Highlights of the week
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October 18th.
3 lion sightings: 2 lionesses from the Styx pride are feeding off a triple buffalo kill in the northern parts of our reserve. The 2 Matshapiri males were viewed moving east across the reserve and into the Kruger National Park. The Eyrefield pride were found in the Hogvaal Donga. 9 leopards: the Nontshameni female was viewed in the north east. The Treehouse male was seen along Gowrie Trust Road. The Piccadilly female was west of Campbell Koppies. The cubs of the Kikilezi female were just west of Main Camp. The Emsagweni female was at Matshapiri Open Area. The Teardrop female is on a bushbuck kill in the south. The Senegal Bush male was near Tslebe Rocks. The young collared male ‘Sindile’ was very close to the Styx lionesses. The Nontshameni female was also seen. The northern parts of property was littered with buffalo herds. Many elephant sightings were also recorded.
October 14th. Lions: the Eyrefield pride and both Matshapiri males have finished off their buffalo kill and were resting in the Sand River north of Rattray’s Camp- this was before they noticed the Treehouse male and the Tamboti female- the youngest lionesses was intent on eliminating these competitors. She stalked towards the blissfully unaware mating pair with great purpose and intensity. Luckily for the leopards they caught wind of her just in time and narrowly escaped an untimely death before ascending a large tree. This near death experience didn’t seem to phase the Tamboti female… with lions under the tree she promptly continued to make flirtatious advances toward the disinterested male. A hippo carcass was discovered nearby and both the lions and the leopard were seen feeding on it at separately. 6 leopards (including the aforementioned pair). The Island female was just south of Main Camp. The Kikilezi female and her cubs were seen west of Main Camp. 5 herds of buffalo and many elephants were viewed on both days.
October 13th. 2 lion sightings: the Eyrefield pride were joined at their buffalo kill by the 2 Matshapiri males just north of Rattray’s Camp. An unidentified young male (probably Talamati) was found near our Airstrip. 7 leopards: the Kikilezi female and her two cubs were viewed just west of Main Camp. The Piccadilly female (also offspring of the Kikilezi female) was found nearby. The young adult has simply been refusing to leave her mothers territory and on this day the bottled up aggression broke its seal- the two had a brief but intense fight. The Treehouse male and the Tamboti female have paired up and they were viewed right outside Rattray’s Camp. A No ID male (quarantine) was seen at Clarendon Open Area. Cheetah: the 2 brothers were also viewed in Clarendon Open Area.
October 12th. 2 lion sightings: We watched the Eyrefield pride bring down a buffalo bull in the Sand River just north of Rattray’s Camp. The large unidentified male lion from yesterday was viewed just south of Rattray’s Camp. 6 leopards: the Bicycle Crossing male and a No ID male (maxabeni) had a stand off in the south. The Kikilezi female and her cubs were viewed just west of Main Camp. A unidentified male was seen near Tslebe Rocks. Cheetah: the 2 brothers were viewed in the north. Many elephants and buffalo were viewed over the days as well as 4 honey badger sightings.