The insolent Vervet Monkey or Blou Aap - August 2009

The Vervet Monkey, Cercopithecus Aethiopicus, as the Latin name indicates, is common throughout most of Africa right up to Ethiopia. It is especially common at the Tremisanna Lodge.
At Tremisana, our staff has to stand guard at breakfast time. In fact, the staff has taken to using a slingshot to deter the monkeys from getting too close to the great-smelling bacon and eggs. I have enquired and am told that not once has a monkey actually been struck with the small stones the staff shoot towards them. I would like to believe that the staff miss on purpose ( knowing that the monkeys will be sufficiently scared off by the near misses ) but Bongani informs me that the ladies are simply poor shots. Monkeys are strictly diurnal, so the problems we have at Breakfast are not repeated at Dinner, by which time the troop is safely roosting on the water tower and adjacent trees.

The Afrikaans name for the Vervet Monkey is BLOU AAP, which translated literally means Blue Monkey. The name derives from the bright blue scrotum that the males have. Added to this is a red penis, so the genital colours are quite noticeable. I recall many years ago pointing out these colourful genitalia to a young French girl. I then alluded to the similarity to the colours of the French flag and, as expected, got a reasonably furious response !

The bright genitalia of an adult male Vervet Monkey are not only a signal of his sexual maturity but also accentuate his social status. He may walk with an exaggerated swagger that flashes the colourful genitals as his tail swings from side to side. A dominant male often will curve his tail up and lower his bright blue scrotum and display the scarlet penis while he walks past or around a subordinate male. The subordinate male reacts by retracting his genitalia, thus accepting the other male’s superior rank.

I recently read an article in the local Durban paper about a most distressing report about monkey business in Zambia. Apparently a Vervet Monkey widdled ( urinated ) on the Zambian president’s head at a recent press conference in the State House grounds in Lusaka.

It happened just as President Rupiah Banda was criticising the main opposition leader, Michael Sata. It just shows you to what lengths these devious opposition members will go to, even suborning the local monkey population. And I thought our own Helen Zille was bad. I also thought we had a monkey problem in Durban, but I have never heard of anything quite as irreverently insolent as this…

BONGANI reports that the animals have been encountered in greater numbers to the north and east of Satara. He regularly sees all the Big Five here. His highlights are reported as follows :

“I started the month well – on 1 August we came across two big male lions eating a buffalo along the Olifants road not far from Tremisana Lodge. Three black-backed jackals were sitting on the other side of the road, patiently watching the ‘ Kings of the Balule Bush ’ eating their breakfast. After a few minutes, some vultures arrived, settling in the trees nearby. I noticed that one of the male lions has a broken tooth, probably damaged while attacking buffalo. After breakfast, we went to Kruger for the day. We were lucky to see a big herd of buffalo at Nsemane Dam being stalked by three lionesses. The buffalo bulls protected the calves that were in the centre of the herd. While all this was going on a herd of elephant arrived for their morning drink. One of the younger bulls was quite angry at seeing the lions and chased them for over 300 metres. Later that day we came across a pride of two male and three female lions nears Nyamari Pan. They had treed a leopard that looked very uncomfortable. Apparently it had been in this precarious position since the previous evening. Luckily a herd of giraffe approached the water. The lions spread out and started to stalk the giraffe. As soon as they had moved off, the obviously relieved leopard came down from the tree and ran off. The lions did not catch the giraffe that had noticed them from a distance and also ran off.

On 5 August I had great luck on Balule seeing both Black and White Rhino. On the morning Bush Walk, we came across a lioness stalking a Steenbok. The wind was blowing from the lioness towards us so we were able to approach quite close. Later the same day, we had a great sighting of four cheetah.

On 15 August we came across a leopard in a tree near Satara. It was eating an impala and there were two hyenas below the tree, feeding on the falling scraps. An elephant appeared and moved straight to the tree on which the leopard was. He started rubbing himself against the tree. This was too much for the leopard which came down quickly on the other side and ran off, no doubt planning to return once the elephant went away.

On 28 August we had great sightings on the S 100 in Kruger. We saw three attempted kills in the space of 10 km. First we saw three lions chasing a zebra. One km away there were two leopards stalking an impala and a further nine km on we found another pride of lions after a giraffe. Really the stuff of dreams ”

BERTUS's report for August 2009

Kruger

Once again we were very fortunate in Kruger this month with a few first sightings for me in Kruger as well as lifers.

Right at the beginning of the month we saw a side striped jackal on the Timbavati Road close to the Satara/Orpen turn off. Also a Palmnut vulture at the Shibotwana watering hole on the S100. Both sightings for me were firsts. ( First time ever seen in Kruger )

Lions were spotted on every drive as well as elephant and buffalo. There are a lot of big tuskers that we often spot at the Ngotso-south watering hole. On the crossing of the H1-4 and the S89 there is a den with 2 Hyena cub that are about 6 months old as well as a young one that I think cannot be more than 2 months old.

Hippos are starting to be concentrated in larger numbers as it is getting drier notably near the Gudzani Dam and the Nwanetsi River crossing on the S41. Rhinos are also seen more often near the Girivana Waterhole as well as on the H1-4. There is also a leopard just north of Ngotso dam but it is evading me most of the time. We have seen Leopard though on the S36 towards Muzandzeni where the Shimangwaneni Dam is a good spot to see Sable Antelope.

Notable was a sighting of a large python that was lying in a tree next to the road on the H6 - not often that you see this snake so close in the wild.

Birding was once again very good : A Martial eagle eating a dove in a tree next to the road; a Tawny eagle that had captured a scrub hare and proceeded to eat it right in front of us next to the road. We also saw a Ground Hornbill eating a leopard tortoise ; lots of sightings of ostrich, kori bustard as well as one of a Purple roller, that I have not seen in a while in Kruger. The Scops owl at Muzandzeni and Satara are still on their posts as always.

Birding was once again very good

Balule

Here the sightings fluctuated from quiet on the one day to extraordinary the next. The buffalo have decided to move closer to Tremisana and with them the Lions that have developed a taste for them. I know of about 5 buffalo that were killed in the area over the last month. Also they kill giraffe on a regular basis - with one sighting we had a buffalo and giraffe in one go not 100m apart.

The walks are still a lot of fun with my competition ( bokdrolspoegkompetisie – literally buck dropping spitting competition ) for which I have only had one or two guests that decided not to participate. We had a good sighting of a lone buffalo bull that was very interested in us and approached us to have a better view. The rhino created some memorable sightings: we saw the rhino at the Tshukudu fence line with a lion roaring not 100 m from us. Another was the same rhino that had a fight with his neighbour through the fence. They were then not bothered by the electric fence and ripped the fence line apart. The best for me on a last morning walk from the lodge we saw 2 rhinos not a hundred meters from the lodge. First time I have seen them in this area. The there are also the two Porcupines that are living underneath a bush close to the small watering hole in front of Tremisana Lodge. My discovery of the month is a hyena den close to Chapel Rock. I will look in regularly to see when they have returned there. ”

LOREY is a new guide. She emailed the following:

“I’m one of the new guides for Viva Safaris. For the first month I had amazing sightings in Kruger National Park, Balule Game Reserve and Motlala Game Reserve. The following Big & Hairy sightings were had: 3 prides of lions, leopard with a kill, the mysterious silhouette of a leopard, a cheetah lying on a termite mount, a pack of wild dogs and a lion pride chased by an elephant at one of the watering holes. For those of you that are into birds I saw: lilac breasted rollers, an ostrich doing its mating ritual, two tawny eagles mating, two groups of ground hornbills with juveniles and brown snake eagles. I also had the opportunity to have a glimpse of a reedbuck. A safari is not a safari without seeing the normal game like zebra, impala, and giraffe.

Safari greetings
Lorey ”

TOLLI, another new guide, reports as follows:

“I had fantastic sightings this mouth in the Kruger National Park : regular sightings of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalos. There is a black rhino carcass at the Shimangwaneni dam. Apparently two rhino bulls had a big fight and the one was so badly injured that the ranger had to shoot it. He did not want to interfere with nature’s natural way but to protect the horn against poachers. One morning we stumbled upon some lionesses and cubs and there we saw them feast on the black rhino carcass. This was really something I have never seen in my life before.

