March Through Our Lens

It’s almost a new month, and that means it’s time for a round-up of what the wildlife of Tanda Tula in the Timbavati has been up to! As I was away for most of February, I naturally missed out on some great sightings, but the past two months have provided some memorable moments for the guests who chose to visit this part of the Greater Kruger Park.

I sat down to write about what a dry end to summer we had been having in the central Timbavati—February had been good (118mm over the month), but barely anything had fallen during March, and the bush really looked like autumn had set in and was here to stay… That was until an unexpected storm last night brought a much-needed 100-plus mm of rain, sending the rivers flowing and filling up all our pans and dams. This means we will have a much easier winter than the animals were facing just 24 hours ago! We had received considerably less rain in the central Timbavati this summer than areas both north and south of us, leading animals like rhinos, buffalos, and elephants to spend more time where the grass was greener. However, last night’s life-giving rain will level the playing field and bring the elephant herds back to our area. April looks like it will be a great month, set in stunning, verdant surrounds!

A pride of lions walks through tall grass and sparse bush, moving toward the camera in the dry woodland. Several adults and cubs are visible together, with the group spread across the frame. — Sark Breakaway Pride on the prowl in the dry autumnal surrounds

Sark Breakaway Pride and Their Unusual Diurnal Habits

We mentioned last time that the Sark Breakaways had set up base around Tanda Tula, and the past two months have proven no different. The pride continues to be a daily feature on our drives, aided by the fact that one of the lionesses gave birth to a new litter of cubs in mid-February on Nkhari. Although she has been keeping to herself, the pride has only moved away on occasion.

A pride of lions gathers at the edge of a waterhole to drink, with one lioness standing alert behind the others. Their reflections ripple in the water as they drink beside dense grass and bushes. — Sark Breakaway Pride drinking just outside Tanda Tula Safari Camp

The Vuyela males were somewhat scarce this month, with only one of the pride males spending time with the Sark Breakaways. Towards the end of March, however, he went in search of his coalition partners. Two of the males were seen with the River Pride, while it appears the others remained with the Mayambula Pride further east.

A lion cub climbs onto an adult male lion in the grass while the male lion lies open-mouthed on the ground. The scene shows a close wildlife moment in the Timbavati area of Greater Kruger. — Vuyela male with playful Sark Breakaway cub

Unusual Daytime Hunting Behavior

The most impressive thing over the past months has been the pride’s unusual daytime habits. On several occasions—when they hadn’t eaten for a couple of days—the pride would wake up in the heat of the afternoon and go off hunting. Even more surprisingly, they were often successful! On two occasions, when following up on their morning resting spots, we found that they had moved and hunted successfully in the middle of the day.

A pride of lions is clustered around a zebra kill in tall green grass. Several lions feed while others rest close by in the bush. — Sark Brealaway Pride after they caught a zebra

A pride of lions feeds together on a kudu kill in tall grass. Several lions are clustered tightly around the carcass while one male watches nearby. — Sark Brealaway Pride after they caught a zebra

We were fortunate enough to see them catch a zebra in the afternoon, and a couple of weeks later, they took down a large buffalo bull long before sunset.

Of course, they did also hunt at night—one evening, they caught two buffalos in a single hunt!

A pride of lions feeds on a buffalo kill in tall grass with dense green bush in the background. Several lions cluster around the carcass, with the buffalo’s legs and horns visible. — These lions did also hunt at night – here they caught two buffalos in one hunt in the Timbavati

River Pride Resurfaces

The River Pride began resurfacing this month, and we saw them far more frequently than in recent periods. The previously injured lioness is still alive and doing okay, though she still walks with some difficulty. Unfortunately, this was not a good time to lose another pride member. For the past month, there has been no sign of the pale lioness, and sadly, she appears to no longer be with us.

The injured lioness and the third, healthy female continue to raise the pride’s four cubs and three sub-adults, but it is a trying time for them. Hunting has not been easy, and they often look like they could use a good meal. However, as the young lions grow, they will be able to better support the healthy lioness as she does her best to provide for the pride.

A young lion cub climbs and clings to a tree trunk in lush green grassland. The cub looks up toward the camera while hanging on with its paws. — River Pride lion cubs getting bigger

Giraffe Pride Activity

In the west, the Giraffe Pride remains fractured but settled. Some of the youngsters have ventured as far east as Nkhari and Umlani, but the core of the pride has been very active over the past few months, with at least some of the Birmingham Breakaway males being found on most days.

As you can see, it has once again been a month dominated by lions!

Nyeleti Leopardess Has Her Cubs

After watching her pregnant belly grow, we eventually confirmed that Nyeleti leopardess had given birth towards the end of February. We saw her regularly near Tanda Tula, which led me to believe she had chosen a den site close to camp. However, as the weeks passed, her movements didn’t give any further clues as to where she might be stashing the cubs.

It was thus a big surprise when she was seen with a tiny cub (only one has been spotted so far) far north of her territory—actually using a den site in what we consider to be Dzindza’s territory! To make this decision even more confusing, she appears to come down and hunt south of Tanda Tula, having been found with a kill over 8km from the den site! I am sure it won’t be long before she brings the cub south into our concession, and we get our first proper view.

