April sightings, wildlife monitoring and interesting research projects.`
Sightings of the month!
Thank you to all who recorded their sightings in the book this month!
There were 282 recorded sightings in the sightings book, with an average of 9 sightings recorded per day. Here is the number of recorded sightings of a few species during the month:
Highlights:
- Lion sightings were by far the most frequent, making up more than 20% of the total recorded sightings in the sightings book! These sightings consisted mostly of sightings of three lionesses of the Western Pride with their five cubs (one cub has been lost during the month - see below), the Ncila coalition of males, a mating pair of lions, and a different pride of three lionesses with six younger cubs in the vicinity of Buffelsbed.
- Of the male lion sightings, all were confirmed to be from the Ncila coalition. A particular highlight was of two of the male lions repeatedly circling bungalow #122 in camp, charging at the windows and growling at their own reflections. In-between those moments, there were occasional scuffles amongst themselves, and later with the lionesses of the pride.
- In a separate scuffle between the lions, during which one of the Ncila males was chasing the six cubs of the Western pride, the male was aggressively chased out by another male and two lionesses from the pride. Unfortunately, one of the cubs was separated from the pride in the midst of the chaos and did not re-join the pride. That cub has not been seen since.
- Other mammalian highlights included multiple sightings of wild dogs and hyenas in and around camp, with various kills; and an interaction between a male lion and a buffalo calf, during which the lion attempted to take down the calf. He was unsuccessful, as a male buffalo made a hasty approach, tossing the lion off the calf and well into the bush!
- A pair of lesser bushbabies was seen hopping around with a young bushbaby near Reception, and there was a brief glimpse of a caracal towards the end of the month.
- Two adult leopards were seen in camp with two very young cubs, in the vicinity of Olifant Road near the airfield. The cubs are estimated to be less than two months old, and were naturally very shy, but luckily some photographs were taken by the lucky Members!
- Birding highlights included a sighting of a Little Grebe, a sighting of two Dark Chanting Goshawks fighting with a Black-winged Kite, a family of White-faced Whistling Ducks with 10 chicks, an Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, a Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl catching a Spotted Thick-knee, a Striated Heron on a nest of eggs at Elephant Pan Hide, and another at Buffels Hide.
- Reptilian highlights were varied and diverse. In one evening, 32 Flap-necked Chameleons were spotted on a single drive! There were also two sightings of Nile Crocodiles with kills - one with a fish being tossed around, and another of a crocodile taking down a large male nyala near Timbavati Crossing. A Spotted Bush Snake was also observed eating a frog.
Overall, sightings during the month were spectacular! Full species lists are below.
- Mammalian species recorded: Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Wild Dog, Spotted Hyena, African Wild Cat, Caracal, Honey Badger, Black-backed Jackal, Side-striped Jackal, Woodland Dormouse, Lesser Galago, Impala, Kudu, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Zebra, Waterbuck, Warthog, Hippo, Nyala, Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Sharpe’s Grysbok, Duiker, Steenbok, Warthog, Chacma Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Springhare, Scrub Hare, Tree Squirrel, Banded Mongoose, Slender Mongoose, and Dwarf Mongoose.
- Reptilian species recorded: Water Monitor, Black Mamba, Mozambique Spitting Cobra, Spotted Bush Snake, Common Night Adder, Puffadder, Nile Crocodile, Flap-necked Chameleon, Leopard Tortoise, Marsh Terrapin, Rainbow Skink, and Serrated Hinged Terrapin.
- For the full list of bird species recorded during the month, please click here.
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Glynnis Wood, and as noted on individual photos.