July sightings, wildlife monitoring and interesting research projects.`
Sightings of the month!
Thank you to all who recorded their sightings in the book this month!
Thank you to all who recorded their sightings in the book this month! There were 300 recorded sightings in the sightings book, with a wonderful diversity of species noted, large and small.
Highlights:
- Lions were once again the most reported species, followed by elephants and leopards. Highlight lion sightings included regular sightings of the Western Pride with cubs, and regular sightings of the Ncila male lions on the move, with the pride and vocalising. A male lion with a buffalo kill was seen on a bush walk!
- A female cheetah was seen towards the end of the month, on Serengeti Plains, with tracks indicating she had moved as far north as Buffels Hide.
- Sightings of smaller predators increased during the month, with the most reported species being caracals. Roughly half of these sightings were in the vicinity of Aloe Ridge, with one sighting of two caracals together.
- Other rare species highlights included a pair of wild cats seen mating on Argyle in the late afternoon, and two aardvark sightings in the vicinity of camp and the airfield.
- The leopard and two cubs were seen regularly throughout the month, including sightings of the family with kills in trees. One such sighting was in camp near Old Reservoir gate.
- Reptile sightings remained high, with the most common species seen and relocated being the black mamba. A rarer species seen was the Red-lipped Herald.
- Birding highlights included sightings of a Western Osprey on Argyle, a pair of Mocking Cliff Chats, a juvenile Black-headed Heron seen at the main causeway, a large raptor with a steenbok kill, and a Striated Heron with newly hatched chicks in the nest at Buffels Hide.
Images courtesy of Caroline Culbert and Josh Hibbett- Mammalian species recorded: Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Wild Dog, Spotted Hyena, African Wild Cat, Caracal, Honey Badger, Black-backed Jackal, Side-striped Jackal, Spotted Genet, Lesser Galago, Impala, Kudu, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Zebra, Waterbuck, Warthog, Hippo, Nyala, Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Duiker, Steenbok, Warthog, Chacma Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Springhare, Scrub Hare, Tree Squirrel, White-tailed Mongoose, Banded Mongoose, Slender Mongoose, and Dwarf Mongoose.
- Reptilian species recorded: Water Monitor, Black Mamba, Mozambique Spitting Cobra, Puffadder, Red-lipped Herald, Nile Crocodile, Flap-necked Chameleon, Leopard Tortoise, Marsh Terrapin, Rainbow Skink, Giant Plated Lizard, and Serrated Hinged Terrapin.
- For the full list of bird species recorded during the month, please click here.
Images courtesy of Caroline Culbert
Images courtesy of Aimee Langenhoven
Images courtesy of Aimee Langenhoven
Images courtesy of Matthew Jupin and Luc van den Handel
Images courtesy of Matthew Jupin and Luc van den Handel
Images courtesy of Matthew Jupin and Luc van den Handel
Images courtesy of Tessa Woollgar
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Alex Jordan, and as noted on individual photos or sets of photos.