August Through Tanda Tula's Lens

An unfiltered look at the wild, just before the summer rains begin to stir.

Our last official month of winter for 2025 felt anything but wintery! It was a warm one, and our short, mild winter came to a very quick end as the mercury rose to the mid-30s Celsius. All but the largest natural pans dried rapidly with the lengthening days, and the permanent waterholes started becoming more productive, including the waterhole at Tanda Tula Safari Camp that welcomed daily visits from elephants, impalas, warthogs, zebras and buffalos.

A tall tree with a bright golden canopy stands in open dry grassland under a clear blue sky. Sparse shrubs and smaller trees dot the background. — A flowering knobthorn tree stands tall against a clear blue sky in the Timbavati wilderness.

The large knobthorn trees “Senegalia nigrescens” continued to flower, and they were joined by the first eager long-tailed cassias “Cassia abbreviata beareana” blossoming their bright yellow, nectar-rich flowers. Our first summer migrants arrived in the form of red-breasted swallows, yellow-billed kites and Wahlberg’s eagles, and as Spring pushes on, more and more will arrive. Before you know it, summer will be here in all its beauty.

A large red sun hangs low above a dark horizon at dusk. The foreground is in silhouette, creating a dramatic landscape scene. — A deep red sun sets over the silhouetted horizon of the Timbavati wilderness.

August is a month that never fails to disappoint when it comes to game viewing, and this year was no exception. Sit back and enjoy a little recap of what the guests visiting this piece if the Greater Kruger Park got to enjoy over the past few weeks.

A Lost Soul

For many of the guides in the Timbavati, the highlight of the month came not from our four-legged brethren, but rather a two-legged (or occasionally one) fellow that made a surprising, and somewhat prolonged visit. I was office bound when a message popped up on the reserve’s birding Whatsapp group, asking how common flamingos were in the area. Having seen exactly zero in 18 years, I was somewhat envious that a guide had seen one that morning. It soon became clear that it was Tristan that had found it, and it was sitting only a couple of miles away at Machaton Dam! I grabbed a few staff and rushed out to see it before it flew off to wherever it was on its way to. I was thus pleasantly surprised to hear that it was still around the next day. And the next. And the next. This greater flamingo was as chilled as anything, allowing me some wonderful opportunities to view and photograph it, and just as I was beginning to think it might become a permanent fixture in the Timbavati, it went from being a flamingo, to a flamin-gone, and he disappeared. Still, it was a sighting I will not forget in a hurry!

A pale flamingo stands in shallow blue water with its head lowered as it feeds. The bird is lit warmly against a dark, blurred background. — Greater flamingo with its curved beak in the water, feeding in the calm shallows of a Timbavati dam.

Elephant Killers

Scotch might argue with my earlier statement that the flamingo was the most memorable sighting of the month. The only reason for this was that Scotch saw the unbelievable sighting of a portion of the Sark Breakaway Pride taking down a lost, young elephant! While we had seen this pride attempting to stalk a herd of elephants before, with protective elephant cows around, the pride stood no chance. However, on a warm afternoon, a lost elephant calf was running around between elephant herds looking for his natal group. It was not his day, as in his search he ran straight into nine members of the Sark Breakaways, and they were not going let this opportunity pass them by and soon dispatched of the elephant. It was an unexpected meal that kept them going for a couple of days.

Several lions feed together on a carcass at night in the bush. The scene is lit by a spotlight, with grass and shrubs surrounding the pride. — Nine lions from the Sark Breakaway Pride feeding on a young elephant carcass at night in Timbavati.

They weren’t the only ones eating elephants this month. A sickly elephant cow passed away in the dead of night, and a couple of days later the sound of hyenas feeding drew the River Pride into the area where they came across a free bonus meal. I was worried that they were in the heart of Sark Breakaway territory, and that when the large pride eventually found them, it would be trouble. As it turned out, it was the small Mawondane Pride that were drawn to the stench and displaced the River Pride. A day later three young Sark Breakaway males arrived at the carcass, but whether they were not interested in week old meat or got chased off themselves is unknown, but the Mawondane Pride eventually returned as they weren’t going to pass on a free meal.

Several lionesses cluster around a dead elephant in dry grass, with one lioness standing over the carcass. The scene shows a rare feeding moment in the bush at Tanda Tula. — Lionesses from the Sark Breakaway Pride feeding on a young elephant carcass in daylight in the Timbavati.

A Family Reunion?