I had some wonderful birding sightings, from little blue waxbills, Open Bill Stork, Ostrich, Martial Eagle, and Brown Snake Eagle etc. But my best sighting of the month was the mating ritual of the Bateleur. I now know why thy call it a “berghaan” (mountain rooster) in Afrikaans - because of the crowing sound it makes. We sat at least an half an hour at the amazing display of the bird, puffing up its feathers, jumping up and down showing of its plumage, open and closing its wings and crowing like a crazy rooster. This was a fantastic experience and I hope the photographs can justify some of its magnificence.

It is clear that the seasons are changing, the knob thorns and wild pears are starting to bloom and we had our first bit of rain last week- Spring is on our doorstep and we are going to have a beautiful summer, I can’t wait to see what sightings we are going to have this month. ”

Tolli is a professional photographer as well as a tourist guide, so enjoy these and future shots.

RHULANI started the month on what he terms “Kill Day”. On 1 August Rhulani and guests saw a giraffe kill, lions on a fresh zebra kill and two different sightings of Martial Eagle kills : first a Francolin and then a young impala.

On 6 August Rhulani and guests saw how affectionate lions can be. He reports as follows : “On the loop road near Nsemane, a lioness crossed right in front of us. From the other side, another lioness appeared from the bush and crossed the road and ‘kissed’ her sister . They then called the cubs to join them. Later the same day we completed our Big Five sightings by viewing the female leopard that is often seen near Bobbejaankrans.

On the 30th August we had another Big Five day. We had sightings of two different leopards on the S 100 and had a really great photographic experience of a lioness that walked right past our open vehicle. We arrived late at the gate and convinced the authorities not to fine us for being late by showing the wonderful photos that had been taken.”

THULANI does most of his drives along the S 39 ( Timbavati River loop ) and S 36
(Mudzanzene Road). He reports excellent sightings of the Big Five. Lions were seen eating on a still alive Black Rhino at Shimangwanene Dam. It is not clear whether the rhino was injured by another rhino or taken down by the lions. Thulane reported the matter to the Satara authorities who came and put the rhino out of its misery immediately. If it is the case that the Black Rhino was, in fact, caught by the lions then this is bad news. In Chobe Reserve in Botswana, lions have learned how to kill elephants. There is no record of this ever happening in Kruger. What worries me is that the lions may eventually specialise in Black Rhino kills. These are endangered and it may become quite a problem. I read in the newspaper that 34 rhinos, of which one was a Black Rhino, have been poached since the beginning of the year. I so wish that lions would frighten and terrify would-be poachers sufficiently to change jobs!

Thulane had a great day on 22nd August as reported : “ We saw lions feeding on a giraffe on the S 100; two cheetah on the S 140 standing on a termite mound; eight Wild Dogs about six km further on the same road and plenty buffalo, elephant and White Rhino. Missed the leopard, but got two on the 29th along the S 100.”

ANDRIES reports as follows : “The 1st August was for me a great day in that we had a sighting of 20 Wild Dogs near Orpen Gate. I have also seen a big male leopard on three occasions this month in the immediate vicinity of Orpen Camp. I was fortunate to see the same pack of Wild Dogs again on the 13th – great sightings , especially as I have never seen them on Balule ”

We are busy with construction. At Tremisana we are building a two bedroomed Guest House which can be used for guests or double up as staff accommodation.

Problems with alien Myna birds - July 2009

Towards the end of the month I was horrified to see a pair of Indian Myna birds flying around the new Pick and Pay centre in Hoedspruit. I am very familiar with the Myna as my home town, Durban, is the city from where these exotics were first introduced into South Africa by Indian immigrants. I know the species to be extremely pugnacious and aggressive. They have spread from Durban to Gauteng and now, unfortunately, even to Hoedspruit. These birds are a real menace insofar as they can displace the endemic species. We have in excess of 500 bird species in Kruger Park and environs and it would be a sad situation if any of these species were to suffer as a result of the presence of Mynas.

When people emigrated to South Africa, they brought with them certain animal species. They probably did this so as to feel a little more “at home” in a new country. Cecil Rhodes brought with him a number of animals to Cape Town. The Grey Squirrel and Tahr (a type of mountain goat )are examples. After over 100 years, the Tahr was regarded as a problem animal and a concerted effort was made to eliminate these aliens from Table Mountain. I am told that there are still a few wily individuals that have managed to survive. I am also told by my friends in Northern Italy that the Grey Squirrel has done enormous damage to the continued wellbeing of the indigenous Red Squirrel. In fact there is concern that unless some drastic action is taken soon, the entire European population of Red Squirrels may be under threat. In South Africa we need to monitor the spread of the Grey Squirrel in case it also does damage to local squirrel populations.

At Tremisana Lodge we have a number of House Sparrows. This species was introduced by the 1820 British settlers. I remember as a young man living in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, how I would be awakened by the call of the Cape Sparrow. Within 10 years, the House Sparrow had displaced the Cape Sparrow.

Problems with alien animal introduction occur internationally. The extermination of a local species by an alien is always a sad event. In Kruger Park there is much concern about the extermination of a number of fish species. I know of a number of dams very near the boundary of Kruger in which exotic species such as carp and bass have been introduced. In fact we have such a dam not very far from Marc’s Treehouse Lodge. At the beginning of this year after the major rains we had, it is very possible that some of these exotic fish may have entered the Klaserie River. This river flows past Marc’s on its way to the Olifants River which it joins not far from Phalaborwa. Imagine what chaos Large-mouthed Bass would cause if they were to establish themselves in the Olifants River! Kruger Park scientists are aware of the potential hazards to conservation and must continue to monitor the rivers entering the Park.

We do not allow any domestic cats into wildlife conservation areas. The reason for this is that they may breed with the African Wild Cat. In fact I remember the acute embarrassment I felt on a Night Drive some years ago on encountering a domestic cat. The tourists were as shocked as I was.

We need to be serious when it comes to preserving the wildlife in our custody!

The dry conditions have resulted in excellent game-viewing this month. The guides have had all manner of wonderful sightings, including some rarer species such as Wild Dog and Black Rhino. I had occasion to spend two days in Kruger while I was training new guides. On both occasions we saw the Big Five and also saw lions on kills.

BONGANI reports that he has had a very good month, with regular sightings of the Big Five. He reports the highlights as follows:

“On 1 July, near Kingfisherspruit between Orpen and Satara we came across two Cheetah that were hunting. They located a Steenbuck and chased it. They got really close, but because the Steenbuck can zig-zag while it is running, the Cheetah were unable to catch it. After their chase, the exhausted cheetah returned to the tar road and went to sleep on the road. Later on the same day we had a sighting of a big herd of Buffalo. Two lionesses approached the herd. It was so interesting to see how the herd reacted. The calves and cows gathered in the centre of the group while the bulls moved to the periphery, Once all the cows and calves were settled, 3 big buffalo bulls charged at the lionesses and chased them away. In the afternoon we had a great sighting of elephants swimming in Nsemani Dam. The guests were thoroughly entertained by the antics of the elephants and we spent almost an hour watching them. ”

He continues : “On 11 July, I had great luck with White Rhino. We saw 10 together – the most I have ever seen in one group! They were walking on the road along the Rabelais loop and were moving towards a stream to take a mud bath. While they were busy in the water, two elephants bulls arrived on the scene. I was expecting an altercation, but the big rhino bull simply ignored (maybe he was having such fun that he didn’t see )the elephants who drank and moved away. At Nsemani dam we had a sighting of two lionesses attempting to stalk some kudu. The kudu were very wary and ran away. Later on we drove on the S 100 and located a leopard that was stalking a herd of impala. It was getting really close and our expectations were high. Suddenly there was a huge hullabaloo from the trees – a group of Vervet Monkeys had spotted the Leopard and were telling the whole of Africa about it! The impalas ran off.”