Nyeleti Leopard scent-marking in the southern park of her territory in the Timbavati

A leopard climbs up a large tree trunk in a grassy woodland setting. The cat stretches upward with its paws on the bark and tail extended behind it. — Dzindza ascending a tree near Tanda Tula Safari Camp

Dzindza continues to be our most frequently seen leopard around Tanda Tula. She has been spotted regularly in the vicinity of camp, often finding refuge up in one of the marula trees.

A female leopard named Dzindza lies on a tree branch, looking toward the camera through surrounding leaves. Her spotted body is partially framed by dark foliage and a blue evening sky. — Dzindza leopard posing

A female leopard named Dzindza rests on a tree branch, partially hidden among green leaves. Her face is visible above the trunk as she looks toward the camera. — Leopard sleeping in tree in Greater Kruger

We also had sightings of several other leopards over the past two months. Nkaya female was seen a couple of times on the eastern boundary, and we hope she will push deeper into the territory. The Tawane female, on the other hand, is starting to look very old; we saw her nibbling on a banded mongoose one afternoon, but she wasn’t in great shape.

Elephants Aplenty

Despite their decreased numbers towards the end of the month, we generally had a large number of elephant sightings. With the warm temperatures, elephants frequently gathered at the waterholes, and we had many fantastic sightings of herds swimming and splashing about.

Two elephants stand in grassy bushveld at sunset beneath a blue sky with glowing pink and orange clouds. Scattered trees frame the open landscape. — Elephants abounded in the green surrounds of the Timbavati

The Nhlaralumi riverbed remained a hotspot for elephant activity, with many herds moving to the riverbed to dig for water in the sand.

A herd of elephants stands and walks along a sandy riverbed surrounded by dense green bush and tall trees. The scene shows several elephants gathered across the foreground and middle distance under a clear sky. — elephants digging for water near Tanda Tula Safari Camp

Other Large Creatures

The good rains in the first two months of the year resulted in an increase in hippos at the waterholes. The western dams housed a good number, while in the east, we spotted a few solitary males moving between dams. One particularly entertaining hippo put on a show by rolling around in the dam—much to the amusement of the nearby lions watching him!

A hippo bull lies on its back in the water with its legs raised while rolling near the riverbank. Ripples and splashes spread across the surface with grassy banks in the background. — an entertaining hippo in Kruger

Although a large herd of 200-300 buffalo moved through the central and western regions at times, most of our sightings were of buffalo bulls. One group of bulls was even joined by two females—no doubt separated from their herd after a lion hunt, now seeking safety among the bulls. However, I fear they might not find the protection they need when the Sark Breakaway Pride catches up with them!

A group of buffalo bulls stands along the muddy edge of a waterhole at Machaton Dam. The scene shows open bushveld, calm water, and a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. — Some female buffalos join up with our resident buffalo bulls

A group of zebras drinks at the edge of a waterhole while a herd of buffalos stands in the background. The scene is set in open bush with reflections on the water. — he buffalos could be found resting in some water on a daily basis

The Rarer Beauties

Cheetahs remained scarce these past months, with only a handful of sightings. Our collared male made an appearance early in February when we watched him successfully chase after a herd of impalas one afternoon.

A young female cheetah sits in tall dry grass beside a green bush, looking off to the left. The animal is partially hidden by the vegetation in a sunlit safari setting. — a young female cheetah

Wild dogs were very active in February, spending almost two straight weeks in the area. During March, they appeared less frequently—likely due to the high level of lion activity. Interestingly, they seem to have shifted their movements toward the Klaserie, where lion densities are lower.

A group of wild dogs gathers in tall grass while a hyena stands nearby at the edge of the scene. The animals are partly hidden by the vegetation in a natural bush setting. — wild dogs saying “hi” to a hyena

We were also excited to see the hyena den become active again, with five of the eight older sub-adults returning. Two smaller cubs were spotted as well, and a heavily pregnant female has been hanging around the den, suggesting we might soon see some tiny new arrivals!

A young hyena cub stands on a rock beside tall grass, looking toward the camera. Another cub is partially visible in the background. — hyena cubs back at the den

Final Thoughts

A spider hangs in silhouette on its web against a soft sunset sky. Fine strands of the web stretch across the frame with the lodge landscape blurred behind it. — Golden Orb Spider

With summer in full swing, we were treated to an array of birds, butterflies, and all sorts of life. Migratory birds were especially active, including Wahlberg’s eagles, European rollers, woodland kingfishers, carmine bee-eaters, and red-backed shrikes.

A colorful European bee-eater perches on a leafy branch, showing bright yellow, chestnut, and turquoise plumage against a dark green background.

Two carmine bee-eaters perch on bare tree branches against a soft blue sky. One bird sits higher in sharp focus while the other is lower and slightly blurred.

We also welcomed baby kudus into the world, and had a few young giraffes walking around the reserve too. Zebra herds were plentiful, and despite not having the most successful breeding season due to the lions, we were still seeing loads of wildebeest around.

A baby giraffe stands close beside an adult giraffe in tall grass, with both animals facing away from the camera. The pair is set against a soft green bush backdrop. — giraffe calf and it’s mother

A kudu bull stands on a raised ant hill above low green vegetation, facing the camera. The sky behind him is bright blue with scattered clouds. — A kudu bull

As always, the Timbavati never disappoints, and our guests were truly spoiled with incredible sightings. Be sure to follow our weekly updates on social media, and check back next month for more wildlife stories!

Until next time, cheers!

Chad