The Pursuit of Cats and Dogs - Timbavati, Sabi Sands

[Kitsafari]

a call came through, the pride had been found and it was a way off from where we were. when we reached the area, a self-drive vehicle was waiting for us. It was someone who had used to work as a ranger in sabi sands but was on a holiday with his wife and young kids. we thanked him and he went on his way, leaving us with the famous, or should i say infamous Tsalala pride and its legendary fierce tailless female.

 

The pride is under seige. With their male patrons (the Majingalang males) hundreds of kilometres away in the west, they are vulnerable to young male coalitions trying to seize the land. for the moment, they were all rested with 2 adult females of 9-10 years old, 1 young adult female of 1.5 years (a sole survivor of a litter of 8 cubs), and 4 subadults (2 males and 1 female). The tailless female has a formidable reputation for killing any rival predators including an alpha male wild dog (witnessed by one of our ST-ers) and protective (a couple of weeks ago, she led two male lions away while the rest of the pride escaped). Today, she just looked beautiful and protective.

 

you can see the mist is still lingering around the lions, and the vapour drops gathering on branches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a close bond between brother and sister...

 

 

and one of the older adult females behind them

 

 

 

the fearless tailless Tsalala female

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

Our breakfast arrived. Londolozi is flexible about breakfast which can be sent to you wherever you are, so that you don't have to rush through any sightings to rush back to camp for breakfast.

 

since the group wasn't moving, and the sun finally crept up, we decided to move elsewhere to have our mocharula (spelt wrong as machorula earlier on!) and food. when we returned, the pride was gone and had crossed into the next concession.

 

so we moved on. it was going to be a pachyderm day. 4 white rhinos - two adult females with their respective babies were browsing close to the road. one of the babies was curious about us, and moved a little closer for a better look. after eyeing us for a while, and not able to decide if we were a threat, they decided to stay safe and moved off. Since it's Londolozi, I'll put up the pix!

 

 

taking a peek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

we went in search of a female leopard which had stashed a kill on a tree next to the dam. But first as we passed some kopje (this is a rocky area!), Sandros' sharp eyes saw a tiny antelope watching our vehicle drive by. a klipspringer! my first sighting of the tiny thing.

 

 

 

 

a vehicle was already there waiting for the spotted cat to appear to feed. but she was fast asleep hidden against a log in a cosy little nook next to the waters. together with the other vehicle, we watched her a bit. This was the Nanga female leopard, about 6 years old. Londolozi keeps track of all the leopards in their area. I think all the rangers have a set of leopards ID and their respective history. It's really quite interesting as most of the leopards in the concession are descendants of the great Mother leopard, which was made famous by John Varty, one of the two Varty brothers who converted the once hunting and wildlife-depleted grounds 30 years ago into a most successful photo-safari tourist area. Londolozi also served as a retreat for Nelson Mandela when he was alive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

Birds came to partake some of the water but they were far away and we struggled to get good shots of them in between twigs and branches and leaves!

 

a go-away bird

 

 

[Kitsafari]

reports came in of a lion in the middle of a particularly dense bushveld close by. the vehicle had to thrash some trees down but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack - how do the rangers know exactly where the lion was in the dense tight bushveld? well they seemed to know because Sandros found the male lion tucked among trees and thick bushes, across a ravine too treacherous to cross.

 

Sandros thought it was one of the Styx males, but the ranger in the other vehicle thought it was the birmingham male which we dismissed as we had read the previous night that the birminghams were all in the north section. In the end, when I returned and asked watchers of Sabi Sands lions, this young male was identified as one of the Sparta sub-adult males which later joined up other prides. the sparta pride was also under seige from the marauding male lions and some of the members were separated.

 

He was a handsome clean looking male with beautiful clear eyes. probably hiding from his pursuers.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2015 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

the evening drive started at 3pm, with zebras. we hadn't seen many of them so it was quite cool to view a few of them.

 

 

 

then we wandered into a herd of breeding elephants. there were loads of them, a group on our side of the hill, and then another group across the other hill. it was great sitting close to them, watching them browse and listening to the leaves rustling as the elephants tucked and pulled. cool just seeing the young elephants tracking their mums very closely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

a duiker i think

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

we come across two teenage rhinos trotting on the road. the younger of the two were not nervous of us at all, and they showed no inclination to run from us (which is rather worrying). we moved on and came across another two adult rhinos ignoring us as they continue to vacuum the grass. later that evening, another two older teenage rhinos were on their own. so in total we saw 10 rhinos just today. amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2015 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

Sunset and a small waterhole was a scene of tranquility and serene reflection. a handful of zebras and waterbucks were sharing the grasses. it was therapeutic just sitting quietly in our vehicle and watching them snatching the last of their meals before the darkness folded in.

