Tales and memories from the Kwando concession Sept 2015

[Soukous]

Always a delight to read your TRs and see your photos Hari.

The helicopter shots add an extra dimension and are great for large gatherings like elephant, buffalo and pelicans. Probably not so great fro cheetahs.

 

Boy it looks dry.

[Big_Dog]

The Kwando facebook just shared a link to this TR also!

[madaboutcheetah]

Today's series features one of my current favourite antelope (the Kudu) ......

[madaboutcheetah]

These two sunset shots definitely look odd in composition - not sure what I was trying to attempt. Might sound like a broken record, but, must say that I'm not a fan of the fires/smoke or haze

Edited October 13, 2015 by madaboutcheetah

[offshorebirder]

BDF Airboat. Blasting through channels in that thing must be almost as much fun as a helicopter!

 

Not for the wildlife that gets terrorized by it...

[madaboutcheetah]

A few giraffe in the haze at Watercut....

 

The Saddle Billed stork too around there...

 

The Elephants are my view from Tent 1 (I may have mentioned already that some afternoons had over a 100 Elephants right at the lagoon in front of camp).

[Marks]

Kudu is also one of my favorites. Great photos. He's sporting quite a collection of flies on his face in one of them.

[egilio]

Thanks everyone for your extremely kind comments ....

 

@@egilio - I shall look for a pic of the guy with the collar tonight. For the most part I looked for an angle that would hide the collar (photographically) ....... I should have a couple with the collar.

 

Was it looking bad, or you just didn't want a collar in the picture?

[madaboutcheetah]

Combination of both .... Sorry will look for a photo today.

[madaboutcheetah]

Today's series features one of several male Lion coalitions that are seeking to take control of the Lagoon area and the lagoon pride. Here we see Savimbi - He and his Coalition mate Basheer have been terrorising the Lagoon pride. What seems very odd is, this particular Lioness seems to be entertaining any male Lion/coalitions that come around in order to protect the 3 young male sub-adults that are still with the pride. We saw her with several different coalitions on various days........

 

Besides, Savimbi and Basheer(Sp? sorry my head's foggy trying to keep up with the names or their spelling) ...... There's Black Sabbath and Old Gun (these two also want to control the Lebala grounds) they not only kicked out Blackie and Blondie from Lagoon, but, they have been terrorizing the Lebala grounds, where they head up there to fight with the Lebala territory holders "drop the pilot" and "Sebastian". Besides these, there's the new Namibian males trying to seek new pastures .......... Several other males too (many shy of vehicles - we saw one male with the pride one morning, but, he didn't hang around the vehicles). I'll have some photos later on....... In this sort of hostile environment, the pride were able to successfully raise the cubs from the 2014 litter - Kudos to Blackie and Blondie..... Hopefully they are safe (We saw a random male Lion at Zebra pan one evening - I have to later check my old photos if it might be Blackie or perhaps I'm just hoping he might be)

Drop the Pilot/Sebastian also have their fights with the males from Selinda ........ So, all in all ....... We have some real "fighters" around.

 

Is the fact that the area is fast drying up the reason for all these Lions moving in? Where are they coming from? Western Mopane? From up north in Muvumbi? Who knows ........

[michael-ibk]

Very glad to hear the Blackie/Blondie cubs are still alive!

[Big_Dog]

Fantastic photos.
And oh so many lion! How big are the 2 concessions again?
Some say when Mombo dried up and more lion came in, it led to a wild dog decline. But then in the Kruger some research suggests drought is good for dogs...either way food for thought in interesting times!

[madaboutcheetah]

Kwando concession is 232,000 hectares.

 

Michael, will have photos of the sub adults in the next couple of days .....

[pault]

@madaboutcheetah Wow! Page 4 and ounly one cheetah shot. You're turning into an omnivore, Hari. Great self control. Must be that helicopter ride (like others, love those shots).

 

Looking forward to the lions and even more so to the cheetahs.... but I can wait. More dogs too perhaps?

