Today was another nice and warm ‘winters’ day, clear blue skies and great temperatures. The game viewing was not too bad either, with some good lion and leopard sightings.
I headed down to south to go and see what was happening with the three male lions and the buffalo carcass. The general game was a bit quiet, although there were tracks for a rhino that had wandered past the camp during the night. We arrived at the buffalo carcass and were greeted by a group of vultures hanging around waiting patiently for their chance to feed, but as one lion was still at the carcass, it wasn’t going to happen. The other two lions were resting in the shade, but the one at the carcass decided to move what little remained under some cover, and dragged the carcass into a small drainage line before picking up a piece and sauntering off into the bush. 
Tracks for the Sohebele pride were also around the area of the carcass, but clearly they were dissuaded from going closer due to the presence of the three nomads. Herald later found the Sohebele pride, including the adult females right up north near Concrete crossing! After seeing some kudu, waterbuck and impala, as well as coffee with another hippo and some crocs, I headed back north hoping to relocate on either Mbali or Kuhanya female leopards; both of whom were found this morning – Mbali at Madash Dam, and Kuhanya at Concrete crossing. 
I was about to pop into the lions when Herald found Mbali again, so chose to go see her first. We followed her for a while until she spotted some impala and looked set to stalk them. She then lost interest and headed off to the east and we left her to go and see the Sohebele pride. 
It was already late in the morning and they had settled down for the day, not even a passing giraffe or a group of nearby waterbuck got their interest. Some of the sub-adults came and rubbed up again mom before flopping down in the shade to rest once again. On the opposite side of the river, we also saw a large group of bull elephants. Heading back we had some warthog and the mother giraffe and her baby on our airstrip.
The afternoon drive found the Sohebele pride still resting around the same area before they eventually got mobile to the north, no doubt heading back towards Ingwelala. No leopards were found in the afternoon, but I ventured south and had some zebra, kudu, impala, a day-time sighting of an African Wild Cat, a spotted hyena at Hide Dam, and then the large herd of buffalo grazing south away from Entrance Dam. I ended off the drive with a short sighting of the Sohebele lions before they headed towards a private camp and we had to leave them be!
I just hope that the Sohebele’s do not disappear for too long again!
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