah and different Predators

A few of our different predators have additionally been busy of late. The male cheetah has been making his regular common rounds, coming via the clearings within the south like clockwork. It’s all the time superb how these cats are creatures of behavior and transfer predictably to their regular mounds and fallen timber to scent-mark and use them as lookouts for prey.

Sometimes he’s profitable at recognizing and catching his prey! Not too long ago, on a day drive, we discovered him on the sting of the clearing at Cheetah Flats with a big male impala kill. He will need to have made the kill late within the morning, as he had eaten a lot of the impala already once we discovered him within the afternoon. We seen him as he squeezed as a lot meals as potential into his abdomen, for he knew that come early night, the hyenas could be out. And certain sufficient, he was chased off the carcass by a single hyena who proceeded to gorge himself on the stays.

Hyena are sometimes painted because the villains of the bush, all the time stealing scraps and benefitting from the work accomplished by others. They’ve a sloping again, with their head held low, skulking about and all the time appear as if they’re as much as no good! It’s not usually that we see the extra sociable, playful facet of hyena, however some friends had the chance lately to look at a big group of eight or 9 hyena vocalising and operating in direction of a clearing. We initially thought that they have been responding to a potential kill, however as they reached the clearing, they began chasing one another very playfully and speeding right into a small pan for a swim. They’re one of many few predators within the savannah that love water, and it was superb to look at this extra ‘likeable’ facet of hyena.

Hippo’s

The opposite animals who get pleasure from water – and that is no shock – are the hippo. Due to nice rainfall throughout our final wet season, we nonetheless have loads of water accessible to them. As we head into the center of our winter, we are also having common views of the big pods popping out onto the sides of the dams and rivers to bake within the solar and have an excellent sleep!

Uncommon Sightings

We now have additionally had various uncommon sightings these previous few months as nicely. Dan and his friends have been spoiled with an amazing view of a large-spotted feminine genet and her two kittens. These are often very shy and skittish, significantly so once they have younger. However on this event, they have been capable of watch and {photograph} them for almost quarter-hour!

A big male ostrich has additionally been hanging out within the clearing simply north of Savanna. Though the numbers have improved over the previous couple of years, sightings of them are nonetheless few and much between and we have been handled to some nice viewing of him.

African Skies

Africa is famend for its skies, and extra particularly the sunrises and sunsets. That is much more true throughout winter, when mud, smoke and mist make the early mornings and late afternoons much more spectacular. We depart you with a couple of of those breath-taking views, and hope that you’re all capable of journey ahead of later, to get pleasure from them for yourselves in individual.

We hope that every one our associates and friends have been protecting secure and wholesome, and that your vaccine rollouts are going nicely, which in flip might assist you all return to us quickly to witness, in individual, nature at its greatest.

To compensate for all of the updates throughout our lockdown, please take a look at our YouTube Channel right here.

With heat needs
Neil, Natasha and The Savanna Staff