WILDLIFE REPORT

General: 

 

It was a very good month with lots to see and some amazing experiences all round. The animals seem to enjoy the cooler temperatures and move around for longer periods in the day creating ample opportunities to get great sightings of them.

Let’s not keep you waiting! We have lots of news to share…

Leopard:

Sightings have been extremely good and the stage light was set on both Nkateko and Kuhanya, the two juvenile Leopards now approaching adulthood. Typically cubs stay with the mothers for anything between about 19- 22 months, and both of them are nearly ready to manage their own lives.

Nkateko and her mother Rockfig were seen on numerous occasions in the past month but it is evident that less time is now spent between the two of them. Nkateko frequents the area to the East of camp and is often seen stalking Impala, Steenbuck and Grey Duiker. She is now 18 months old and will soon be set in her own ways.

Approaching 21 months, Kuhanya is more advanced and will very soon be on her own. She is almost always alone and the only time spent with her mother, M’bali, is when there is “free” food around. M’bali killed very well in this past month and was seen on a few occasions on large Impala kills.

 

We will keep you updated on the changes as the mothers’ starts pushing the young ones further away.

Unfortunately I also have some sad news on the Leopard front. Mangajan, whom so many leant to love, has passed on. I will use this opportunity to pay tribute to this special animal.

For 7 years he entertained us with magnificent sightings! He left a door open for us to learn so much about Leopards and their behavior. We were privileged to have seen him killing, fighting and mating…numerous times! (He even had 4 females following him to mate in 2004!)

 

He was a true LEGEND and his spirit will live on in all the cubs he fathered!

I must however report that there is already some activity of new males in the area and we hope that we can get a male that will share his personal life with us like Mangajan did.

Click on the following link to read the article about his death. ( http://www.kingscamp.com/blog/index.php?itemid=194 )

Lion:

Now to cheer you all up again!

 

 The one Machaton Lioness has 3 cubs and they are about 7 weeks old. We’ve shared some amazing sightings with them and will keep you updated on their progress!

The Timavati Boys are doing very well and has taken a few Buffaloes again through the month. The other 2 Machaton Lionesses kept a low profile through the month and we hope to report on them ASAP.

It seems that the 2 Schobele Lionesses have gone north to go and have their cubs and we will report as soon as we have news on them. The rest of the pride is doing extremely well and has spent a lot of time in our central traversing.

Elephant and Cape buffalo:

The Elephants are back in town!!

Sightings of the grey giants were plentiful and lots of fun!

 

 

There were about 4 large herds of Cape Buffaloes in our traversing over the past month and we even had a few sightings of them right at the Camp’s waterhole.

White Rhino:

After months of courtship old Mtenge-tenge finally convinced a female Rhino to run off with him on honeymoon! Some people saw the two mating but unfortunately I did not and therefore there are no photographs of it. If all goes well she might have a baby in 16 months time!

Take care & see YOU soon!!

Morné and the Kings Camp ranger team.

Written by:     Morné Hamlyn.

Photography: Morné Hamlyn. (mbhandzu@gmail.com)