Summer Safari in the Timbavati | Tanda Tula Wildlife

It’s been a minute! But we are back with an update of what has been happening at Tanda Tula over the past couple of months.

Its been a summer, that’s for sure! We have received record rains, and have recorded over 1000mm for the summer so far – that is double our average annual rainfall – and the Timbavati is looking spectacular.

As many of you would have seen in the news, the Kruger region received more than its share of rainfall in January, leading to the temporary closure of many camps in the region, and Tanda Tula was no exception.

Fortunately, despite the rivers flowing at capacity for almost two weeks, they never rose high enough to put our camp at any risk, and we are happy to report that we did not have any structural damage to the camp, no one was in danger, and the only reason we had to close was because the reserve was so saturated that driving around would have damaged the roads and environment to a degree that we did not think was worth the risk. It proved to be a wise decision, and the two week rest that our roads were given meant that it was a pretty easy job to get them all up and running again, and we opened for business again at the end of January, and it was so special to welcome guests back to the camp, and show them the magic of the Timbavati.

A wide view of a sandy river bend surrounded by dense green trees and bush. Dark clouds hang over the landscape, with the river winding through the middle of the scene. — Flooded river winding through lush green Timbavati landscape after summer rains

When hearing about the floods, guests are always concerned about the welfare of the animals, and whilst it would have been a tough and trying period for them, the vast majority came out unscathed, and enjoying the bounty of food and water now on offer in the area. All of our regulars were accounted for, and even the new born cubs, that we were a little concerned about, appear to have made it through.

So what exactly has been happening out there over the past couple of months?

Sark Breakaways Settling

After the upheaval of the pride dynamics in the middle of 2025, the three lionesses that joined up with the new Nkombo males have now settled nicely, and all three females are looking very pregnant, and the arrival of a whole bunch of new cubs is imminent!

A pride of lions rests and stands on a dirt road surrounded by green grass and thick woodland. One male lion faces the group while several lionesses lie nearby. — Sark Breakaway lionesses with Nkombo male in Timbavati

The Nkombo males have been very active, and after a quiet start to their lives as dominant males around Tanda Tula, it has been great hearing them stretch their vocal chords and putting on some more roaring displays. Hopefully their roars will keep out any challengers and allow the females to raise their upcoming litters in comfort and peace.

A close-up of a lioness sitting in tall green grass with other lions blurred in the background. The lioness looks directly ahead with a calm, alert expression. — Lioness resting in green summer grass in the Timbavati

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the remaining 12 members of the pride. They have been forced to seek new areas of safety, and spent most of the end of 2025 splintered into small groupings, with the two adult females themselves each looking after a bunch of inexperienced sub-adults – never a great recipe for hunting success. After coming together to reunite as ten members just before New Years, the pride got a good meal and entered 2026 on a good footing. Sadly, there has been little sign of them since then, and we can only hope that they are keeping out of trouble wherever they have ended up.

A close-up portrait of a male lion lying on the ground and looking off to the side. His mane and face are sharply detailed against a soft green and gray background. — Older Sark Breakaway male lion resting in Timbavati

The two older Sark Breakaway males were looking in good shape and appeared to be exploring to the east in the closing periods of 2025, and we saw them a couple of times in the heart of the Mayambula territory; I doubt that the remaining Vuyela males (fathers of the two young boys) will have been too pleased to see them there, so I cannot see these males settling down in that area.

Two lions are mating in a grassy clearing, with the male mounted over the female. The scene is set against a soft green safari background. — Vuyela male lion mating with Mayambula female in eastern Timbavati

Speaking of the Vuyela male(s) – we only had one series of sightings of one Vuyela male mating with a Mayambula female in the east in December. Since the death of at least two of the coalition members, the males and their pride have been very scarce, and we have no idea how many pride males are still around. 2025 brings to a close a tough year for the pride, but we hope that we will see more of them in 2026, and hopefully with more cubs to bring the pride back to their recent status as a super pride.

