Cyberdiary – 10 October 2012

Cheetah at sunset by Andrei Snyman

Windy conditions were experienced the past couple of days out in the bush. Temperatures were mild at midday, and evenings were considered perfect. The night sky is nothing short of spectacular, with a starry-host that is second-to-none.

Eland calves by Andrei Snyman

Elephant herds are still concentrated along the southern regions of Mashatu, around the alluvial floodplains close to the Limpopo River. Herds of eland are scattered all across the landscape, and loads of baby eland are starting to appear. Small wildebeest herds are slowly making their way back to their former areas, but zebra are still fairly concentrated along the Pitsane River, where grassy pastures are still available. It’s along this river that the lions have been spending more time. A lioness and male lion manage to kill two small zebra and a waterbuck cow along the Pitsane river. The kills were made over a three-day period, and all took place around the same spot!

Cheetah and leopard sightings were also good. The cheetah family of six were seen every day over the past four days, and another lone female cheetah was seen making an impala kill this morning near Agates Koppie (close to Main Camp). Most leopard sightings took place along rivers, and with the vegetation being sparse, it’s fairly easy to find these super-elusive predators.

At the lion’s den by Andrei Snyman

A lioness and her cubs at the den site by Andrei Snyman

Lions were seen every day, and most of the activity took place at the lion den. The four cubs born in July this year are growing up fast, and they are also becoming very bold in their adventures – trying to catch the Francolins and Guinea fowls that are ‘sharing’ the same denning area. Another adult lioness, the sister of the female with the four cubs, is also believed to have given birth, and we should know the number and sex of the new lion faces within the next few weeks. For now they are still hidden away by the protective lioness.

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See you out there,

Andrei