Singita Sabi Sand
Ebony & Boulders Lodges
Castleton House
South Africa
Wildlife Report
For the month of November, Two Thousand and Thirteen
Temperature
Average minimum:
Average maximum:
Minimum recorded:
Maximum recorded:
Rainfall Recorded
15.2˚C
28.4˚C
09.0˚C
37.0˚C
(59.4˚F)
(83.1˚F)
(48.2˚F)
(98.6˚F)
For the period:
For the year to date:
24 mm
146.5 mm
The slow steady winter has ended and summer has arrived in full force. With the long awaited dry season
coming to end it’s a time of flourish, abundance, late afternoon rainstorms and the beauty that follows those
dramatic storms. After a steady rainfall throughout the night I'm always eager to head out on morning game drive
as it means the game paths will be a blank canvas with only fresh detailed tracks, and the distinctive smell of
drenched bushveld earth will invigorate me.
Easterly winds blow over the warm Agulhas current picking up moisture which will be carried across the east
coast heading west. Rising up over the eastern mountains, they cool and form cumulus clouds and
thunderstorms are prevalent in the interior of the country. Often this is where our summer rains originate. It is
Nature’s way of starting anew. Even the spider webs glisten as the low light of the morning sun rises in the east
and streams its golden goodness across the plains. Slowly everything starts to come alive. The earth gets
drenched and this is an indicator for many to get started on breeding, feeding, burying and mating.
With the green vegetation sprouting along the roadsides and over the grasslands, creatures from large to small
are on the move. A few days ago, and within minutes of leaving the lodge, we noticed movement on the road. An
African giant land snail glistened in the morning light.
Like almost all pulmonate gastropods, these snails are hermaphrodites, having male and female sex organs.
Although giant African land snails primarily mate with one another, in more isolated regions they are capable of
reproducing on their own. Giant African land snails lay around 6 clutches of eggs every year, laying an average
of 200 eggs per clutch - that amounts to about 1 200 eggs per year! What is really incredible is that around 90%
of snail hatchings survive.
Giant African land snails are active during the night and spend the daytime hours safely buried underground.
They reach their adult size by the time they are six months old and although their growth rate slows at this point,
they never stop growing. Most reach between five and sic years of age but some individuals have been known to
be more than ten years old. The giant African land snail seals itself inside its shell to retain water. They do this
about three times a year, depending on the areas which they inhabit. During periods of extreme drought, they
practice aestivation which is a type of 'summer sleep'.
Driving along looking in various directions for a twitch of an ear or a tail flicking flies away, your eyes scan
through the bush up and down left and right. Often when looking for something large and obvious you miss the
smaller treasures, without even realising it. On more than one occasion I have stopped for a smaller aspect of
the bush, a sign, a track or even just a wild flower, and by stopping the vehicle our senses are heightened. By
eliminating the droning sound of the engine individual bush sounds emerge. The more carefully you listen, the
more you can start identifying the various species that are making the sounds. For a large amount of my
predator sightings, I can vouch that we found them by sound. Impalas snorting an alarm call on seeing a leopard
within close range or monkeys perched in the tops of the trees, chattering with fear and aggression, and looking
towards the potential threat, taunting it to move on as it has been seen.
The small treasures
My partner, a tracker named Johnston, is quick to spot wildlife and fun... With his hand raised to stop the vehicle,
we stare at his movements and look in the direction he's looking. While we are expecting him to point out a
predator track in the sand or an animal in the distance, he turns to us and says, "Leopard!" Everyone grabs their
cameras and looks frantically around to see where this elusive leopard is. Johnston climbs off the tracker seat
and saunters off down the road. By this time our poor guests are all speechless not knowing what’s going to
happen. Then he points to the ground, smiles broadly, and announces, "Leopard. Leopard tortoise." Indeed it
was a leopard tortoise, and on this occasion it had retreated into its shell after feeling the vibrations of the
vehicle. We all sat quietly and slowly a small head poked out and all four legs were set in motion. It may not be a
Big Five species, but it is one of the Small Five and shares this accreditation due to their names being similar to
the Big Five.
Leopard tortoises all have unique and beautiful gold and black markings on their shells, hence their name. They
generally eat grasses, and this must suit them well because they live up to 100 years. They only burrow when
building a nest for their eggs. They are good diggers though – as a child, I used to try and keep them as pets,
however they always managed to escape!
The leopard tortoise is one of the world's largest tortoise species as they can grow to 70 cm in length. In this
area mature adults weigh about 8 to 12 kgs. As with other tortoise species, the leopard tortoise has a large shell
which protects its softer body. It is able to retract its limbs back into its shell so that no body part is left
vulnerable.