 

 

 

 

 

the next two pictures taken with mobile phones..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

we had sundowners at a cross intersection and dusk was around us. we were going to search for a bush toilet when the ranger saw a hyena stopping a few hundred metres away from us, staring intently at us. but having ascertained we were not potential food nor likely to leave any kill for his scavenging, he went on his way.

 

dusk

 

 

after my lemonade and his wine, we were on our way with the spotlight leading the way. I forgot to mention something. While in Makanyi, the tracker stayed on his front seat all the time even when we were viewing predators. In Londolozi, before entering the area where we knew there were predators, the tracker would move into the passenger seat in the front row. This is to protect the tracker. Timbavati and Sabi Sands are the first places I've had trackers so I don't know what the practices are in other countries and regions.

 

how they saw it, i have no idea. but a flick of a tail was all they needed to check it out. Equaliser moved into the passenger seat and we found a female leopard hiding behind a bush. She looked like she wanted to hunt, and since we were the only ones there, we decided to trail her. she gave up on the hunt quick, not because of our presence, but because she appeared to be calling for a mate. she would mark her presence and started her hacking cough calls and walked down a road, which made it so convenient for us.

 

She was the Xinpalapala female of about 3 years old. we gave up on photos after a while as the light was too low, so we simply sat back and soaked in the enjoyment of watching and following the leopard. the only time she showed a bit of nerves was when we rushed forward to get pictures of her once too often. and the other time when she became nervous was when a hyena came along, attracted by her calls. she hid among the bushes, and the hyena hung around for a bit before he/she left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in between, we caught a picture of a mongoose

 

Edited September 28, 2015 by Kitsafari

[michael-ibk]

Another day with great sightings! Jealous about the Klippspringer, never seen one. About the tracker: With Kwando they normally left their seat and came into the vehicle when predators were close. But I remember one night drive when we just happened upon two lions coming out of the grass and there simply was no time for that. I was pretty nervous about our tracker who was sitting out there not more than 5 m away from the lions. He was notm though - at least he said so.

 

Sorry you're not feeling well!

[Tom Kellie]

we come across two teenage rhinos trotting on the road. the younger of the two were not nervous of us at all, and they showed no inclination to run from us (which is rather worrying). we moved on and came across another two adult rhinos ignoring us as they continue to vacuum the grass. later that evening, another two older teenage rhinos were on their own. so in total we saw 10 rhinos just today. amazing.

 

~ @@Kitsafari

 

That's a lovely pair of sentences!

Of the many words I've read in Safaritalk trip reports, what you've written is at the top for “only-on-safari charm”.

Thank you!

Tom K.

[Marks]

I like the muted sunrise photo. Maybe it's just because we're almost into October, but the first one almost seems like a Halloween photo.

Sandros did a great job spotting that little klipspringer. What a charming animal!
Ten rhinos in one day is hard to beat. Love the elephants too.

 

When I was in the Sabi Sand (Elephant Plains), our tracker only moved into the passenger seat for lions. I was surprised, as I would think the bigger herbivores deserve just as much caution. In fact I'd stay in the car the whole time!

[Alexander33]

@@Kitsafari

 

We've now spent time at four different reserves in South Africa, and at all four, our guide would always stop and have the tracker join him (or her) in the front passenger seat for any of the cats -- lion, leopard or cheetah. I'm like @@Marks, though: I wouldn't feel any more comfortable up there if elephants or rhinos were around, either!

 

Really enjoying your report, btw. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

[Kitsafari]

Thanks everyone. @@Tom Kellie, i was trying to finish the whole report before you leave for sabi sands, but i still have 1.5 days of trip to go and you are leaving soon! have a great trip! and hope you get to see a lot of your favourite cat - the lions. there's plenty happening on the lion scene especially with the male coalitions. so you will surely be kept busy.

 

[Kitsafari]

@@michael-ibk @@Marks @@Alexander33 I did ask the tracker at Makanyi whether he was worried when the 3 male lions walked right by him. He said he wasn't although when he first started as a tracker and had to sit at the front, he did feel nervous and vulnerable. I guess after years of watching these predators walk right by him, he's lost much of his fear. but hopefully not much of his alertness! you never know with wildlife.

 

i recall one of the stories he told when he was with the anti-poaching team. he and a colleague had followed lion tracks which led to an open clearing. they were so focussed on the tracks then, that when they reached the clearing and looked up, they were almost surrounded by a pride of lions! he was so darn scared but had to slowly and quietly walked backwards towards where they came from. fortunately, nothing untoward happened! I wouldn't want ever to get into that situation!!

[Game Warden]

@@Kitsafari Please do consider writing a review of the properties in which you stayed for the new Lodge and Camp review subforum. Thanks, Matt.