The Mawondane males are looking good, and their sister is still moving with them further to the north – this was the first time they had been so far south in a few months, but with the Sark Breakaways pushing south, a vacuum was left that was soon filled. Interestingly, a new pride of two lionesses was seen with the Nkombo males earlier in the month, and whilst not confirmed, there is some evidence to suggest that these females could be the missing the members of the Mawondane Pride that first appeared in 2023. The single Mawondane female will have tough life once her brothers move off on their own, and it would be a godsend if she could reunite with her lost relatives and have the stability of a pride to help her hunt and raise cubs. This is likely a pipedream, but it’s always nice to think positively about how life will fare for our big cats!

Unsettled, but Efficient

The month was an unsettled one for the lions that have been a constant presence of so many months in the area. Following the infanticide of two of their cubs last month, the pride remained very unsettled in the area, and walked over great distances, mostly in various fragments of their 16-member pride. Late in the month, they kept disappearing south over our boundary, and there is a concern that this movement will bring them into contact with the Birmingham Breakaway males and the Giraffe Pride.

A lioness lies on the ground with her paw over her face, resting in the sandy earth. Her eyes are partly closed in a relaxed close-up view. — A lion lying on its side, covering its eyes with its paws while resting on dry Timbavati soil.

When they weren’t moving all over the show, they showed that they remain a hunting force second to none. They once again dispatched of a large buffalo bull in the middle of the day, and with 16 mouths to feed, succeeded in finish the meal in its entirety in less than 24 hours. That is some eating!

Two lions feed closely over a prey carcass, with one male lion’s face filling the frame. Blood and fur are visible around the carcass as they eat. — Male lion snarling while feeding on a buffalo carcass alongside another lion in the Greater Kruger region.

Close-up side profile of a male lion with blood-stained mouth after feeding, in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.

Living Up to Their Name

Although it is not why they got their name, the Giraffe Pride took a liking to the tallest of all animals this month, being found with two large giraffe kills that provided for fat-bellies and good viewing for several days at a time. It also gave us a chance to appreciate the potential this pride has – with nine lionesses and five pride males, they have the makings of a super-pride as soon as all the mating from the past few months leads to results!

A male lion stands in dry grassland, feeding on a buffalo carcass. The scene is set in open bush with sparse trees and scrub around him. — Male lion feeding on giraffe carcass in dry bushveld

A male lion stands beneath a leafy tree in dry bushveld, with his head tilted upward as if scenting the air. The tawny grass and sparse branches frame the lion in a natural wildlife scene. — Male lion scent-marking under a tree in the Timbavati

A Slow Return

We have been waiting for months for the Mayambula Pride to return to their old haunts, as they usually do when they have new cubs. This month we began seeing signs of the pride more frequently and were treated to several sightings of the pride in the east, including some time spent with their older cubs. Steven was lucky enough to see a lioness moving some small cubs to a new den one morning, and this could explain why their tracks are criss-crossing the roads in this wilderness area. They also sit in the position where they could become a super-pride real soon – they too have as many as nine females and five pride males, and that has a great deal of reproductive potential!

A young lion lies low among dry grass and rocks, looking straight toward the camera. Warm afternoon light highlights its face while the background stays softly blurred. — Young Mayambula Pride lion cub resting in the dry grass of the Timbavati.

Pushing On

The last of our prides had a quieter month, spending a fair portion of it beyond our borders, but they did return a handful of times. During an extended period in the area towards the end of the month, they came across the dead elephant that did their bellies well. They had a couple of smaller meals during the month that continued to aid in the growth and development of the young sub-adults. They continue to improve in their hunting, and this is having a noticeable impact on general health, and the pride is faring much better than they were a few months back.

A lion’s head fills the foreground as it feeds on a hippo carcass behind a tree. The scene is tightly framed in warm light with blurred grass in front. — Young lion feeding on an elephant carcass in the Timbavati.

A small pride of lions walks through dry golden grass in open savanna beneath a clear blue sky. Scattered trees and brush frame the scene. — A pride of lions walking through dry Timbavati bushveld under clear skies.

New Kid on the Block…But it’s Not All Good News

Early in August I responded to a sighting of a relaxed male leopard in the west and arrived expecting it to be Mondzweni who shows up from time to time. It did not take long to see that this was not Mondzweni; rather it was a large but much younger male named Xivati. Until that moment, I had only seen the occasional post about him on Instagram. Despite not knowing his origins, he clearly came from an area where he encountered vehicles as a cub as he is as relaxed as any leopard we have in the area. He settled on a mound in the setting sun, and he immediately endeared himself to me – there is always something special about seeing a new leopard, especially one as relaxed as this.

Young male leopard Xivati resting on a mound in the golden Timbavati sunset.

