September sightings, wildlife monitoring and interesting research projects.`
Sightings of the month
Thank you to all who recorded their sightings in the book this month! We had 81 recorded sightings, with an average of 2.6 per day. The number of sightings of some species is below:
Highlights
Thank you to all who recorded their sightings in the book this month!
Here is the number of recorded sightings per species:
- Lion and Leopard sightings once again represented a large proportion of the overall sightings, while Wild Dogs showed a substantial increase in sightings in comparison to the last few months. This is expected, as their denning season is now coming to a close.
- Highlight mammalian sightings were: 3 Aardvark sightings, 2 Caracal sightings, 1 White-tailed Mongoose and 1 Striped Polecat sighting!
- Southern Ground Hornbill sightings are once again increasing in frequency as we approach the breeding season of these birds.
- Bird species recorded: Pearl-spotted Owlet, Tawny Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Saddle-billed Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Brown-headed Parrot, African Fish Eagle, Blue Waxbill, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Green Wood-Hoopoe, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Golden-breasted Bunting, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Jameson’s Firefinch, Red-billed Firefinch, White-backed Vulture, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Malachite Kingfisher, Grey Heron, Giant Egret, African Spoonbill, African Openbill, Hamerkop, Southern Ground Hornbill, Trumpeter Hornbill, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler, Martial Eagle, African Barred Owlet, African Scops Owl, Pied Kingfisher, Bateleur, and Bearded Woodpecker.
- Reptilian highlights: Rock Monitor, Nile Crocodile, Leopard Tortoise, Marsh Terrapin, Snouted Cobra, Mozambique Spitting Cobra and Serrated Hinged Terrapin.
- Other general species recorded: Elephant, Buffalo, Impala, Kudu, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Zebra, Waterbuck, Warthog, Hippo, Nyala, Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Sharpe’s Grysbok, Spotted Hyena, Duiker, Steenbok, Warthog, Chacma Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Scrub Hare, Tree Squirrel, Springhare, Dwarf Mongoose, Banded Mongoose, Slender Mongoose and Small-spotted Genet.
Snared Wild Dog on Argyle
During the month, reports of a snared wild dog were received from Motswari and the Warden of the Umbabat PNR. The wild dog was seen crossing towards Argyle from the Timbavati PNR, and every attempt possible was made to relocate the wild dog to remove the snare from his neck.
We attempted to do a call-up in the hopes that the snared wild dog would emerge for treatment. The team involved included the Conservation team, the warden, the EWT team and the veterinary team from WildScapes Veterinary and Conservation Team. A bait was secured to a tree, and calls were made over a speaker to encourage the wild dog to approach, but unfortunately lions moved in within a matter of minutes, which rendered the situation unsafe to continue (if lions are around, the wild dog’s safety is compromised for darting and treatment).
Following this, the wild dog was not seen for roughly 2 weeks, after which it was spotted running into camp from the Argyle road, but unfortunately at sunset when the safety of the wild dog would again be compromised if darted after dark. Regardless, the wild dog promptly disappeared at speed after some impalas, which meant we could no longer keep up with him.
Unfortunately, no further sightings of him have been reported within the UPNR, although photographs published on social media suggest he may have moved to the Phalaborwa area of the Kruger National Park. We will still remain vigilant, however, as there is always the chance that the wild dog may return, and should that happen, we will try our best to treat him as quickly as possible. If you see him, or any snared animal, please report it immediately, with your location, and stay with it for as long as you can - it helps greatly when we need to get there and get a veterinary team in as quickly as possible! Thank you.
Collaring of a Wild Dog
Although attempts have been unsuccessful with the snared wild dog, we were treated to the amazing opportunity of assisting with the collaring of a male wild dog from a pack within the UPNR. The pack does not have any existing collared animals, and as part of the wider research on wild dogs it is highly beneficial to have as many packs as possible fitted with at least 1 GPS collar to monitor their movements. This would also assist greatly if any pack members may ever need to be found for treatment of snares, etc. and allows researchers to contribute more meaningfully to wild dog conservation efforts.
Towards the end of the month, Ingwelala Members were invited to join the warden and the veterinary team with fitting the collar for the wild dog. Everyone that joined had the amazing opportunity to watch the darting and collaring, ask the veterinary team questions, and get up-close and personal with the darted wild dog before he was safely woken up and happily re-joined the pack. This allowed all of us to broaden our knowledge and experience and enjoy something completely different - something that we are all incredibly grateful for.
We’d like to thank Lydenburg Toyota for sponsoring the collar fitted onto the wild dog, the warden and his team for inviting Ingwelala Members to join and have a possibly once-in-a-lifetime experience, the Conservation team for facilitating and assisting with the proceedings, the veterinary team from WildScapes Veterinary and Conservation Team, especially Dr Ben Muller for his amazing engagement with all who attended, and of course all of the Members who joined us for this unique experience. We hope you loved it, and we are so grateful for the number of Members who came out to show support, enjoy the experience and engage with the process. It truly was a magical morning!
Photo of the Month
Instead of a Food for Thought Section, we wanted to share the best photograph sent to us by a Member during the month of September. Thank you to all who sent us photos, it makes a massive difference for our files and gives us all an opportunity to share in these moments with you.
Congratulations to Richard McConnell on sharing this month’s best photo!
If you want to share photographs and/or videos with us for our files or Telegram, please send an email to
Words by Tess Woollgar, images courtesy of Sarah Bennet & Tess Woollgar & Richard McConnell