He concludes : “On the 19th I was awakened at Tremisana by a lot of bellowing. I woke up the guests and before the sun had risen, we went looking for what I knew was going to be great. Not more than 50 metres from the staff quarters, 2 male lions were killing a buffalo cow. Before they started eating some buffalo bulls came to investigate, maybe to see if they could help their friend. The lions left the carcass and went straight for the buffalo bulls, dispersing them very quickly. It was great to have a buffalo kill so close to the lodge – the guests could not believe it!”

BERTUS spent most of the month on long leave. His best day in Kruger was reported as follows :

“On the 11th July, I had a great day : Buffalo right at Orpen Gate; 5 White Rhino on the Rabelais loop; Lions and Elephant at Nsemani Dam; Leopard along the Nwanedzi River; more White Rhino on the Sweni River road and to end it off on a terrific high : another Leopard at Orpen Gate!!!! ”

Bertus had a good time on Balule Plains as well. On one occasion he saw Black Rhino and Buffalo at Peter’s Rock.

ANDRIES has joined us for a fixed period on a fulltime basis. He reports as follows : “On 1st July, we had a great day seeing all the Big Five apart from Leopard. I had an Australian guest on board who had told me that he really wanted to see a Honey Badger. I told him that in 5 years of guiding, I had only once before seen a Honey Badger. Well, he had the luck with him : we came across a honey badger and he was absolutely thrilled. He kept on thanking me that his dream had been fulfilled.”
On 3rd, Andries managed to see a Leopard and easily provided sightings of the Big Five. He repeated the feat on 25th, this time getting even better and closer sightings.

MAYNETH, a freelance guide, had some great sightings as well : On 18th he came across two different prides of lions along the S 41 within 7 km of each other. On the 19th his excited clients saw lionesses hunting impala unsuccessfully. On the 24th, he found two lionesses on a buffalo kill. Right above them, up in a tree, was a leopard! It must have run away from the lionesses or perhaps was up there resting when the lions caught the buffalo. Who knows ? On the 28th Mayneth saw a pair of mating leopards on the S41 as well as another buffalo kill on the S 100.

On the 29th I joined him on a training course and we were all very pleased to find 2 male lions on a giraffe kill right on the road about 5 km from the Sweni waterhole. When we got there the giraffe was literally still kicking while the lion was applying a final squeeze on the throat! They opened up the stomach and started feeding right in front of us. Wonderful sighting!

RHULANI had a good day on 4th - there were excellent sightings of all the Big Five including these highlights : A pride of lions consisting of seven cubs and three lionesses were sighted near Mudzanzene. The cubs were reasonably small and entertained the guests by the manner in which they were jumping all over the adults. The clients were really lucky in that there were no fewer than three separate Leopard sightings.

The 11th was a good Cheetah day – the two males that are frequently encountered near the Timbavati turnoff were relaxing right on the tar road. Later that evening as Rhulani was exiting the Park, small cubs which he reckons were about one month old crossed right in front of the Quantum. This was an unexpected bonus as the group had already left the main Orpen Gate. The new entry point is now about 6 km further on – all the gameviewing along this stretch is gratis.

On the 12th Rhulani and guests had a very unusual sighting of a leopard up a tree with a dead Serval it had killed. It had not started consuming the Serval and was resting.
On our return trip from Orpen to the lodges we travel past game reserves all the way. On 14th Rhulani was lucky to have a sighting of the White Lions along the Timbavati fence. They had killed a zebra very close to the road.

Rhulani reports his most exiting sighting of the month as follows : “On the 19th the two male lions that live around Tremisana caught a buffalo at Tremisana. One of the lions was two metres from our Landcruiser. He was full and his stomach was huge! He was lying around lazily. Suddenly he stood up and walked towards the back of the Cruiser. All three guests on the back seat landed up on top of one another in one seat! He is really a big animal and it was quite scary!”

THULANI submitted the following report: “July has been an excellent month for me. Not only are we seeing the Big Five regularly, but the sightings seem to be closer to the vehicle this month. A typical day occurred on the 4th July : Elephant herd on the Sweni road ; Buffalos on the tar road just before Satara; White Rhinos north of Satara on the tar road; a Leopard on an impala kill on the link roads to Timbavati; another Leopard up a Leadwood Tree just north of Timbavati picnic spot; lions 10 km further on.”

On the 17th, Thulani and guests came across a Martial Eagle that had just caught a Helmeted Guineafowl and was “busy suffocating it”.

The 18th July was “Leopard Day” for Thulani and extremely fortunate guests.
They started off by having a sighting of a leopard with kill up a tree on the Timbavati road. Later that morning a leopard with its impala kill in its mouth crossed in front of the Open Vehicle on the S 100. About 12 km on, the highlight of all leopard sightings: mother teaching two teenage cubs the skill of hunting while stalking a Bushbuck ewe! What a day – five leopards!!! NEW RECORD

Thulani also had luck on the Balule and Motlala drives : “I saw the buffalo kill with the two big males at Tremisana for three consecutive days from 21st onwards. On 25th we saw a pride of 16 lions on the Marula road and the next day we had an excellent sighting of a lioness with cubs crossing the road. At Motlala, on 24th we had a great sighting of the pair of Black Rhino not far from a big herd of buffalo”.

TREMISANA has had some great sightings of lions. The two males seem really expert at catching buffalo and in the week I was there, towards the end of July, they caught three different buffalo. We also had a good sighting of the rest of the pride, around 17 in all, when they were eating on a dead elephant close to Tremisana. Apparently two elephant bulls in musth had a terrible fight and the one had its neck broken. Wynand, our warden, had to finish him off and thus provided a big meal for all the predators in the area.

We had a light shower of rain right at the end of the month and the gardens are looking quite good for this time of the year. There is a lot more grazing in the veld and the warthogs have not even thought of entering Tremisana as they were doing last year in July. Unfortunately the porcupine has decided that Tremisana is a good bet to find well - watered trees and he has ring-barked a number of our larger trees including the Sausage Tree.

Advantages of open game vehicles in the Kruger Park - June 2009

What with the road upgrades in and around Johannesburg and the concomitant traffic problems, Kruger Safaris has considered changing our service of collecting guests from their homes/hostels/hotels. There can be no doubt that this service is very time-consuming. However, as long as the potential for crime stays at its present level, we feel that our clients will be able to accept the long journey to Kruger knowing that our service gives them peace of mind in terms of their safety and security.

Within 72 hours of my return to S A, I was up at our lodges. The veld in Kruger is looking very good for June. In fact the grass is still very high. I was driving my Toyota Tazz which is a relatively low vehicle and was particularly annoyed at not being able to see a Leopard lying in high grass. The leopard apparently was easily visible by the occupants of higher vehicles. I must admit to having been tempted to get out the car to have a look, but the Kruger Park rules are there for a very good reason : people that alight from their vehicles are likely to frighten the animals away thereby spoiling the sighting for other tourists. Our tourists are fortunate that they are in open vehicles and are about 2,5 metres above the ground. We have placed an order for two new open Gameviewers and look forward to receiving these before the end of July.

Game viewing in Kruger has been good. The animals are starting to congregate in larger numbers. Our guides report that they have had some very good sightings.

Bertus's report for June 09

“This month was once again a month of contrast for me. We had some great days and then other times when it was very quiet. But in the end I saw most of what I had wanted to see.

Kruger was as normal full of surprises. We had a very interesting day on the 18th. We were told about a leopard sighting close to Ngotso Dam, but all the guides of different safari companies said that they have not seen the leopard but that there were lions around that area. We decided to go and have a look and succeeded in finding the leopard. I was busy describing to the guests exactly where to look when one of the guests told me that he had spotted lions as well. I then also saw the lions about 200m from the tree in which the leopard was resting. It is peculiar that the others missed the leopard - we must not think because we see a predator of some kind that there can’t be another one close by.

My highlight in Kruger might not seem so cool to most but for me it was something special. We came across a yellow-billed hornbill that had caught a chameleon and was in the process of swallowing it. There was a lot of speculation among the guests as to whether the hornbill would succeed in getting it right, which he did after a huge struggle. He was definitely a lot less mobile afterwards.