The cutest of the Little Five, in my opinion, is the elephant shrew - a small, insect eating mouse-like mammal
with a long nose. Elephant shrews are common in southern Africa, but seldom seen. They can grow up to 30 cm
and have relatively long legs, which they use to hop about when looking for food. Their elongated trunk-like
noses are quite flexible and can twist about to sniff out insects, which they then flick into their mouths using their
tongues.
The buffalo weaver bird in this area is the red-billed buffalo weaver. Out of all the weavers, the buffalo weaver is
a messy nest-maker. Their large communal nests have several side-entrances and are usually made of sticks
and thorns. Often the nests are located along the northern and western sides of tree canopies.
The rhino beetle is a large insect with ferocious looking body armour. They belong to the scarab beetle family
(Scarabaeidae). Rhino beetles can grow up to 6 cm in length. Both sexes have similar body armour, but only the
males have a large horn (hence the name 'rhino') which they use in combat with other males. Rhino beetles also
use their horns to dig for food inside rotting tree trunks or undergrowth. They actually have quite a varied diet they'll eat rotting fruits, bark, sap and vegetable matter. Rhino beetles are among the strongest living creatures
in the world in proportion to their body weight. The larvae can take up to five years to mature into an adult. They
can be found throughout Africa.
The antlion is the smallest member of the Little 5, and in the USA readers may be more familiar with its name
'doodlebug'. The antlion is the larval stage of a winged insect that looks like a dragonfly. Antlions dig little
conically shaped sand traps in the ground to catch small ants, which they eat by extracting their body fluids.
They then toss out the dry carcass and wait for their next victim. Not surprising then, they tend to live in sandy,
arid areas throughout Africa. The antlion larva has a wide body, large jaws and apparently lacks an anus. It is a
bit of a mystery as to why they are called 'antlions, but it is most likely to be because of their predatory nature.
Abundance
Summer is full of new delights and one of the many indications that it's in full swing is the sign of the first impala
lambs. As the gestation cycle ends for the ewes, they give birth within a few weeks of each other. When the
lambs are born there is sufficient cover to hide them and nutrient-rich vegetation for grazing once they've been
weaned.
Impala lambs have a mass of about 5 kg at birth and are fully haired except for the lower parts of the limbs. They
are left hidden for a day or two, but are capable of following their mothers 24 hours after birth when they rejoin
the herd. Lambs are at first uncoordinated in their movements and stay close to their mothers. They form
temporary 'nursery herds' with other lambs and suckle
only from their own mother. Predation by hyenas and
other large predators including cheetahs is high during
the early stages of their life. Jackals and pythons also
take their toll on the new impala lamb populations.
From small to the tall
A lookout for safety is always important for survival;
often there are several species of animals scanning the
same area for predators. Each animal facilitates a
stronger defence and this leads to a strategy of safety
in numbers for general prey species.
A height advantage outweighs a strength advantage.
However, combining these defence mechanisms is the
ultimate as it gives a prey animal enough time to
escape from a predator once it has been detected.
By snorting air through the nostrils sharply a prey
species makes a high pitched alarm sound that can
travel for a couple of kilometres. Hearing this is often
enough of an indication for a predator that it is not worth
its while to pursue the prey as they are now on high
alert and have the advantage of moving off to avoid
being hunted and killed.
The proverbial newspaper
(Article by Field Guide Dylan Brandt)
Your tracker jumps off the landrover to inspect
tracks in the dirt road ahead. These faint scuffs
in the dust could be any one of a hundred things
moving through the bush, most of which are
unseen. A tight discussion takes place and your
guide reflects that there are leopard tracks on the
road, female tracks, and they are fresh.
Tracking is an art that few in this world practice.
We all track in our daily lives, even if it is getting
to the airport, but the raw version of this skill is
still alive and well on safari.
The ability to 'read' the bush like a newspaper is
often passed down from one generation to the
next. The more effectively one is able to read,
understand and, more importantly, interpret the
tracks and signs the animals leave behind in
their daily news, the more animals we can find.
One could argue that tracking was one of the
most important parts of human evolution, the
better we are at hunting and finding food, the
more time is available to ponder about
conundrums such as predator evasion, tool
making, ancestors, folklore and the stars.
When tracking there are two main ways of
locating one’s quarry. Firstly, the highly skilled
trackers use direct techniques such as following
behind the animal on the signs, no matter how
subtle, that the animal has left behind. Secondly,
trackers will often use their intuition and
experience to anticipate where the animal they
are searching for could be, or in which direction
it’s moving. In areas where the terrain is
extremely difficult this type of tracking becomes
very important.
When next on safari try and participate in this fascinating way of locating the harder to see animals like leopards.
Use all of your senses to process the news that the bush is providing for you. It is a great challenge to become
literate out here and one never stops learning and understanding - especially the finer details like the art of
tracking and reading the proverbial newspaper.
