4th May – Rockfig Jnr and Cub on a kill!

Photo of the Day

Morning Drive

(Marka and Shadrack)

3 x rhinos (male, female and calf)

1 x breeding herd of elephants – Peru, Giraffe Kill Rd

1 x breeding herd of elephants – Mbali, Java-Mbali

2 x elephants – Peru, Mvubu Crossing

Afternoon Drive

(Marka, Herold and Shadrack)

2 x leopards (Rockfig Jnr and cub on impala kill) – Vielmetter, Elephant Dam Rd

1 x leopard (unknown, relaxed young male) – Peru, Argyle Rd

1 x breeding herd of buffalo – Vielmetter, Elephant Dam

1 x breeding herd of elephants – Vielmetter, Western Sharalumi

1 x breeding herd of elephants – Vielmetter, Sweetwater Southern Access

1 x breeding herd of elephants – Peru, Klipgat Crossing

Daily Synopsis

The morning was once again a touch on the quiet side, but the guys did see some good rhinos and elephants out there, but as with the day before the afternoon really came to life!

While out doing bushwork with Johannes, he found a fresh impala kill, and on returning to check up on it after completing our work, we found Rockfig Jnr and her cub on the kill; I now know why he is called the Leopard Man (although, he did well with all the animals; in the middle of the day, we still ticked off black-backed jackal, 2 leopards, elephants, zebras, giraffe, hippo calves out the water, impala and kudu)!  The game drives got to see the two leopards, as well as a massive herd of around 500-600 buffalos not far away, at Elephant Dam; there were also plenty of elephants out and about in that area too – an area that seems to really have come to life the last couple weeks, and very reminiscent of Vielmetter back in 2008 when it seemed that all the animals just stayed there!

Heading out to town, Pete and I came across a very relaxed young male leopard near Voel Dam, but as I didn’t have my camera or binoculars on me, we couldn’t ID him; we passed Shadrack a bit further down the road and informed him, and he too was lucky enough to find the leopard still walking around in the same spot; Shadrack also didn’t recognise the leopard, so maybe we have a new face in the reserve!