Highlights of the week
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November 15th.
4 lion sightings: a spectacular 2 hour long sighting was had this evening when we watched the Eyrefield pride hunting 2 buffalo- they eventually brought down a cow in the gentle rain south of Styx Crossing. The 2 lionesses from the Marthy pride and their 5 cubs were seen on Elephant Rock Lookout. The tailless lioness is still mating with one of the Clarendon males close to Main Camp. The 6 lionesses of the Marthly Breakaway pride were finishing off their buffalo kill from yesterday. 5 leopards: the Kikilezi female and her 2 cubs are still south of Paraffin Drift. An unidentified male was seen in front of Rattray’s Camp. The Teardrop female was chased up a tree by a pack of 22 cape hunting dogs east of the Tjellehanga River. The same pack provided us with much entertainment earlier in the day as they interacted with 3 elephant bulls for a good hour.
November 14th. A pleasantly overcast day with late afternoon and evening showers. 7 lion sightings with lots of roaring and contact calling this afternoon: the 2 lionesses from the Marthly pride and their 5 cubs were seen near Matumi Rocks. One of the Clarendon males was mating with the tailless Marthly lioness near Main Camp. We watched 3 of the 6 lionesses who broke away from the Marthly Breakaway pride kill a buffalo opposite Main Camp. The other 3 lionesses we seen separately initially but joined up south of Main Camp. The youngest Eyrefield lioness was found in Matshapiri Open Area. The rest of the pride were in the Hogvaal Donga. 6 leopards: the Kikilezi female and her 2 cubs have a male impala kill near Paraffin Drift. The Island female was close to Main Camp. The Split Rock male is becoming more impressive by the day and he was viewed along the northern reaches of the Matshapiri River. An unidentified female was seen north of Rattray’s Camp. Cheetah: 2 males were found in the northeast. Many elephant and buffalo sightings were recorded today.
November 8th-13th. Lions: the 6 lionesses who’ve broken way from the Marthly Breakaway pride continue to spend more time on MalaMala- they were viewed on 4 of the 6 days and this afternoon we watched them killed a buffalo. The 2 Clarendon males were seen with the aforementioned lionesses on all but one of the days. The 2 lionesses from the Marthly pride with their 5 cubs were found in Marthly on 3 of the 5 days. The tailless Marthly lionesses and the 4 subadults were also viewed on 3 days. The Eyrefield pride continue to dominate the central parts of our property and were viewed on 5 of the last 6 days. Both Matshapiri males spent 2 of the days with the Eyrefield pride and one with the Fourways who were seen after a lengthy absence in eastern Flockfield. The Sand River pride were viewed once in the south. Leopards: The Kikilezi female and her 2 cubs are doing well and were found of all days except 1. The Accipiter male has spent the last 2 days feeding off of his large warthog kill near Buffalo Bush Dam. The Piccadilly female was seen twice close to Main Camp. The Treehouse male was viewed at West Street Bridge. The Senegal Bush male was found near Sibuye Road today. An unidentified male was viewed near our Airstrip. Many elephant and buffalo sightings were recorded on each day.
November 6th. A MalaMala 7 day! 3 lion sightings: the 2 Clarendon males and 2 of the lionesses from the Marthly pride with their 5 cubs are on a buffalo kill in the Manyelethi River. The Eyrefield pride have joined the 2 Matshapiri males in Matshapiri Open Area. The large unidentified male we viewed not so long ago was seen south and east of Campbell Koppies. 4 leopards: the Sibuye female was viewed with the Senegal Bush male along the northern reaches of the Mlowathi River. Both cubs of the Kikilezi female were seen in Marthly. Cheetah: the 2 brothers were tried in vain to bring down an abandoned young buffalo in Clarendon Open Area. Cape hunting dogs: the pack of 3 was viewed in front of Sable Camp.
Many elephant and buffalo sighting were recorded on both days.