A lion lies on its back in tall green grass, with its face partly hidden by the blades. The animal appears relaxed and resting in the vegetation. — Male lion resting in tall green grass in Timbavati

Bitter Sweet

The pride however that stole most of our headlines over the past two months has been the Giraffe Pride in the west. I had one of the most special sightings of the pride one morning as one of the lionesses was moving her three small cubs to a new den-site, but she seemed undecided and was up and down a bit open area giving us amazing views. She eventually joined up with another female and cubs, and we watched as the two proud moms and their six cubs moved off to a new home! Sadly, I did not have my camera to capture that moment, but we caught up with them a few days later as the pride rested on the banks of the Zebenine Riverbed, roaring their authority over the area along with a Birmingham Breakaway male in attendance. It was bitter sweet, as we also found one of the smallest cubs lifeless bodies lying close by. We left with joy in our hearts regardless, and dreamt of how big the pride would grow.

A young lion cub stands in tall green grass, looking to the side. The background is softly blurred with open sky and vegetation. — Young Giraffe Pride lion cub standing in green grass in Timbavati

A lioness sits in tall grass with several cubs close around her. One cub stands on her back while she yawns or roars with her mouth open. — Giraffe Pride lioness with cubs resting in green summer grass

Unbeknown to all of us, that would be the last time that anyone saw any of the cubs alive. Did the Blackdam males (a coalition of three that has been pushing into Giraffe Pride territory over the summer) kill them, or was the already dead cub a sign of some sickness that was spreading through the litter? It was a massive loss for the pride, and left them with only one 7 month old cub in the pride. They continued to do their thing, feasting on a number of carcasses – including a hippo that they found – and ended off the reporting period tucking into a buffalo carcass in the eastern parts of their territory.

A male lion lies in the grass beside a carcass, with bloodied remains visible in the foreground. He looks alert while feeding in dense green vegetation. — Male lion feeding on carcass in western Timbavati

It was that afternoon when the guides followed up on one of the lionesses that had left the carcass to go down towards the Zebenine Riverbed that their interests were piqued. Her suckle marks were evident, but no one had seen her cubs – how many did she have, and how old were they? And as always happens when the Giraffe lionesses have a litter…what colour were they? Amazingly, for the first time in over a decade, we got to hear the answer we had been hoping for…one of the cubs was white!

Two lion cubs stand on a sandy track with dense green bush behind them. One pale cub is licking its nose while the other looks straight toward the camera. — White lion cub standing beside tawny sibling in Timbavati

A lioness lies resting on sandy ground beside two young cubs, with one pale cub in the foreground. Dense green bush frames the scene behind them. — White lion cub resting beside lioness in Timbavati

A young male cub, this young white ball of fur has a challenging road ahead, and if the pride’s recent struggles to raise their cubs are any sign of the future, this litter of two are going to need luck on their side. However, if there is one pride that has been good at raising white cubs in the past, it is the Giraffe Pride – back in the mid 2010s, they had two adult white lionesses in their pride, and it is a continuation of their genes that led to this white cub being born.

The River Pride made very few appearances in the first part of summer, and we await their return, hoping that wherever they have ended up, they are safe and doing well.

Baby Season

One of the biggest joys of summer is the arrival of a host of babies – impalas, warthogs, wildebeest and even many zebras all drop their young in summer, and the bush has been full of cuteness! Time has however flown by so much that I can scarcely believe how big the baby impalas have already gotten!

A zebra mare stands in tall green grass with her foal beside her, both facing to the right. Another zebra is blurred in the background against a soft, natural bushveld setting.

A small group of wildebeest stands in tall green grass, with several calves among the adults. The animals are gathered closely together in open savanna.

A small antelope stands in tall green grass while an oxpecker perches on its head. Two other antelope are partially visible in the foreground and background.

After the floods, I did notice that very few baby wildebeest were left in any of the herds but don’t know if that was related to the rain itself, or if the lions in the eastern portions picked them off during the rains when hunting would have been easier?

Eyes to the Trees

Guests are often concerned that animals are more difficult to spot in summer with the long grass, and none more so than leopards. This summer again proved that summer is actually a great time for leopard viewing, and throughout November and December, we found numerous leopards resting up in the large trees that are scattered across our traversing area. Being surprisingly small cats, they too need to get to elevated perches to see over the grass, and as a result, tend to regularly ascend marula trees for a better view of the world, and whilst there, they also make a perfect spot to sleep in!