The next morning, Xivati was found in the same place – this seemed strange. He had arrived in the area where Nkaya Dam female and her daughter, Rhulani, had a duiker kill the morning before, but surely that couldn’t feed three leopards? The shocking reality was soon revealed to the guides in the sighting when a hyena approached; Xivati got up, grabbed a carcass hidden in the thicket and shot up a nearby tree. The carcass was not one anyone expected. It was Rhulani. He had come in – and for reasons we can only guess at – and killed the almost independent daughter of Nkaya Dam female. While I didn’t spend too much in her presence over the past 19 months, it was still extremely saddening to hear of her demise. Nature is nature, and this showed itself when only a few days later Nkaya Dam female was found mating with Xivati. After several days, she was still throwing herself at the leopard that had killed her daughter, but he was exhausted and ignored her advances. If his ploy worked, she could be having a new litter of cubs in the coming months, and hopefully he will be around long enough to ensure no similar infanticide happens under his watch.

A leopard lies in dry grass and thorny brush with its mouth wide open in a yawn or snarl. Another blurred leopard is visible in the foreground at left. — Male leopard Xivati snarling in the grass after killing Rhulani, the daughter of Nkaya Dam female, in the Timbavati.

Later in the month, we ended with a sighting of Xivati with an impala kill much further east than he had been seen before – it will be interesting to see how much further east into the central regions he pushes over the coming months, but it is wonderful to have a relaxed male leopard in the area again!

Leopards Come Out of Hiding

Whether it was due to the thinning out of the bush, or the fact that the Sark Breakaway Pride were less active in the central regions I am not sure, but a likely combination of these factors led to far more leopard sightings this month than we have been having of late.

Nyeleti spent three days with an impala kill in the north – sadly she did not have a cub with her, which leads us to suspect that she has lost her latest cub. This could explain her general absence over the past while.

A leopard’s face emerges from deep shadow, with one eye catching the light. The rest of the animal blends into the dark background in a dramatic close-up. — Male leopard Xivati emerging from the darkness during a night sighting in the Timbavati.

Rihati female is settling in the area to the south of Tanda Tula very nicely, and we are seeing more and more of her. What is particularly encouraging is that she seems to be getting more relaxed with the vehicles. I spent a recent morning following her as she searched for a male, and she allowed us to follow her in a far more comfortable manner than I have seen before. We also found her mating with a very skittish male one evening – sadly he moved off into the thickets and she followed behind.

A leopard walks through tall dry grass with its tail curled upward. Sparse shrubs and a warm golden background fill the scene. — Rihati female leopard walking through golden Timbavati grass, increasingly relaxed with safari vehicles.

N’weti made a couple of appearances too as the month drew to a close. She has been an enigma of late, with only the odd sighting. She should be having cubs soon – it has been over a year since her last cub reached independence, and it is unusual for a female to go so long without falling pregnant again.

A leopard lies draped along a large tree branch and looks toward the camera. Warm sunlight highlights the cat's face and spotted coat against a soft blue sky. — N’weti female leopard resting in a tree, gazing into the distance in Timbavati.

Puppies!

Although our wild dog viewing was a little on the quiet side for most of the month, when they did arrive, they spoilt us. Most sightings for the month were of a pack of five members that were seen in the central regions in the second half of the month.

An African wild dog stands in tall dry grass, facing forward with one ear raised and the other turned outward. The background is a soft, warm blur of golden tones. — African wild dog standing alert in the Timbavati wilderness during golden light.

The highlight though was when a pack from the Klaserie moved into our traversing area with their 11 pups! The pack appeared for in the Timbavati with the pups earlier in the month, but tragedy struck on their first night when the Giraffe Pride found the pride and killed one of the pups. Fortunately, that was the lone casualty, and the remaining pups are growing by the week. They are moving more with the pack now, so we hope to catch up with them and their antics more frequently over the coming months.

A pack of African wild dogs moves through tall dry grass, with one carrying prey in its mouth. Several other dogs follow closely behind in the background. — African wild dog pups playing and feeding together in the Timbavati wilderness.

Hyena Happenings

It is always good to spend time with these underrated and often misunderstood predators – luckily, we got to do just that this month; from hyenas cooling down in the local waterholes, to hyenas finishing up after the lions were done with their kills. We had activity at a couple of the den sites (including some new cubs that I am still waiting to see!), and when out leopards had kills hoisted safely into trees, the hyenas were always close by, waiting for the scraps – often with entertaining antics when the scraps eventually fell to the floor! Time spent with hyenas is always time well spent!