A blooming good start
Fire is a natural process and would sweep through vast areas of wilderness centuries ago. With the remaining
areas being protected and conserved today, we need to manage the land in the most natural yet controlled way
possible. Burning within the reserve is an ecologically important facet of conserving the environment. Our
ecologist determines when the fires are lit and which areas to burn.
Most large areas of land were burnt over the last six weeks in an effort to facilitate grass seed dispersal. Planned
fires are usually set when there is still some green grass in the bush, which makes it a cooler fire. Cooler fires do
less damage to young trees, making them less likely to turn into stunted, multi-stemmed trees.
Managed bush fires will reduce the number of large and hot runaway fires in the late dry season. By setting
smaller cooler fires they are more manageable to control as they are breaking up the fuel load. A main concern
is to reduce the risk of burning an entire unit in a single fire. This will inevitably leave little available food
resources for the bulk of the species that require the grass to graze on, particularly most of the large mammals.
With the recent rainfall, the green flush on the burnt material is evident and it looks like a golf fairway in many
areas. The green flush brings high nutrients and minerals required for the various grazers utilizing the available
food. The soft damp ground encourages insects to emerge from the nesting areas that protected them during the
dry season. The lush vegetation also offers an abundant food source for the insects, and they in turn attract a
myriad of birds to the area.
After controlled burns have been completed the blocks that were burnt are monitored to review vegetation
growth.
This is that time of the year when we are thrilled by our first sighting of a returning migratory bird species. The
food availability creates a strong chance of survival and many species would have returned to southern Africa for
to breed here in summer. Food availability, tree coverage, water and temperate climate are all positive factors
for the breeding season.
The Wahlberg’s eagles returned very early as some were seen towards the end of August. As an intra-African
migrant they don’t have to travel far and are not away for long. But many species undertake epic journeys across
the world every year. Migration is the seasonal movement from a breeding area to a non-breeding area and is a
survival strategy not only for the individual but also for the species.
Destined kings
The Southern Pride has made some appearances this month, and with five young sub adult males in the pride I
think they're going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Currently they are still dependent on the three
adult females in the pride.
Zzzzzzzzzzebra
Often there is a quick remark by someone that zebras look like they are wearing stripy pyjamas, and after
coming across this sleepy stallion he definitely took the phrase to heart and watched as we paused to view him
lying down before lowering his head and falling straight back to sleep.
It’s not unusual to see a zebra resting on the ground like this. On most occasions young foals will lie down for
several hours with the herd watching over them. This male must have had a tough night watching over his harem
of mares and decided that forty winks were needed!
Upon our return to the lodge we travelled back on the road where we had seen the zebra sleeping and he was
no longer lying down. On closer inspection he was limping on his right front leg. We watched carefully to
ascertain what may have have caused his injury, and after reviewing him closely there were a number of
distinctive scratches on his face, neck and rump that could possibly be from an encounter with lions. The
lacerations suggested that lions had tried to seize the zebra from the front and were thus holding onto his head
and biting his muzzle or even trying to bite his windpipe whilst standing.
The scars were a sign that it was not a recent attack but with a constant limp this poor stallion was in need of
some rest to ensure that he regains his strength and maintains his harem.
Many wild animals seem so resilient to injury and often overcome them more quickly than we imagine depending on the severity of the injury of course.
The missing heartbeat
(Article by Field Guide Ricardo Careaga)
Something I love about the bush is that the more you know, the more you realize that you don't know anything…
and lessons out there are plentiful.
My lesson during a morning drive was related to tracking. Sometimes when you go tracking, you get so involved
with what you're following that you forget crucial things. One of them, and a very important one, is to look up!
Even though you are following a trail that requires all your attention, you must never forget to look and hear
around you. You never know when something can appear unexpectedly. On this particular morning my guests
were very keen to see a leopard. I mean, who isn't? They are such beautiful animals. So, we headed out to try to
find a spotted feline but this time it would be more difficult since I didn't have a tracker...
To find predators like leopards, we rely much on their tracks - finding a suitable set of footprints and following
them. Luckily for me, a vehicle from the reserve next to us called on the radio that a male leopard was about to
cross onto our side. They were already leaving but, very considerately, left a branch on the road to indicate the
exact place where the animal had gone into the bush. When we arrived at the spot where the branch was we
couldn't see any leopard. I drove around the nearby roads to try to find the leopard again, but no luck. Nothing. I
then decided to go back to where the branch was and see if I could find any tracks on the road. After searching
for a while I didn't see anything, so I walked off the road towards a firebreak parallel to the road where I could
potentially find more tracks, but still nothing.