Balule also provided its ups and downs with one day very quiet and then the next day full of excitement. We had some great late afternoon sightings of lion and elephant as well as the occasional rhino. A buffalo herd about forty-strong has been hanging around Tremisana Lodge a lot. This has given us many good lion sightings - even as close as the small watering point in front of the Lapa where the lions have been drinking water in the early morning.

A day that showed me that Balule can be just as exiting if not more than Kruger was unfortunately a day I did not had guests with me. I had to drive to my family’s property and in the space of an hour I saw a pride of lionesses with cubs, elephants drinking water being chased away by a lone buffalo bull and then a rhino bull just to top it off. The animals are here - we just have to have Lady Luck on our side. ”

BONGANI spent most of the month on long leave but reports that on the 27th June he had sightings of the Big Five. There was a pride of four lionesses eating a Wildebeest right on the road. Two pesky black-backed jackals were trying unsuccessfully to get a morsel or two. Later on Bongani and guests encountered a number of large herds of elephants on their way to the drinking places. At the Olifants River high level bridge, a leopard was spotted up a tree. It is permissible for tourists to alight from the vehicle at designated places on the bridge so our guests had a good look at the leopard.

RHULANI reports as follows: “We have been seeing the famous White Lions of Timbavati as we drive between Marc’s Camp and the Orpen Gate. They are in a private reserve but are often seen along the fence.

On the 13th June, we had a great sighting of three lion cubs on the S 90. We guessed that as the cubs were alone, the mother was away probably hunting. A little later we came across a lactating lioness attempting to hunt wildebeest. Later that day we had the great fortune of following a leopard for about 2 km along the road. We saw the Big Five this day and my guests were very pleased.

On the 17th four male lions caught a zebra north of Satara at 10h00. By 12h00 just about all the meat was finished – they must have been really hungry.

On the 19th we had an exciting sighting of a Black Rhino along the S 36 near Mudzanzene. He was very relaxed and quite close to the road. Later that afternoon on the S 100 we had a great sighting of lions at a kill with hyenas nearby. One hyena ran right in front of us carrying some skin of the dead animal. I turned back towards Satara and within 300 metres of the lion kill a young leopard ran across the road in front of our vehicle.

I saw another leopard, this time a big male, on 22nd just one kilometre before the Orpen Gate reception area. On the 23rd we had a sighting of 3 male lions that had killed a buffalo near the Nwanedzi River bridge on the tar road south of Satara. On the 25th we spent 45 minutes watching a lioness attempt to catch its meal at the waterhole 7km north of Satara. This is a very open area and she unsuccessfully stalked a zebra, then a warthog and lastly a wildebeest. The animals easily saw her from a distance and ran away to safety before she could get close enough to catch them.”

THULANI submitted the following report: “On 5th June I took our marketing manager, Trevor, and his party on safari. We started off by viewing a huge herd of buffalo in the Timbavati River, followed by a great sighting of a breeding herd of elephants at Shibotwana waterhole. South of Nwanedzi we had a great sighting of five male lions and three lionesses feeding on a buffalo.

On the 6th we found all of the Big Five including a leopard on a Sausage Tree along the S 126 road and a huge White Rhino at Nsemane waterhole.

On 18th June I again showed my guests the Big Five : leopard stalking impala on the S 100; 11 lions ( six males and five females) on the S 90; a huge herd of buffalo on the same road about 10 km further on; a White Rhino on the S 41 and elephants at Ngotso Dam.

On the 19th June, I conducted a Sunset Drive from Tremisana. Within 100 metres of the parking lot, we found 2 male lions half a metre from the road watching a herd of buffalo that were drinking at the watering point in front of the Lapa – talk about early luck!

My most successful day was on 24th June:
Elephants at Nsemane Dam; 11 lions at Shimangwanane Dam; Rhino and Buffalo along the S 100; Lions at Sonop waterhole; Leopard at Rabelais; Cheetah crossing the road near Orpen …WOW !!

TREMISANA staff have had a number of sleepless nights with the buffalo herd charging around in their efforts to avoid being caught by the lions. The staff quarters are a short distance from the camp and we have erected a powerful spotlight to illuminate the path.

The buffalo have just about emptied the water at Tremisana Dam which is unlikely to last beyond July. A number of herons and storks are seen on a daily basis wading in the ever decreasing water while picking off frogs and fish.

Birdlife at the dam as well as the watering point in front of the Lapa has been very good with a constant coming and going from early morning to dusk.

A group (I do not know the correct collective noun) of honey badgers have been making a nuisance of themselves at Tremisana. They knock over the refuse bins as they search for extra nourishment. We rebuilt the wooden fence around the refuse bin and this was promptly destroyed one night. Honey Badgers are tough customers!

We also have regular nightly visits by a porcupine that has succeeded in destroying large parts of our garden. Of course the monkey troop is in full swing. As the food sources dwindle in the veld so they rely more and more on scraps from the kitchen.

The repainted tank stand looks a lot better than before. We have added a covering of palm fronds to the thatch tiles on the roofs of units 6 to 9. The effect of the palm fronds is to give these units a ‘tropical’ look – although the present cold weather does nothing to accentuate any ‘tropical’ feel.

Interesting sightings on Game Drives - May 2009

This month’s news is being sent somewhat earlier than usual. Sandy and I are due to leave on 31 May on a pilgrimage. We shall be visiting the major Marian shrines of Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal.

As I write, the IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket series has just been concluded. As a result of security concerns related to the parliamentary elections in India, it was decided to move the IPL to South Africa this year. It was a resounding success. The cricket series was a wonderful bonus for South African tourism, not only in terms of the immediate benefits, but also for the massive international exposure it provided.

The success with which the authorities in SA handled the series, with very short notice, is a great shot in the arm for all our sporting bodies. With the Confederations Soccer Cup next month and the 2010 World Cup next year, it is good to see how well the cricket event was pulled together and it is a great credit to the organisational abilities here. This efficient performance should allay any fears about South Africa’s ability to stage a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup.

There were two unseasonal showers in Kruger Park in May. The effect of these was to reduce the gameviewing success. What happens in Kruger is that, as the veld dries out, the animals move towards the watering points in the dry season. Gameviewing is always better in the drier seasons because of the greater concentrations of animals around the waterholes and along the rivers. The unexpected widespread rains had the effect of diluting the concentrations of game around the watering points.

Nevertheless there have been some interesting sightings as indicated in the guides’ reports:

BERTUS's report:

Balule

We had some good walks and drives in Balule this month. The quality of the sightings is improving all the time as it is getting drier.

One of the highlights of this month was a sighting of a female cheetah and 3 cubs one evening at the end of an already great drive after a sighting of two male lions. The ultimate sighting of the month was of two lionesses that we saw on Nonwane with a Zebra kill. With them were 10 cubs. I estimate five of these to be about 3-4 months old and the other five about 2 months old. We had them at about 3m from the vehicle and it was really one of the best sightings of my career.

I am also happy to report that we are seeing more hyena activity on the reserve and even starting to get audio from them early in the morning. Also we are pleased to report the arrival of a black rhino that was part of a group of two that have arrived in Klaserie. Hopefully he will decide that our part of the APNR is the best area to stay.

Kruger

Kruger was eventful as well. There were times that were really frustrating with long periods of driving with seeing nothing at all. Then all of a sudden everything happens at once. A good example of it was at the Shimangweni Dam close to Mudzanzeni. We arrived at the dam and a cheetah appeared out of the grass and walked straight past us. He then continued to walk over the dam wall. He was not gone 30 seconds and he came flying out back over the wall. We found it a bit strange and decided to wait a while. It was not too long that three lionesses came strolling over the wall and went to lie down in the sun not 20 meters from a male giraffe that was busy drinking water. He had a good look at them and then continued to drink water if he didn’t have a care in the world.

We had a few days where we had sightings of the Big 5 in one day, so the sightings are there - one just has to be patient. On a sad note, a leopard that we had spotted often next to the road between Satara and Ngotso dam has died. I found his carcass next to the road close to the drainage pipe were he lived. The rangers reckon he might have died of exposure because of the wet cold climate we had this past week or two.

