It is that time again to recap what has been keeping the guides and guests busy at Tanda Tula over the past month, and share some of the imagery we have been able to capture.
October brought another busy and beautiful stretch of sightings across the Timbavati, forming part of our ongoing October Tanda Tula wildlife sightings. With shifting lion dynamics, flashes of leopard activity, playful wild dog moments and elephants enjoying the first signs of summer rain, the month delivered a rich mix of stories from the bush.
It seems the rain only likes coming at the end of the month – following the 14mm of rain at the end September, we recorded very little rain until the last couple of days of October. The hot weather and lack of rain negated most of the positive effects of that last rain meaning that the bush remained in its drab coat of brown and grey, with only a few buds and flowers popping out.
However, that all changed as October drew to a close and we were gifted with a welcome downpour of 40mm at Tanda Tula Safari Camp. It was also a rainfall that exemplified how localised our rainfall can be – the western corner of our traversing area recorded only 4mm of rain, whilst the northern portions received over 20 times more, receiving 85mm of rain in the same storm! This makes for a good start of the summer rainy season, and we can really expect the landscapes of the Timbavati to be taking on a new look over the coming weeks, with the hope that November will offer some more life-giving rain!
A quiet sunset settles over the river, painting the sky in soft blues and warm gold.
The Change Continues
You may have read our blog about the changing lion dynamics in the central Timbavati, and as October unfolded, the trend of changing tides continued.
The two Nkombo male lions continued to spend time mating with their pride of three Sark Breakaway females, and the quintuplet seems to be cementing themselves as the new force in the western parts of our traversing. Hopefully all this mating will lead to some cubs in the coming months, as their continued presence should be showing the lionesses that they are here to stay.
A brief but important moment in the lives of the Nkombo male and his lioness, part of the ongoing shift in lion dynamics across the central Timbavati.
The three lionesses spent some days following behind a large herd of buffalos that was moving through the area, but without the strength of the full pride, they seemed reluctant to make a move, and were far more calculating in their approach. This more measured advance did eventually pay dividends as the pride (with the males) were found with a buffalo kill after the rainstorm.
A determined lioness moves through the dry grass, scanning the landscape as she follows the shifting movements of her pride.
One morning we found two of these lionesses with the four young Sark Breakaway males, and they were on a crest of a hill watching a distant buffalo herd. It seemed strange to me that they were not making an attempt to hunt the pride, but eventually late in the morning they got going. The reason for their hesitation became clear as we approached the buffalos – the Nkombo male and another Sark Breakaway female were already chasing the same herd! When the Sark Breakaway males saw the bigger males, they went running off in the opposite direction and realised this was not a safe place to be! Welcome to your new lives, boys!
Two of the young Sark Breakaway males pause on a sandy rise, keeping a close eye on the movements of the herds and older males around them.
The two bigger Sark Breakaway males got briefly separated from one another and mixed their time between being alone, joining with the young males, or for most of the month, being completely absent! They did remain in good condition, and all signs are that they are well prepared for their independence when they finally take the plunge!
One of the Sark Breakaway males strides through the dry grass, keeping a cautious distance from the dominant Nkombo coalition.
A Sark Breakaway male scans the horizon from a sandy rise, watching the movements of neighbouring lions.
The largest fraction of the Sark Breakaways remained out of the area for most of the month, choosing not to risk coming into contact with the Nkombo males, thus doing their best to protect their four youngsters.
A sad and unexpected twist hit the River Pride this month when our guides found the grisly scene of the half-eaten remains of one of the young males from the pride. Hyenas had been feeding on him so it was not possible to see what had happened, and we can only speculate that they had either encountered a powerful clan of hyenas, or more likely, bumped into some of the Mayambula Pride with dire consequences.
Elusive Leopards
After a great month of leopard viewing last month, these spotted beauties made us work a little harder for them during the month past, but our efforts were rewarded when we got to spend time in their company.
Our new female to the west of Tanda Tula is still being seen, and getting more comfortable with each sighting, and if she continues to hang around, will need to be given a name! Luckily, our named star, Dzindza, continued to show herself with some regularity, although her movements are far from predictable as she pitches up in all corners of her territory. We enjoyed a couple of lovely sightings of her close to camp, with one ending up with us seeing her catch a scrub hare in front of us!
A calm moment with a beautifully relaxed leopard stretched out on a sturdy tree branch, keeping an eye on the world below.
A successful morning for Dzindza, seen here carrying a scrub hare she caught moments earlier near camp.
My highlight of the month from a leopard point of view was a simple sighting, but a lovely one. With a storm brewing, we had spotted some rhino a distance off and drove closer to see them. It was a good decision, as we had no sooner pulled in when, over the howling wind, I heard Jack casually say “leopard” and point at a fallen tree just ahead of us. There, doing her best not to get blown off, was the gorgeous Nkaya female. Although we see her from time to time, this was the deepest into our concession we had seen her and a good sign that she could spend more time in our eastern sections – the area where Thumbela, her mother, used to once call home.