 

For someone who can't follow all the lion comings and goings you do a very good job of explaining them.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks @@pault ....... Will get to the dogs over the weekend. Reason I haven't posted the dogs or cheetah yet - much / too much to edit

 

For now, today's post features some general game (including a sort of Zebra huddle) something I've not seen before. Not sure what they were communicating to each other (was it a greeting of some sort?) ......

[egilio]

Fantastic photos.

And oh so many lion! How big are the 2 concessions again?

Some say when Mombo dried up and more lion came in, it led to a wild dog decline. But then in the Kruger some research suggests drought is good for dogs...either way food for thought in interesting times!

 

Just remember what you're comparing. A largely regularly flooding area becoming less flooded and a dryland area becoming even drier.

[Marks]

Gorgeous lion sequence. Those names - maybe ten years ago I saw a Black Sabbath concert; I would much rather see the lion version...

[madaboutcheetah]

A quick couple of photos of the "Boys of Lagoon" ......... They maybe Old/ slow/ missing teeth / shades of their former selves ...... but, they are still damn good hunters and can take care of themselves quite well (pity - they seem to spend more and more time up north in the Muvumbi valley these days). Reason for that - one of them has a limp and is slow and his brother is keeping up with him and staying by his side the entire time. News from Spencer is, that tracks and very random sightings of the third brother on his own occurs from time to time (no surprises, he's always taken off on his own from time to time over the years). Possibly to cover their territory and possibly to find females? I have lots of hope, faith and a strong feeling that's he's still out there somewhere. Possibly, reunites with these two up in Muvumbi? Who knows ........... I was told that there hasn't been a cheetah sighting in several months in Lagoon....... Thank Heavens the boys popped in during my visit and I'm very Thankful that they spared us the gruelling trip to Muvumbi in the heat of September.

Edited October 17, 2015 by madaboutcheetah

[Safaridude]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Isn't there a new male coalition in the area?

[madaboutcheetah]

@@Safaridude - Cheetah male coalition?

Apparently, the two young males that we saw last year (I think i remember you saw the same ones too from your Trip report) seldom visit anymore. I think they are more Duma Tau/Savuti onto the Savuti Marsh now ..........

 

We did meet guides from Selinda who came over to Lebala for the annual Kwando Vs Selinda football match - apparently, they see from time to time a very new and very shy new three brother coalition who are young. So, it's just a matter of time .........

[Bush dog]

Hari,

 

I really love those last three pictures of the cheetahs with a very unusual background. It emphasizes very well, especially the first one, their ability to blend into the landscape, owing to their natural camouflage.

[madaboutcheetah]

Hi Mike,

Thanks so much - yes, very unique indeed. Sheesh!!! The boys are so slow with age ..... They are such brilliant hunters with experience - more images to come shortly.

Cheers

Hari

[Bush dog]

Hari,

 

Having a closer look at the third picture, one could think that this photo was taken in a winter envirionment, the soil being covered with a thin layer of snow?

[madaboutcheetah]

Today's series features the deadly duo "Black Sabbath and Old Gun" along with a pride that they firmly have a stronghold of - a pride of 5 Lionesses that traverse between "water cut" in Lagoon and some islands in the Eastern section all the way upto the Lebala grounds. In the morning, "Hobbs" had found the pride along with two little cubs hidden in the thicket ....... This series is from later in the evening. The pride are waking up and heading out for a walk and we left them scouting for game in the fading light that evening - alas, the cubs were just hiding in the thicket and we didn't get a chance to see them when the pride members set out hunting.

[madaboutcheetah]

(Continued) ........ we were photographing the pride, when suddenly we notice Black Sabbath follow the ladies .... I had to get some images of him. We hung around for another 20 minutes or so, prior to heading off to sundowners - no idea re the result of their hunt that evening; as for the following day, we got caught up with the cheetah boys - Hunting day!!!! (stay tuned....)

 

This pride in these images, is not to be confused with the resident "lagoon pride" who comprise of 4 Females and 3 young Sub adult males (cubs from 2014)