BONGANI emailed his report as follows:

On 05/05/09 we had heavy rains in the Kruger. The Park authorities had previously started to burn certain areas .In a way it makes our job easy because we can see the animals better.

The effect of the rains on the burnt areas is to have new growth of grass that has attracted large herds of herbivores, especially zebras.

My highlights were as follows:

“On 06/05 I did a walk and found fresh elephant tracks which we followed for 2-3 km. We heard the elephants breaking the trees. My clients were anxious, so we returned to the Landcruiser. We then drove to Impala Dam where we found a massive herd of 65 elephants. We spent one hour watching them. Later that afternoon, we again found them – this time at Rhino dam. In Duikerspan we found a female Cheetah. She had killed an impala and had hidden it in the bush. A Hyena came along and tried to take the Impala. There was not much left and the Cheetah meekly gave up its kill to the Hyena.

On 19/05 there where 8 lion cubs and 2 lions eating a Zebra near the cement dam on Nonwane. There were another 4 cubs about 2 to 3 months old that were in that area for 3 days.

The following 4 days we went to the park and were informed that 2 male lions had killed a Giraffe at 5:30 am in the morning right on the road. When we got to the sighting we found 2 male lions eating. The Vultures were looking hungrily at the lions while they were eating, waiting for the leftovers. After the lion sighting, we spotted a Leopard lying on the branch of a tree. We managed to see the Big Five in less than four hours.

NELLY, before going on extended leave, submitted the following:

“The beginning of May was relatively quiet. Lions, Elephants and Buffalo were seen regularly, but Leopard and Rhino were more difficult to find. On 10th May, we managed to see the Big Five as well as Cheetah.”

Nelly reports that the sightings were all excellent, with the leopard crossing the road in front of the vehicle. Even more exciting was the sighting of a lioness that seemed to be walking directly towards the vehicle and did cause a flutter in the hearts of some of the tourists. She crossed literally two metres in front of the vehicle!

Nelly completed a fantastic day of gameviewing by coming across a pack of 12 Wild Dogs also on the road.

RHULANI lists his highlights as follows:

“On 5th May, we came across a pride of 11 lions that had killed a buffalo. There were severe gashes on the male lion’s flanks indicating that the buffalo had not gone to his death without a fight. On the 17th May we came across a pride of three lionesses with three cubs at Girivana waterhole. The cubs were playing near the water’s edge, completely unaware of the presence of a three metre crocodile. Later that day, on the S 100, we were charged by a bull elephant. Everybody was scared.

On the 21st May we had a great sighting of a leopard stalking a waterbuck herd near Mudzanzene. The waterbuck bull positioned himself between the cows and the calves, making sure that his family was protected. It was a great example for any family man…”

THULANI, before going on long leave, submitted his report as follows:

“On 4 May, we had a great day. We kicked off with a leopard up a dead Leadwood tree near Orpen. On the S 100, we came across two lionesses with five cubs. At the Gudzani dam, we were very fortunate to see a pride of 11 lions on a buffalo kill. Not more than four km on, we saw a breeding herd of elephants at the water. On the return drive towards Satara, we came across a huge herd of buffalo, at least 400 in number. ”

Thulani has had some good sightings at Nsemani waterhole this month. Lions, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo are seen regularly here.

On the 12th May Thulani had a great sighting of Wild Dogs stalking and chasing impala near Orpen. Thulani successfully saw the Big Five on 13th May. He travelled the S 39 road towards Mudzanzene and was rewarded with a leopard up an Apple Leaf Tree, nine lions lying on the road, rhino and buffalo near the Sweni waterhole and a large breeding herd of elephants at Nsemani – a great day’s viewing !

WAYNE reports an exciting sunset drive. He came across what looked like a pair of jackals near Peter’s Rock on Balule Plains. Upon closer inspection the furry items seen in the diminishing light actually had spots. Wayne and his fortunate guests had come across a coalition of five cheetah! Wow! How’s that for beginner’s luck?

We have appointed Wayne Julyan to Tremisana. Wayne will assist Bertus and Bongani on game drives and walks and will also be giving Pearl a hand with hosting. The watertank stand, over 30 metres high, has been given a coat of paint. Thanks to Aaron who skilfully managed to arrange the scaffolding.

We have a group of honey badgers in the camp. At night they come around foraging for leftover scraps. We built a wooden security box to keep the monkeys from dispersing all the litter in our refuse bins. The honey badgers actually smashed their way through the wood to get to the bins.

The water level at Tremisana Dam is looking bleak. Wynand, our Warden, assures me that the hole we dug last year in August will not have been silted up and he reckons that there will be water until well after July.

June has traditionally been one of our quietest months, so I wish you all a restful quiet period.

Regards and best wishes,
Piero

Golden Grassland Savanna - April 2009

April is a lovely month to be in the bush. The temperatures are relatively mild and the green grasses take on a yellow hue, transforming the savanna into a truly golden sea of undulating grassland.

April also marks the start of the annual impala rut. The grunting/roaring sound that the rams make is heard all day and all night as the rams make it their business to gather as many ewes into their harem as possible. They fight amongst themselves, reaffirming dominance hierarchies that have been established in the past. It is a great spectacle to watch as these normally placid animals are driven hormonally to behave in a quite aggressive fashion. Nature is great: the selection process results in only the boldest and fiercest rams being given the right to propagate their superior genes.

Our tourists are absolutely amazed (maybe the male tourists a trifle awed?) when they come across a breeding herd in which one ram is in charge of 30 or more ewes. The tourists are usually sorry to find all male bachelor herds of up to 30. The reason the males stick around together is out of a need to have better security: the more eyes and ears to notice a potential predator, the better!

Gameviewing has been fairly good this month, but is not yet at its best. As the pools dry out in the veld, so the animals move towards the permanent water supplies along the rivers and dams. Sightings of the Big Five have been good, with Leopard being the most difficult to locate. They are without doubt one of Nature’s great survivors. In some of our local cultures, the leopard skin is a coveted item for ceremonial garb. Despite being hunted down for its attractive spotted fur or for having killed livestock, the leopard remains in areas where other large game has long been exterminated. Part of the secret of the leopard’s success is found in its adaptability. For example, as regards its diet, leopard are able to survive on very small creatures like cane rats, hares, francolins and guinea fowl. As far as water dependence goes, leopard will avail themselves of accessible water but can survive on the moisture supplied by the body fluids of the animals they kill.

Another secret of the leopard’s survival is its silent, solitary habits and secretive nature. There is evidence of leopard living in fairly close proximity of all the major urban areas in South Africa. As long as there is a good amount of thick bush where the leopard can find place to hide, its existence is guaranteed. Most of the leopard’s activities, including hunting, are done under the cover of darkness, so it is able to survive simply because it is not often seen by day. So whenever one of our guides does encounter a leopard on a game drive, it is a good reason to celebrate.

Bongani has sent the following report:

“On 2nd April I did a morning walk around Balule. We heard a sound coming from the bushes. It looked like a lion and leopard were fighting. By the time we got there the leopard was already gone, but the lion was still there. It came out of the bushes and charged towards us. It stopped right before us; estimated 6-8 meters close. My guests were a little frightened but thankfully no one ran away. After the walk, during breakfast they couldn’t stop talking about this experience!

The game viewing in Balule for me has been excellent. This month we found lots of lions, elephants and buffaloes. There is one lioness with four cubs walking around our part of Balule, sometimes coming to Tremisana Lodge. During one morning drive we saw her walking on the road at Tremisana Lodge.

The 4th of April was a good day in KNP. There were 14 Wild Dogs lying on the Orpen road at the Kingfisherspruit turnoff. After viewing the Wild Dogs, we saw two cheetahs walking along the road. One of these cheetahs was limping. On our way back to the gate we saw the same Wild Dogs again - this time they were busy eating two impalas very close to the road. At that same location there were jackals running around as well. From a safe distance there were even some impalas watching the wild dogs while they were busy eating. I wonder whether they were feeling emotions for their dead friends……

In my opinion, the best roads to drive in the Park are the river roads S100 and S 125 and around Timbavati. On the 25th of April, we saw on the S39 (Timbavati River road) 12 lions eating a giraffe. There were lots of hyenas and vultures waiting for the leftovers. They were there for four days. The 25th really was a wonderful day because we saw the big five plus a cheetah.