A spotted hyena stands chest-deep in calm water, its reflection visible below. The animal faces left against a soft blue background.

A young hyena lies resting on sandy ground in warm sunlight. The background is softly blurred, keeping focus on the cub's face and relaxed pose.

A spotted hyena stands beside a carcass and feeds on the remains in dry grass. Other hyenas are blurred in the background.

Parades and Obstinacies

Although you might be more familiar with them simply as “herds”, the species-specific collective nouns for elephants and buffalos are known as parades and obstinacies respectively! We were inundated with parades of elephants through the month, with a great deal of activity centring on the green banks of the Nhlaralumi Riverbed, as well as the waterholes across the reserve.

An elephant stands in tall grass with another elephant blurred in the foreground and a third partially visible in the background. The scene is lit by warm low-angle light with blue sky overhead. — African elephant feeding in lush green grass at Tanda Tula, Timbavati

A close-up side view of an elephant with its trunk curled near its tusk. Another elephant is partially visible behind it in the bush. — Close-up of African elephant drinking at waterhole in Timbavati

We had regular visits to the Tanda Tula waterhole by an obstinacy of buffalo bulls – the lions only hassled them once this month in and around camp, so without that pressure to move to safety, they spent most of the month close to us. Larger herds were not too common this month, but we did have the massive herd of 700-plus members moving through the western sectors a couple of times. In the east, only a smaller herd made an appearance this month.

A dark warthog stands in tall dry grass beside sparse shrubs, facing the camera. Another animal is partially visible in the background, creating a soft wildlife scene in warm light. — African buffalo bull standing in dry woodland near Tanda Tula waterhole

Feathered Friends

No safari is complete without stopping to appreciate the omnipresent avifauna that abounds in the Timbavati. Although the flamingo stole the show, we enjoyed an array of great bird sightings this month, from our daytime-active pearl-spotted owlets (a treat during winter!) to the resident ostriches. The females haven’t been seen as regularly, which leads us to believe that they are sitting on a nest somewhere in the area.

A small spotted owl perches on a bare branch against a clear blue sky. The bird faces forward with bright yellow eyes and mottled brown-and-white feathers. — Pearl-spotted owlet perched on a branch against clear blue sky in Timbavati.

Male ostrich standing tall in golden grassland in Timbavati.

We found a martial eagle that had a fresh duiker kill; endangered southern ground hornbills; saddle-billed storks and a. Host of waterbirds at the large dam, and regular sightings of the world’s heaviest flying bird – the kori bustard. They all added to the safari experience this month.

A kori bustard stands in dry golden grassland with another large bird blurred in the background near sparse shrubs. The scene has a warm, soft-focus wildlife feel typical of the bushveld around Tanda Tula. — Kori bustard walking through dry grassland in the Timbavati.

The Best of the Rest

Just as the feathered friends add so much, a safari would not be complete without the other supporting cast. In fact, some would argue that the world’s tallest animal is indeed one of the leading actors out here! With knobthorns flowering, there were many giraffe sightings to be had in the Timbavati this month, with some groups easily numbering 20-30 animals.

A giraffe drinks at the edge of a waterhole while several zebras stand nearby in dry bushveld. The scene shows wildlife gathered along the water with trees and tall grass in the background. — Giraffe bends to drink at a Timbavati waterhole with zebras standing nearby.

A giraffe stands in silhouette against a glowing orange sunset, with dark trees lining the horizon. The scene captures a dramatic wildlife moment at Tanda Tula. — Giraffe silhouetted against the fiery orange Timbavati sunset.

The golden lighting of winter brought even greater beauty to the likes of the kudu and waterbuck bulls in the region – two of the largest antelopes found in the Greater Kruger.

A male nyala stands in tall grass at golden hour, with a small bird perched on its back. The animal is lit by warm sunlight against a softly blurred bushveld background. — A kudu bull standing in golden winter light with an oxpecker perched on his back.

A waterbuck bull feeding in golden afternoon light.

The golden glow also added a touch of softness to not-everyone’s-favourite animal – a decent sized African rock python that we found swimming in a waterhole one afternoon. It was the first large python I had seen in some time and made up for missing a sighting of one earlier in the day that had moved on before we could see it!

And that folks, is a wrap for August. We can now look forward to seeing what the first official month of spring has to bring, so be sure to check back again next month for all the happenings here at Tanda Tula!

A snake swims through muddy brown water among dark mud banks. Only its head and a curved section of its body are visible above the surface. — An African rock python swims through a muddy waterhole in golden afternoon light.

All the best

Chad

August Through Tanda Tula’s Lens