[Atravelynn]

Such cute little scratching post action! You have some documentary footage of that leopard cub. Seems that Kruger Greater Reserves are ripe with leopard cubs. Congrats on spotting the tiny head and helping us to see it too.

 

I hesitated to "like" your post #5.

Edited October 1, 2015 by Atravelynn

[Atravelynn]

To chime in on the hornbill rarity, I recalled something from a trip back in 2007

 

."An article in a Federal Air magazine indicated that South Africa had only about 1500 Ground Hornbills."

[Kitsafari]

@@Atravelynn welcome back! can't wait for your mana pools report - are you doing a joint one with wilddog?

 

Next time, I shan't argue with the guides/ranger. 1,500 southern ground hornbill is a small number. According to this link (http://www.ground-hornbill.org.za/) - warren was indeed spot-on for SA.

 

"within South Africa they have been classified as ‘Endangered', with their numbers outside of formally protected areas are still declining. It is even likely that the birds will soon meet the IUCN Red Data List Criteria as being ‘Critically Endangered’ in South Africa."

 

they are marvellous to watch though. really big birds who waddle when they walk and we've heard their vibrato boom calls before - amazing calls .

[Kitsafari]

I didn't manage to finish my report on Monday, sadly and after that work took precedence.

 

But I shall and must end it today!

 

The last full day of our safari dawned bright and clear. the skies were illuminated dark blood maroon as the sun rose amid clear skies.

 

 

 

There had been a huge herd of buffaloes that were traversing through the concession so we went in search of them. when we found them they were browsing in the thick of magic quarry bushes. Sandros drove into the thicket, guessed which direction they were heading (and as usual he was accurate), positioned us, turned off the engine, and waited. It was magic. the slight rustle as the buffaloes came towards us, then surrounded us, showing a tinge of curiosity and just a touch of shock to see a huge grey boulder in front of them. they quickly gloss over us, went around us, and went on browsing. There were hundreds of them, spread far beyond us, moving as one with some straggling behind or some eager beavers pulling ahead of the herd.

 

their rustling as they pulled on the leaves, and their feet shuffing along the dead leaves on the ground amid the silence around us, broken only by the birds calling out for their early worms (it was 6.45am and we were still wrapped against the morning nippy chills). it was one of those times, when no photos or tape can convey. you just had to be there....

 

 

 

Impressive horns

 

 

[Kitsafari]

I'm just watching wildsafarilive, and there's such a sad turn of events. when we saw the Tsalala pride in Londolozi, there were 7 of them - two adult females (including the tailless one), one young adult female, 3 male sub-adult males and one female sub-adult female.

the pride is now on the run from the marauding Matimba male coalition and have been pushed out of the Londolozi concession and have gone into the Djumba/Arathusa region. there are only the tailless adult female, young adule female and the 3 male sub-adults one of which has a bad injury on his hind leg. not sure what has happened to the other adult female and the female sub-adult.

 

the lion dynamics are just churning so fast in Sabi Sands that the prides are all on the run from so many marauding male coalitions trying to stamp their territories. fascinating, but sad for the pride members which paid the ultimate price.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

we hadn't seen many male nyalas so after we left the buffaloes behind and came up against an adult male nyala and his harem. those we had seen earlier were shy antelopes. I often confuse female nyala, also known as inyala, with female bushbuck, but the males are pretty impressive with their stripped dark coats and furry upper limbs. This antelope is native to southern Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[elefromoz]

Too many lovely, exciting sightings@@Kitsafari, so many Rhinos and so close, you must have been able to smell them! Is that Fish Eagle a juvenile, just wondering with the mottled plumage, other photos I've seen have snow White head and neck, I've never seen one and its on my wishlist, ever-growing, for next time. Too bad about the Ground Hornbill being in strife, the list just grows. "A beautiful clean looking male with bright eyes", indeed, long may he reign amidst the complicated politics of a Lions society.

[elefromoz]

Oh dear @@Kitsafari no sooner had I finished philosophising about a Lions life, when you tell us the very Lions whom I'd just been enjoying, laying around, very chilled, are now in turmoil. The Nyala are beautiful, added them to my Wishlist too.

[Kitsafari]

we turned back to the camp as a leopard had been seen on a tree with a kill close to the Sand River and not that far off from camp. This was the Mashaba female, the mother of the two elusive cubs. it was good to see her eating which means the cubs - which we had yet to see! - won't go hungry! the tree was by the river banks, and only could accomodate 3 vehicles at most. luckily we were the second car that arrived so we could stay. a hyena had been hanging around but was sleeping a bit of a distance away from the tree and the Mashaba female would cast glances at the hyena, checking if it was still there.

 

warning : a deluge of Mashaba female pictures ahead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2015 by Kitsafari