On the 26th of April, there were two lionesses at Nsemani Dam hiding in the bushes, waiting for the zebras to come down to the waterhole to drink. Lucky for the zebras, two elephants came before them and chased the lions away. ”

Bertus has submitted the following:

Kruger

“I went to Kruger just a few times this last month but the sightings are definitely improving with the vegetation that is diminishing and the animals that are concentrating more around the waterholes.

Some of the highlights were witnessed around waterholes. On the 21st of April we had a great sighting of lions that caught a giraffe next to the Roodewal waterhole. What an experience! Later that same day, we found 3 lions next to the Ngotso North waterhole.

On the 22nd April we had an early day in Kruger that paid off as well with Rhinos and huge breeding herds of elephants next to the Olifants River on the way to Letaba.
We also found a Leopard on the S100 that was very relaxed in her tree next to the road. It was one of the few times we actually left the sighting before the leopard did.

The Monthly Highlight was on the 28th. We started the morning slowly with not much happening. We saw a Bateleur Eagle on the road between Orpen and Satara eating a Spurfowl but he flew off as we approached. Also some elephant bulls were seen in the distance. At Girivana waterhole our luck changed and we saw two buffalo bulls that came out of the water. We continued on our journey and found some Hippo lying in the sun close to the Ratelpan Hide. From there we went towards Satara. Some other tourist generously informed us about a leopard sighting. We found the leopard in a tree close to the road. Once again we left the sighting after some time. After lunch we drove on the S100. We found herds of elephant and buffalo almost immediately as well as the usual plentiful amount of plains game. When we turned off towards Nwanetsi we found 4 rhino in the road and from there it was not two km when we found 3 lions also basking in the sun.

Other highlights for the day were Ground Hornbill, Kori Bustard and a Sharpe’s Grysbok. We are also starting to see a lot of snakes in the road – they appreciate the heat in the early mornings and late afternoons. On this particular day we saw a Puffader, a Snouted Cobra as well as a Boomslang crossing the road.

Balule

Balule also had its ups and downs this month - either being quiet or very good to us. We still had good sightings at the beginning of the month of the local lioness with her four cubs. We are starting to see a lot more of the rhino bull again as well as the two bulls walking together. The elephants come and go but we had some special sightings of them in the Balule plains area.

We are still keeping track of the Ground Hornbills and I am now reporting all sightings of them as well as other rare birds to a researcher for the APNR ( Association of Private Nature Reserves ) who is focussing on the distribution of this rare and endangered bird. I also hope to start to see a lot more on our walks now that the bush is starting to open up and the game is becoming more visible. ”

Nelly started the month by seeing 4 of the Big 5 before lunch on 1 April:
He kicked off with a good leopard sighting at Rabelais, followed by a large herd of elephants along the Timbavati River. He then found two cheetah sleeping close to the road. The S 100 road produced the goods with a sighting of two lionesses with three cubs. Rhino were wallowing at Shimanganini waterhole. Nelly completed his sightings of the Big Five by locating a small herd of buffalo bulls shortly after lunch on the main Satara – Olifants road.

Nelly repeated his feat of seeing the Big Five on 5 April. Five lions killed a wildebeest one km in from the Orpen Gate. White Rhino were seen at Nwamatsatsa waterhole, a leopard was seen fast asleep on a tree at Ngotso Dam and elephants were seen bathing in the ever-decreasing water of the same dam. A herd of buffalo on the road completed the sightings for an apparently very appreciative group of our tourists.

Nelly had an even better day on 17 April. Besides the Big Five, he and his fortunate guests also came across five Wild Dogs loping along the tar road between Orpen and Satara.

Rhulani had his first day of success in seeing the Big Five only on 7 April:
Prior to that he had good sightings of what he terms “ the Easy Four ” having missed out on Leopard. He found lionesses with cubs on the Timbavati River Road which also produced elephants and rhino. A leopard was seen 4 km from Satara camp and buffalo were seen 2 km from the camp.

Rhulani has had quite good luck with cheetah sightings – he reports seeing these animals regularly between Orpen and Satara.

Rhulani reports his most exciting sighting as that of a big male leopard on Motlala Reserve ( of which Marc’s Treehouse Lodge forms a part ). We offer this game drive to those of our clients doing the 5, 6, or 7-day safaris. What really impressed Rhulani and his clients was the calm and relaxed behaviour of the leopard. He walked not more than two metres from the vehicle.
His second best sighting of the month is reported as viewing a pack of 11 Wild Dogs about halfway between Orpen and Satara.

Thulani had to outdo Rhulani on Wild Dogs :
on 8 April, he and his very lucky guests came across a pack of 26 only three km from Orpen.
On the 11 April there was a good sighting of a lion pride on a giraffe kill on the Sweni River road. Thulani prefers operating in this area as he believes that good rhino sightings around here are almost guaranteed - a claim substantiated by the fact that on each and every occasion he drove on the Sweni Road in April, he did find Rhinos – well done Thulani ! He also reports regular sightings of lions in this zone so there is definite method in his mania for the S125.


Tremisana has had a good coat of paint just about everywhere. The rooms’ exteriors are looking very light and bright and the woodwork has benefited from a liberal dousing of creosote. We are waiting for end of May to repaint the swimming pool.

The game viewing has been good with regular sightings of lions and buffalo. In fact a herd of about 40 buffalo regularly drink from Tremisana Dam each and every evening. They have made their presence felt insofar as the water levels have been dropping and I doubt that the water will last longer than end of June.

Our Warden has sunk his own borehole and we are hoping that as of 1 May he will supply his household and the Gate with his own water. Water is always a problem and we have embarked on an educational program to encourage all the Tremisana staff to be aware of the need to conserve water. We also have notices in all the chalets requesting all our guests to use water sparingly.

White Rhino poached in and around Kruger - February 2009

It is a little depressing to watch CNN or BBC these days. Reports of the world-wide economic meltdown dominate the news. This week it was reported that Australia was entering a recession. The news about Toyota is of concern: Kruger-Safaris uses 18 Toyota vehicles and their reliability and ruggedness has been proven.

Of course the economic slowdown has also reached South Africa. Unfortunately it has also affected our wildlife. An article last month stated that the number of White Rhino poached in and around Kruger in 2008 was massively up on the figures for 2007. Unscrupulous poachers are trying to cash in on an easy target. It is not very difficult to get through the fences to Kruger. In the wet summer season, warthogs very easily dig holes under the electrified fences and an average-sized human will have no problem fitting through these holes.

On a positive note regarding fences, you will be pleased to learn that the Orpen Gate now has a new boom about 7 km from the camp. Many of our previous guests will recall seeing the total disrepair condition of the fence along the tar road. The Timbavati Game Reserve and Manyeleti Game Reserve fences had been so battered by elephants as to render these fences completely ineffectual. So we now get 7 km of free game-viewing. More importantly, by extending the gate to its new position, the Kruger authorities have assisted in reducing poaching. It was far too simple to drive along the tar road and then find a hole in the fences and drive into the game reserves without anyone knowing!

The global economic meltdown has also impacted on the profile of tourists.

I am sure that 2009 tourists worldwide are a lot smarter, more price-conscious and have high expectations. We have advertised our products as the "best value-for-money safaris to Kruger." We stand by that claim. If one compares our tariffs to other safari operators, it is evident that our safaris are not only eminently affordable but also offer our guests genuine down-to-earth value. News that I am receiving via the bush telegraph is that a number of luxurious 'high-frills and high-tariffs' lodges are suffering in the present economic climate.

On the wildlife front, I spent two days of my February trip to the bush doing a spot of game-viewing. The bush is really thick and, to be honest, I was disappointed in the quantity of game seen. As far as quality goes, I was lucky insofar as I had excellent viewing of a lioness transporting a week-old cub and a leopard up a tree.

