22nd March: Dave's Sightings Update.

Pic Of The Day

Morning Drive

( Herold & Shadrack )

Lions ( 2x Sub Adults ) / De Luca Property – Jackal Pan

Elephant ( Large Breeding Herd ) / De Luca Property – Mpela Mpela

Afternoon Drive.

( Herold, Shadrack & Marka )

Lions ( 2x Sub Adults ) / De Luca Property – Jackal Pan

Elephant ( Breeding Herd ) / Peru – Klipgat Crossing

Elephant ( Breeding Herd ) / Peru – Western Cutline

Buffalo ( Breeding Herd ) / Tamboti Wallow - Java

Daily Synopsis.

An active morning with some excellent tracking from Shaddy and Tiyani meant that lions didn’t stay off the list for long and completed the Big 5 in two action packed drives that also took in the smaller aspects of the bush such as chameleon and an impressive Black Mamba (safely gliding through the grass away from the game viewer).  They decided not to follow.

Herold also tracked a leopard with Jackie and although they found Nthombi on foot, she eluded the game viewer and the guests did not get to see the fruits of their hard work.  A gentle reminder that leopards are masters of camouflage and if they don’t want to be seen it’s very difficult to persuade them otherwise.

Both guides took walks after breakfast – a great chance to shift the focus from the larger mammals and look at the smaller, but equally fascinating aspects of the bush…. One group even had a nice encounter with an old dagga boy to get the heart pumping, but Shadrack guided them through it calmly and now everyone has a good dinner table conversation piece!

The afternoon saw Marka back in action and all three drives had great viewing of elephants in water, a visit to the lions for our new guests and a fantastic sighting of about 400 buffalo enjoying some late afternoon mud.

Another great day in the Timbavati!