17th February: Slow But Steady.

Pic Of The Day.

Morning Drive.

( Grant, Herold & Shadrack.)

Buffalo ( Breeding Herd) / Vielmieter – Eastern Cutline.

Elephant ( Breeding Herd) / Peru – Sohobele Dam.

Elephant ( Breeding Herd) / Peru – Xikhari Rd.

Rhino ( 2 x Males)

Afternoon Drive.

( Herold, Shadrack & Marka.)

Elephant ( Kambaku) / Argyle – Argyle Dam.

Elephant ( Kambaku) / Borneo – KNP Cutline.

Rhino ( 2 x Males)

Daily Synopsis.

Waking to a peach of a day with not a cloud in sight and a beautiful sunrise casting it's golden rays over the dew covered bush we headed directly South hoping to follow up on the baby Rhino and her mom plus pop in a visit to find out what happened to Ntombi and her Impala kill overnight.

Shadrack chose to head to the North West and spent a great majority of his morning following up on male Leopard tracks that he believed to be Argyle Male and therefore the effort. Herold checked the central section around Argyle and Sohobele Dams as he followed up on Elephant tracks that he had found around Motswari.

Our trip South was pretty uneventful and we only found ourselves a nice herd of Zebra.

Deciding to check our Eastern boundary on the off chance Lions may have crossed over into our traversing area during the night we found ourselves fresh tracks for what looked like a small herd of Buffalo travelling back to the North. We turned around and checked our boundary to the North but now found lots of tracks heading to the South. This is typical when Jacky and I track Buffalo, they walk us dizzy as they have us going around in circles. Returning to the road we had just been on we now found tracks for them crossing to the West a little further South than we had driven. Continuing Southward we caught a break and there standing in the dew layedend grass milling about after rousing themselves from slumber was our breeding herd of Buffalo. It has been some time since we have seen a herd of Buffalo and they seemed a little apprehensive of us as they stopped their trip West and stood in amongst the Mopane trees deciding on their next move. Sitting there patiently they slowly edged forward but the pace seemed to lure them back into slumber mode and many of them sat down again. Leaving them to their rest there is no doubt they will visit Hide Dam during the coarse of the day.

Continuing on our way we headed into the area that the Rhinos had been the previous day but their tracks had headed further South and no one had any luck in tracking them down. Reaching our Southern most boundary we turned to the West and headed in Ntombi's direction. She had been checked on earlier in the morning and was absent from the kill. When the trackers followed up on foot she was found down in the Tsharalumi Riverbed sitting in amongst some rocks. We all think it is where she has her cubs and she heads of their periodically to feed them. Unfortunately for us it is in the prefect position and not much can access it even for a good old Landy. None the less we thought we would try our luck and check. Gaining access to the Impala was a challenge itself and once we were there we found that she had not returned but her kill was securely in a Marula Tree with plenty of meat left, she should be there the next two days if she does not dislodge it for the Hyena's. So it will be a matter of good timing to get a view of her and we all know how our timing has been of late, all I can say is good luck!

With it being time to head back to the lodge we headed up the picturesque Tsharalumi River and found ourselves a nice breeding herd of Elephant as a consolation for missing out on our Leopard, with Elephant being my favourite animal I was what Leopard!

Shadrack on his way to the Buffalo who had now made their way to Hide Dam found himself two relaxed male Rhino's, so it was a morning filled with big game.

Arriving back at the lodge I received the news that my new group that was meant to arrive this afternoon missed their connecting flight in Europe so they will only be here tomorrow, so expect a very busy afternoon, it has the potential and would only be following “ Murphy's Law!” This does however mean that there will only be a Sightings Blog for this afternoon and tomorrow morning as Jacky and I will only return to action from tomorrow afternoon. Till then, ciao!