A relaxed Nkaya pauses in the open, taking a quiet moment before continuing her wander through the eastern reaches of her territory.
Efficient Hunters
The wild dogs were a little quiet this month, but we did have a couple of visits from our western pack with their 5 adults and 9 pups. We caught up with them one afternoon as they approached a dam for a drink and then went off into the thickets to hunt. Whilst waiting for the pack to come through, we heard the unmistakable bellow of death as they grabbed a steenbuck – within the minute it took us to find them, the pups had all but finished the meal!
The western pack pauses in the last light of day, regrouping before melting back into the thickets to hunt.
A close, intense moment as one of the western pack members catches her breath after a successful hunt.
As you will see from the pics, the word “pup” is maybe an exaggeration – at 6 months old, they are already quite large and well accustomed to life on the move!
The western pack makes its way along the riverbank, restless and ready to disappear into the thickets in search of their next opportunity.
One of the wild dogs pauses to look back at the Tanda Tula vehicle, calm and curious as the rest of the pack moves ahead.
Enormous Friends
Few come more enormous than our favourite elephant – Apollo! After a somewhat quiet morning in the south-east looking for lion cubs or cheetah, the east delivered a most pleasant surprise as Apollo showed himself ofr only the second time this winter, and all my frustrations immediately flew out the window as we spent half an hour in his glorious presence.
Apollo moves through the dry woodland, unhurried and entirely at ease in the morning light.
Its amazing, after seeing him, other elephants just never seem quite as big! Luckily, it was a month full of elephants once again, so certainly had our share of pachyderms to compare him to
A mud-soaked bull cools himself at the waterhole, enjoying one of the simple pleasures of a warm Timbavati afternoon.
There was a good presence of both buffalo bulls and large buffalo herds in the area this month. With the disparate rain that fell at the end of the month, we may well see more buffalos drawn deeper into the area next month too. For now, it was always a treat to see a 400-plus buffalos together (and not only because it drew the lions in!)
A massive herd moves steadily across the open ground near the airstrip, drifting deeper into the reserve in search of fresh grazing.
A tightly packed herd pauses in the woodland, alert and listening for any sign of predators nearby.
Running Rhinos
We don’t normally post much about rhinos due to the poaching threats that they face, but every now and then, it is great to be able to share some images of these remarkable, prehistoric creatures. They are, in many ways, over-sized lawn mowers, and most of the time we spend with them is marvelling at just how much they eat. I was lucky to have had a couple of sightings this month where the rhinos seemed to have caught the zoomies, and were simply running around chasing one another! It was such a joy to see, and we had to share these moments with you all!
A burst of energy from a little rhino calf, racing around with all the enthusiasm in the world.
Two rhinos tear across the clearing in an unexpected dash, kicking up dust as they chase one another.
The Supporting Cast
As always, the bush experience would not be the bush experience without the host of supporting cast members that don’t always get the attention the Big 5 get.
This month we found ourselves a black-backed jackal den site in the east, and the parents have their hands full with four little pups! One of which is super relaxed, and provided some lovely viewing opportunities!
One of the jackal pups from the eastern den site, pausing just long enough to size us up before darting back to its siblings.
A new hyena den site was also found in the western sections, and whilst not tiny cubs, they still showed off some of their newer clan members who seemed quite intrigued as to what we were!
Two curious little cubs peek out from the new den site, watched over by a patient adult.
Our central clan of hyenas continues to do well enough in the face of the lion pressure. We found several members resting in a dam one morning; upon following up on some vultures in the area, we found where the clan had eaten a fresh zebra carcass. There were no signs of other predators around, so we are not sure if they found it dead, or caught it themselves
Members of the central clan take a break from the heat, lounging in the shallows of a waterhole.
Our feathered friends continued to fly in from both Africa, Europe and Asia, and with this recent rain, it is only a matter of time until the vast majority of migrants have arrived for the summer. The parrots enjoyed the flowering weeping boer bean trees, and we also saw many raptors (including bateleurs) and other species.
Brown-headed parrots make the most of the flowering trees, stopping for a colourful snack among the branches.
A striking bateleur pair perched high above the Timbavati, surveying their territory with calm confidence.
A male white-bellied bustard pauses in the open, offering a rare and beautifully clear sighting.
And that folks, is that for the month! Enjoy the pics, and be sure to keep an eye on our social media feeds for more updates from the heart of the Timbavati!
Until next time, cheers!
Chad
A magnificent kudu bull pauses in the winter-dry thickets, his spiralled horns catching the soft morning light.
A tree squirrel soaks up the morning warmth, perched on the textured bark of an ancient leadwood.