GAME VIEWING

BERTUS reports as follows: "I started the month off in Balule with a bang. On the 1st February, we saw six lions close to the lodge, as well as the first of the elephants that came back to the region. Elephants are now a daily sighting. Some days we would see 2 to 4 herds some of them up to 50 in a herd. The best sighting for the month in Balule was an elephant bull that was in musth that we met on the wall of Impala dam. We were stuck on the wall with the bull standing in front of us and later squeezing right pass us. Pity that some of the guests watched it from underneath the seats.

Walks are still eventful even if we are now walking more on the road than in the bush. We had sightings of elephant and buffalo on foot as well. The lions are still seen on a regular basis and on a few times right around the lodge. In addition, most of the dams now have crocodiles. Tremisana Dam has a small croc that will hopefully stay on a permanent basis.

Kruger was sometimes great and sometimes very frustrating. It all depends on the weather of the day. We had some very hot days when we saw very little and then the next day we saw everything sometimes the big 5 before we reached Satara.
For me the 2 sightings of the month were a Sharpe's Grysbok late afternoon right on the Timbavati River and the now frequent sightings of a brown-headed parrot in Satara.

The most notable day was the 24th. We started out by seeing the backside of a leopard. After that, we experienced a dry spell until early afternoon. Then we started seeing rhinos, elephants, and buffalo. Birding was great as we saw Saddle bill Stork, Ground Hornbill and Martial Eagle. When we left, we saw a young cheetah stalking an impala. As we went out from Orpen Camp, we found the Wild Dogs right at the exit gate running but we could not see any potential prey. We left Kruger without seeing any lions but as we drove past the Timbavati, we saw 2 white lions walking next to the fence. What an amazing ending to an exceptional day. "

BONGANI reports seeing an increase in sightings of the Big Five in Balule. Large herds of elephants have been seen around Tremisana where they come to eat the fallen Marula fruits before having a drink at Tremisana Dam. Thankfully we have a fence around Tremisana as lions are often around.

Bongani reports: "On 11th Feb, while we were finishing our dessert (a lovely Melktart that only Delina can make) we heard the roaring of lions close by. I offered to take the guests to have a look. Not even 500 metres from the parking area, we came across one large male calling for the rest of the pride. While three other lions appeared, five large bull elephants arrived at the illuminated waterhole in front of the Lapa. We spent about an hour watching lions and elephants.
Early the next morning on our game drive, we came across the four lions about 1 km from Tremisana. They were eating a porcupine that they had killed right on the road."

Bongani saw 3 lionesses with 4 cubs on a zebra kill on the 13th. He reports sighting two cheetah fairly regularly near Orpen Gate. I accompanied Bongani on his Sunset Drive on 24th Feb, which he records as follows: "I had an excellent drive on Balule. We had driven about an hour without seeing much when I spotted a lioness walking along the road. She walked into the bush and I drove around trying to get another view of her. We saw her again carrying a very tiny cub in her mouth. We waited about 10 minutes and she returned without the cub. We all realised that she was on her way to collect another cub. About 8 minutes later the lioness passed right in front of our vehicle with a second cub in her mouth. This was the first time I had ever seen this – wow! "

NELLY has not seen as many leopards as he did last month – must be losing his famous touch! On the 11th February, he did succeed in seeing the Big Five as reported: "Only four km in from Orpen Gate and we got a beautiful leopard crossing the road in front of us. At the Rabelais turnoff, we saw a cheetah with a young cub. Just before the Rabelais waterhole, we sighted a lion and lioness asleep in the grass. We had plenty elephant sightings and found buffalo just outside Satara camp. After lunch we got White Rhino to complete the Big Five."

Nelly also managed to spot the Big Five for his guests on 15th Feb and along with Bertus on the 24th saw the Big Five and the special sightings of Wild Dog and White Lions.

RHULANI has included his sightings on 31 Jan, which he omitted last month. Of course he had seen the Big Five and does not want Nelly to think that he needs spectacles for his next birthday! On the 14th Feb, Rhulani repeated the feat and reports as follows: "I had a full
vehicle of 8 passengers and I felt lucky. On the way into Orpen we sighted elephants. We found a herd of buffalo at Nsemane Dam and more elephants at Satara. After lunch we drove to Ngirivane and we saw a leopard near the road. Nearby the Timbavati picnic spot we had a good sighting of two male lions and along the Timbavati river road we saw White Rhino." The next day Rhulani and guests saw a 3, 5 metre African Rock Python. On 22nd Feb Rhulani and guests had a very good day – they saw elephants, buffalos, a pair of mating lions and a very interesting sighting of a Martial Eagle that had caught and killed a large monitor lizard right on the road. The eagle was trying unsuccessfully to pick the monitor lizard up and fly off with it.

Rhulani's last trip in Kruger was February 25th and he reports as follows:
"Just as we got to Orpen, we had a fantastic sighting of 17 Wild Dogs. I saw 4 buffalo at Rabelais and a herd of over 300 near Satara. Three different sightings of White Rhino, huge herds of elephants along the Sweni River and a double sighting of leopard – one along the Sweni River and another crossing the road in front of our vehicle near Mudzanzeni picnic spot."

THULANI spent a few days at Tremisana and is convinced that at the moment lion sightings at Balule are better than in Kruger proper. He reports as follows:

"On 3rd Feb I did a Sunset Drive at Tremisana and found two big male lions on the Marula Road. We followed them along the road for over 15 minutes. On 6th Feb we got a good sighting of 5 lions, 4 females and a young male, at Tremisana waterhole. On the 9th Feb I did a morning drive for clients that had not yet seen lions in Kruger. This was their last chance and sure enough, we found the 2 big males sitting on the road."

Thulani did have good sightings in Kruger as well : these include 19 Wild Dogs on the road; 2 cheetah ( mother and teenage cub ) running away from a lioness who gave serious chase ; a leopard that had killed an African Civet which it took up a Leadwood tree; 6 lionesses and a male stalking and charging unsuccessfully after a zebra on the S 100 and two pairs of mating lions ( very unusual ) at Girivane waterhole. All in all pretty good for February.

NEWS AT TREMISANA GAME LODGE

The increased presence of lions is a plus from a tourist point of view but a worry in terms of our kitchen staff. Although the staff quarters are less than 50 metres from the gate, there is always a chance that a wild animal may be around. We have a double electric strand about 2 metres off the ground to keep out elephants but lions and buffalos get through. We have added a powerful spotlight to illuminate the path. Our kitchen staff all walk together and, being the noisy bunch they are, I am sure that any self-respecting animal will give way. Nevertheless caution is advised at all times, even for our tourists inside the fenced camp.

Until next month,

Piero

Tests on the water in the major rivers in Kruger - January 2009

As I write this, there are massive snowfalls in Europe and, at the same time, heat wave conditions in Australia that have caused tragic bush fires. People have died because of the extreme cold and also extreme heat.

One cannot help but wonder why the world is experiencing such extreme climatic conditions. Are we really destroying the ozone layer at the rate we believe ? Or is it happening more quickly than we think ? Human nature being what it is, it becomes very simple to subscribe to the "I'm OK" philosophy that allows us to live our lives in the present with scant regard for generations to come. What may appear to be OK right now will probably be viewed by our grandchildren as not having really been OK. Every responsible human being must prioritise the need to preserve the ozone layer - in each of our own lives, we need to behave in a way that does not add to the problem. Limit your contribution to the creation of harmful greenhouse gases.

I wrote about the poor condition of the water in the Olifants river system in a few of my 2008 newsletters. The outbreak of cholera in some of the rivers in areas around the Kruger Park has prompted Park scientists to conduct tests on the water in the major rivers in Kruger. What has become apparent is that there is a higher-than-expected concentration of faecal waste. Clearly the lack of effective sanitation in the communities outside of Kruger Park has led to this situation. As in Zimbabwe, from where the cholera problem originated, we require local government intervention. Money must be allocated to the Health Department to ensure that proper sewage systems are in place. Although the Kruger scientists have determined that the situation is very far from being life- threatening, if we leave the problem to continue unchecked, as in the ozone-depletion situation, we shall certainly regret our actions.