Leopard moving through tall green summer grass in Timbavati

A leopard lies stretched along a tree branch at dusk, with its tail hanging down and a deep blue sky behind it. The scene shows dense bush silhouettes in the background. — Leopard resting on marula tree branch at dusk in Timbavati

Our sightings over this time were dominanted by a few of our resident females; Dzindza and Rihati continue to me the most frequently viewed females in the central regions, but we also saw a lot of an as-yet-unnamed female to the west of camp – she possibly holds the crown for the biggest lover of marula trees this summer! With each sighting, she is also getting more and more comfortable with the vehicles, giving the guests some lovely viewing.

A leopard lies stretched out on a tree branch, partially framed by blurred green leaves in the foreground. The animal looks directly toward the camera from the shade of the canopy. — Female leopard resting on marula tree branch at Tanda Tula in Timbavati

A leopard rests on a thick tree branch, framed by green leaves and branches. The cat looks directly at the camera from high in the tree. — Female leopard perched high in marula tree west of Tanda Tula camp

N’weti was also seen a few times over this period, including mating with Nkhari male in the early part of summer. This appears to have been a successful mating session, and by the end of the January, she was starting to show signs of some growing cubs inside her womb.

A leopard lies resting on a large tree branch, looking off to the side with its paws draped over the wood. The background is softly blurred green foliage. — Leopard N’weti resting on tree branch in Timbavati

Nyeleti, our old stalwart has moved into the northern sections of our concession and has had a litter of cubs just before the floods. As she was on a drainage line that come down in a torrent, we were all a little nervous of the outcome, but after the rains, her tracks were constantly in the same area, and eventually her tracks were joined by the tiny prints of two cubs. Whilst no one has seen the cubs yet, it is only a matter of time before we are introduced to them.

A leopard lounges across a tree branch with its head resting against the trunk. Its spotted body and hanging legs stand out against the green leaves in the background. — Female leopard Nyeleti resting in tree in Timbavati

Other Predators

Although our cats get a great deal of focus, summer is usually a great time to see wild dogs in at Tanda Tula, and this summer was no different with three different packs making use of our area. We followed the packs on several hunts which resulted in success for the dogs – and this usually brought in a hyena or two. With their primary food source being baby impalas though, there was seldom anything left for the hyenas!

Two African wild dogs stand face to face in tall green grass, touching muzzles as one grips a small carcass in its mouth. Their mottled coats and large rounded ears are clearly visible in the close wildlife scene. — African wild dogs feeding on prey in green summer grass at Tanda Tula

A spotted hyena stands in shallow water, looking off to the side. The background is softly blurred and pale, emphasizing the animal’s alert posture. — Spotted hyena standing in shallow floodwater after summer rains

Our jackal families (known as a skulk) also had a booming summer, making use of the abundant invertebrate life that accompanies the good conditions, and on one occasion we found a family of 8 jackals (including their four pups) all milling around on an open plain together.

A black-backed jackal sits on sandy ground in soft green grass, looking off to the side. The animal is shown in a clean portrait against a blurred natural background. — Black-backed jackal sitting alert on open plain in Timbavati

Tragic Loss

Cheetah sightings were better this summer than they had been during the past winter, and we got to see three individuals; two different males and a young female. Sadly, our long standing dominant male cheetah in the east was found dead on the Kruger boundary one morning, and this brought to an end a 6 year reign he and his brother had over the area. There were no signs of predation, and his death remains a mystery, but we can be sure that in his absence, another male will fill the void. We did see the Ximuwu male in the eastern block at the end of the reporting period, so maybe he will begin spending more time in this suitable habitat?

A cheetah stands in tall green grass with its head turned to the side. The animal’s spotted coat is clearly visible against the soft, grassy background. — Male cheetah standing alert in green summer grass in Timbavati

The Giants

Summer’s abundance is always welcomed by the big grazers, and we enjoyed some good elephant and rhino activity in the area. The elephants had a couple of periods where they dipped in number as they moved into Kruger to enjoy the resources on offer there that they can’t access in the dry season.

One of my favourite elephant sightings was of a herd taking a swim in the flowing Nhlaralumi River – not something we often get a chance to see!

