16th April – So that is what a Rhino looks like!

Photo of the Day

Tawny Eagle

Morning Drive

(Chad, Grant, Marka, Godfrey and Herald)

3 x lions (Mahlathini males) – Argyle, Horizon Rd

1 x rhino (Mtenag-tenga male)

1 x breeding herd of elephant – Mbali, Mcau Rd

1 x breeding herd of elephant – Java, Java Dam

1 x breeding herd of elephant – Vielmetter, Nkoro Rd

1 x elephant bull – Peru, Piva Plains

1 x elephant bull – Motswari, Xinatsi Dam Rd

1 x elephant bull – Motswari, Camp

1 x breeding herd of buffalo – Vielmetter, Back 9’s New Rd

Afternoon Drive

(Chad, Godfrey and Herald)

3 x lions (Mahlathini males) – Argyle, Horizon Rd

1 x breeding herd of buffalo – Kings, Cheetah Plains

1 x breeding herd of buffalo – Vielmetter, Jiga-Jiga Rd

1 x breeding herd of elephant – Peru, Lily Pan Rd

1 x buffalo bull – Vielmetter, Elephant Dam

8 x elephant bulls – Motswari, Southern Access

5 x elephant bulls – Peru, Concrete Crossing

1 x elephant bull – Motswari, Northern Access

2 x elephant bulls – Motswari, Camp

1 x elephant bull – Argyle, Peru Entrance Rd

1 x elephant bull – Argyle, Argyle Airstrip

Daily Synopsis

There is little better way to start the day than to wake up to roaring lions near camp..well, that is assuming that you hear them, which I didn’t, but thankfully Grant and John did, so upon setting out from camp, I headed in the direction of the roars, and soon found tracks for the Mahlathini male lions near Argyle Dam.  I also managed to find some day-time baboons on the wall at the Dam, and got lucky and also got a hippo coming out of the water, so I eventually managed to fulfil my guest’s request for those species!

Herald joined the search for the lions, and with a tracker from the neighbouring lodge soon found the three male lions right on our northern boundary.  Fortunately they seemed settled for the day, and didn’t do much all morning besides nibble on a bit of grass!

Mahlathini male lion

I was only doing a short drive, so didn’t leave the north-eastern corner of the reserve, and ticked off impala, kudu, hippo, crocodile and some nice tawny eagles before returning to the camp.

Tawny Eagle

Marka, Grant and Herald took up the offer of an invitation to go south to see Mtenga-tenga male rhino; the first rhino to make an appearance on the property for about a week!  In the south, they also got a nice breeding herd of buffalo as well as some elephant.  Godfrey bumbled around the north and also got some elephant bulls, a couple of herds of elephant, and sounds like some nice general game.

In the afternoon, I got some new guests for one night, and also took it easy in the north, hoping to find some leopards.  Sadly they eluded us again, but we did relocate the Mahlathini male lions not far from where they had been in the morning, but they still seemed set to cross into Ingwelala and off of our property; let us hope that they again only decide to spend one or two days away before returning!

Mahlathini males

Godfrey went south to look for the rhino without any luck, but he did have some nice buffalo on Cheetah Plains, and Herald also got a herd of buffalo and elephants on his trip south.  In the north it was a bit quiet, but nice just to enjoy the bush; we saw impala, waterbuck, giraffe, hippos, crocodiles, found a spot where hyenas had eaten an impala (possibly stolen from a  leopard based on the smell that led us to the spot), and three different sightings of elephant bulls.

Elephant bull

So while it wasn’t an action packed day, it did produce some enjoyable sightings, and for the second time this week, the evening ended off with rain!  Hopefully that will lead to a clean and fresh start tomorrow!

Tawny Eagles and the moon rising over the African Bush