'Excessive' is the right word to also describe the rains we have had at our three Lodges in the month of January. Our average annual rainfall is around 500 mm, but in January alone we have had 164 mm at Tremisana and just over 200 mm at Marc's Treehouses and the cheetah Inn. There are many consequences of such excellent rains : the bush is thick and the grass is high and our veld really looks like the African Jungle of Tarzan fame. On the negative side, the denseness of the bush results in poorer game viewing. Wynand, our Warden, reports seeing four lions at Tremisana. While they were on the road, the sighting was really good, but as they moved into the bush, literally only two metres away, all he could see was grass moving. Wynand also reports that a small crocodile has arrived at Tremisana Dam. He also reports that a number of very large Marula trees have been knocked down by elephants on Tremisana property. The excessive rains have resulted in the root structure being weakened so trees that normally would not budge against the force exerted by elephants are now at risk of being uprooted.

GAME VIEWING

BERTUS started the year off in fine style : he drove towards Tshokwane on New Years Day and had some excellent sightings of rhino and elephant. He also came across mating giraffe. On the return via Nwanedzi, his excited guests came across a huge herd of buffalo - well over 300. The day was spoiled by seeing a number of dead birds and small animals along the road - a result of speeding vehicles. This always happens on Public Holidays. It is yet another example of the carelessness of some tourists!

On the 5th January, Bertus and his lucky tourists saw a pack of Wild Dogs near Orpen. They were right on the road. Bertus reports that a lot of the lions he saw this month were also seen on the roads. He reckons that the lions do not like the wet grass and therefore move onto the roads.

Bertus reports good sightings of cheetah this month. He ended off the month well with great sightings of hyena, lions and cheetah on the S 100. On Balule walks, Bertus has been quite fortunate : elephant, buffalo and a young lioness were seen regularly around Tremisana. He has also seen some very large flocks of red-billed quelea finches as well as a group of pale chanting goshawks feeding off termites emerging from a hole in the ground.

He reports seeing three young cheetah on the road right outside Tremisana as well as a leopard that showed absolutely no concern at the proximity of the Landcruiser and lay sprawled on the ground for over half an hour.

BONGANI is doing most of his drives in Kruger in the area north-east of Satara where there has been less rain and consequently the bush is not so thick. Large herds of zebra, wildebeest and impala were seen there all month long and on a few occasions, lions were also encountered. On the 4th January, Bongani and his very fortunate tourists saw a pack of four Wild Dogs chasing an impala. Unfortunately, because of the thick bush, it was unclear whether the impala was caught.

Bongani reports an increase in the number of elephants seen on walks on Balule. January is the month in which a lot of Marula trees shed their fruit. Elephants are particularly partial (as are most humans in the know, including yours truly) to these high vitamin-C content fruit.

On the 14th January Bongani and crew saw three lionesses chasing a male leopard on the S 100. The leopard climbed a tree and the lionesses tried to get at him. After 20 minutes Bongani decided that the lionesses would not be able to reach the treed leopard and he drove off.

Not so lucky was another leopard seen by Bongani and guests on 20th January. It was close to the road and was moving very slowly. Bongani noticed that it had a number of porcupine quills lodged in its neck. Bongani reported this to the local ranger who came out immediately and after sedating the injured leopard, removed all quills and disinfected the wounds.

NELLY has started 2009 in great form and, once again, has managed to get his report to me on time. Well done! Ronald assures me Nelly's reports will always be on time in the future. Nelly had excellent luck on Thursday 15 January : three different sightings of leopard !

On 3rd January, Nelly had an amazing day. He reports as follows : "We found a leopard up a Leadwood tree eating an impala. Four kilometres further towards Ngotso, we saw seven lions in the shade of a tree. At Ngotso Dam, a White Rhino bull was playing in the mud. At the next waterhole, we found elephants and buffalo - so we got the Big Five in a distance of 12 km - who says January is not a good time to see animals in Kruger ?"
Nelly has had exceptionally good luck this month : he has seen lions on 90% of his safaris. Added to this he has seen a good number of leopards and cheetah. In fact Nelly tells me that he sees more cheetah in the wet season than in the dry times.

THULANI has also had his 'Big Five' days. On the 5th January his tour group saw two male lions near Orpen, followed by a big herd of buffalo at Nsemani Dam and elephants near Satara. He found White Rhino north of Satara and a leopard at Gudzane. Not quite as impressive as Nelly but to see the Big Five in under 70 km of driving is good by anyone's standards.

On the 7th January Thulani had a good sighting of two very rare and seldom seen Black Rhino near the Talamati turnoff. On the 27th January, Thulani and his tourists came across a pair of mating lions right on the road. After watching for 15 minutes, he tried to pass but the male lion roared at the vehicle and so the party watched the performance for an additional 15 minutes. After this marathon session, the lioness moved off the road into the bush and Thulani was able to proceed towards the exit gate, where he arrived late. It's not every day that we are held up by mating lions, so the gate guards let our vehicle through without imposing a fine !

RHULANI is our new guide. His experience with tourists goes back quite a way to the days he worked for Kruger Park in Skukuza.

On the 2nd January. Rhulani saw all the Big Five except leopard. Rumour has it that Nelly is offering Rhulani lessons at leopard-spotting at a reduced fee. I don't know how necessary these lessons are as Rhulani reports : "On the 20th January my clients saw a huge herd of buffalo near Orpen Gate. About 10 km further we saw a herd of over 50 elephants. I took the Sweni road and located White Rhino at Welverdiend waterhole. At the Nwanedzi bridge, we had an excellent sighting of a lioness with teenage cubs. I was despairing that, once again, I was going to miss the leopard. My clients really put pressure on me. About 10 km from the exit gate at Orpen, luck at last came my way : a big leopard crossed the road slowly right in front of the Open Vehicle !"

TOBY has emailed the following report:
'Toby was only in the Kruger Park for two days of January but reports exceptional sightings. On Toby's last drive into Kruger on the 25th, the big 5 were there waiting to greet him. Within a 1km radius of the S100 and the H7, Toby and his guests saw 2 lioness with cubs, several large bull elephants and buffalo and then on the bridge just south of Satara a leopard crossing underneath the bridge! What a great start to the day!

After a quick stop at Satara, Toby took his guests to Tshokwane for lunch and then along the S35 and S37 up to the Sweni bird hide. Not 200 metres down the S35 and Toby stopped to watch a large bull elephant grazing on the side of the road. After 10 minutes, the big bull decided that he would like to move to the other side of the road and on crossing the road, turned and started to walk straight toward the vehicle. This made for some very exciting photos and a few nervous passengers?

Further along the road nearby the Wolhuter's Lion Attack Plaque, A large matriarchal herd of elephants were cooling themselves down in a mud pool next to the road.
The S37 was fairly quiet, but Toby and his guests were rewarded when they reached the Sweni bird hide. After sitting down at the hide to watch the hippos, Toby heard a noise from the car park and went to investigate. What he heard was another matriarchal herd of elephants that stood browsing between the car and the gate to the hide. Toby quietly led his guests to the gate and they all got a fantastic close up experience on foot to watch these beautiful giants of the bush.

A great day got even better when they left the hide and at the end of the H6, they saw 3 white rhino bulls. A big male was kicking the 2 young males out of his territory and they were very unhappy to leave. This was a great experience to listen to just how vocal a rhino can be, but this wasn't the end yet. After leaving the park, all of the guests had started to pack their cameras away, when a female leopard stepped out onto the road way and very casually paced back and forth across the road. All of the guests got some great photos and were all very happy to have been rewarded with such an incredible drive!

NEWS AT TREMISANA GAME LODGE

Tremisana has had unbelievably good rains. Tremisana Dam is still 100% full as I write and looks really great. The gardens are spectacular and the birdlife is prolific. We still have our resident troop of monkeys. Delina and Pearl had hoped they would push off for a while now that there is ample food in the bush, but it looks like they have made Tremisana their permanent home. There have been very few snake sightings and I wonder if the permanent presence of monkeys has something to do with this.

Until next month,

Piero