A small herd of elephants stands at the edge of a muddy river, with one elephant partly in the water and others gathered along the bank. Dense green woodland fills the background under a cloudy sky. — Elephant herd wading through flowing Nhlaralumi River in summer

We had a good number of male elephants in the area this year – more than I can recall seeing for some time, and they are always good value as they get up to all sorts of mischief – almost more so than the little babies!

A young elephant calf walks along a grassy path with a piece of bark resting across its head and trunk. The calf’s ears are spread wide and its tongue is slightly out as it faces the camera. — Young elephant carrying branch in trunk in green summer grass in Timbavati

Two elephants stand in a shallow waterhole while one climbs onto the other from behind. Green bushveld and a dramatic cloudy sky fill the background. — Two bull elephants interacting in shallow water during summer in Timbavati

Whilst the buffalo herds popped through occasionally – and it always made for a stunning scene to see these large groups out in the open grassy areas when they were around – we had constant access to our buffalo bulls in the central regions of the traversing area.

A herd of African buffalo stands and grazes across an open grassy plain beneath a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. A dirt track cuts through the scene as the animals spread out across the landscape. — Large buffalo herd moving across open grassy plain in Timbavati

A close-up buffalo stands in tall green grass, partially hidden by foliage. Its curved horns frame its face as it looks toward the camera. — Buffalo bull standing in tall green grass in central Timbavati

One big benefit of the water left behind after the good rains was that we started seeing hippos all over the show – from lone bulls in the camp dam to small groups in Machaton Dam, Elephant Dam and even natural pools that I had never seen hippos in before!

A hippopotamus stands in shallow water with its head lowered to drink. Ripples spread across the water with grassy banks in the background. — Hippopotamus standing in shallow water after summer rains in Timbavati

For the Birds

This summer has also bene one for the birds – migratory regulars aside, the rains have brought with them a host of less frequently seen rarities; red-billed teals, red-knobbed coots and red bishops (to name but the red ones!). Dwarf bitterns, curlews, African crakes and even a lesser jacana made appearances around the waterholes, and it became a real paradise for our feathered friends.

A small crimson and black bird perches on a bare branch against a soft green blurred background. The bird is turned to the side, showing its bright orange-red chest and back.

A Southern Ground Hornbill stands on a sandy rock ledge in grassy bushveld. The bird has dark plumage and a bright red face and throat pouch.

A small bird with bright orange, black, and yellow plumage perches on the tip of a thin branch against a clear blue sky. Its long tail feathers trail straight down beneath the perch.

A colorful kingfisher perches on a bare tree branch against a clear blue sky. The bird holds an insect in its beak.

A colorful lilac-breasted roller is captured mid-flight with wings spread wide above a blurred green and golden background. A bare branch crosses the lower left foreground.

One of my highlights was watching a diminutive little bee-eater feeding a juvenile greater honeyguide, a brood parasite that is dotingly raised after the honeyguide laid its eggs in the bee-eater’s nest!

Two colorful birds perch on a tree branch, with one bird passing an insect to the other. The background is a soft green blur of foliage. — Little bee-eater feeding juvenile greater honeyguide on tree branch in Timbavati

Summer Scenes

If these wildlife images weren’t enough to convince you of the merits of summer visits, I will leave you with three images that sum up the summer feeling for me; greenery, herds, and light!

We look forward to bringing you more news and updates about our wildlife over the coming months, so be sure to keep a lookout on our social media platforms to see what has been happening here at Tanda Tula!

A giraffe stands among dense green bushveld trees and shrubs under a bright blue sky. The animal is partially hidden by foliage, with only its head and neck clearly visible.

Three zebras stand together in a grassy field, with one nuzzling another while a third faces forward with its mouth open. Blurred wildebeest are visible in the background against a green woodland edge.

A vivid orange and gold sunset glows over the open savanna, with a lone tree and dark bush silhouettes in the foreground. Layered clouds stretch across the sky above the landscape at tandatula.

Until next time!

Summer Safari Stories from Tanda Tula

It’s been a minute! But we are back with an update of what has been happening at Tanda Tula over the past couple of months.

Its been a summer, that’s for sure! We have received record rains, and have recorded over 1000mm for the summer so far – that is double our average annual rainfall – and the Timbavati is looking spectacular.