I was sure that the leopard had walked over the firebreak so I was determined to find his tracks there. I searched
intensely, focusing on the ground, trying to find the smallest indication of his presence. I walked about 40 metres
along the break but no luck. I saw in the distance that an area of the firebreak that had been flattened, most
probably by a wildebeest rolling in the dust, so I went there hoping to see something in the fine dust. Again I was
disappointed when I found nothing. I started to walk back towards the vehicle, staring down on the ground,
searching. I looked up to see how far the vehicle was and found myself in eye contact with a huge leopard!
There he was lying down beneath a bush, just next to the firebreak, about ten metres away from me! He was
staring straight at me, watching my every move. My heart instantly froze. We looked into each other’s eyes for
less than a second but it felt like an eternity. Immediately I looked away, pretending that I never saw him and
kept looking down at the ground. I walked backwards a couple of steps away from him, keeping him in sight in
the corner of my eye, just to make sure that I could see if he charged at me or not. Once I was a bit further away,
and because he didn't show any aggressive behaviour, I turned around and slowly made a loop back to the
vehicle. My heart was beating so fast that I could audibly take my own pulse!
As I was walking away, my brain started to think back. What on earth had just happened? I just walked next to
one of Africa's biggest predators! A huge male leopard that could have easily made a meal out of me but he
didn't. He actually preferred to keep a low profile, remain undetected and let me walk away. That tells me that
most of the time, predators will prefer to avoid conflict with humans, but I will be sure to look up more often in the
future! A valuable lesson was gained and a few heartbeats lost, but I felt more alive than ever before.
Seeing it through their eyes (Article by Field Guide Leon van Wyk)
Having been a guide for about 21 years now, I often reflect on what it must be like to experience it for the first
time, either as a guide or a guest. What is it that keeps me enthusiastically looking forward to my next game
drive, having done as many as 9 000 game drives already? People ask me if I ever get bored of it. Well, they
might ask me that question before they go on a game drive or a walk with me, but once they spend some time
out there, they quickly realise that I definitely do not get bored!
Apart from the fact that I am still learning about Nature and its many wonders, I try to imagine what it must be
like for my guests, many of whom are seeing the African wild for the very first time. Seeing living iconic animals
like a giraffe or a male lion evoke tremendous feelings of wonder and awe. The passionate guide, no matter how
experienced, should still share these feelings. To me, it never loses its magic, and a lot of the thrill that I
experience comes from seeing the faces of my guests light up when they see something special.
Being in the midst of a large herd of buffalo arouses a good deal of interest in most guests, and a level of anxiety
in some, especially when experiencing it for the first time. This is quite normal, and I think back to the first time I
experienced it. I put myself in their shoes and try to imagine seeing it all through their eyes. I love it! I love
watching the guests watching the animals, and then I wonder what it is that they're finding special about the
sighting, compared with what I'm enjoying about it. I watch them and I let them take it all in, without feeling the
need to feed them with too many facts and figures. Those are available in the books that we carry, and they are
also stored in my brain, should I need to share them with the guests.
What is generally far more useful (and meaningful) than telling guests about gestation periods and body weights,
is to guide them into watching certain behaviour, or to point out the little 'side shows' that are going on, especially
with something like a large herd of buffalo. While first impressions of a herd of buffalo might be “how large they
are” or “how many there are” or “how close they come to the vehicle”, it is the subtleties that will become more
interesting, the more time one spends watching them. For example, watch the body language between two bulls
facing each other, and work out which is higher ranking. Watch the oxpeckers having a dust bath in a sandy
patch of the road next to the buffalo, or watch the drongo following an individual on the move and catching the
insects that it disturbs in the grass. I gently draw the guests’ attention to these little things, or perhaps give a little
guidance on how to compose a photograph of an animal in its environment, rather than always filling the frame
with the animal.
We are fortunate with our leopard viewing in the Sabi Sand. In terms of good numbers of highly relaxed
leopards, we probably enjoy the finest leopard viewing that Africa has to offer. That does not mean that we can
take it for granted, ever. I still get a thrill out of seeing a leopard in the wild, especially if the sighting has
materialised as a result of following up on tracks or alarmed animals. Getting the guests involved in this
following-up process (the 'detective work') invariably adds to their enjoyment of the whole experience. I clearly
remember the thrill that I experienced as a guide when I first successfully tracked down a leopard, and if one’s
guests are receptive to getting involved, it makes the whole process so much more enjoyable for them. If ever I
catch myself not involving the guests in what we’re doing, I look back and consider it a missed opportunity. This
can even apply to the finding of less high-profile species. By prepping the guests that a particular area is likely to
offer a good chance of finding zebra, and pointing out fresh zebra tracks, the first-timer will get a good feeling
when he or she spots the zebra up ahead.
As guides, we might sometimes forget how beautiful a glossy starling is. They are very common and abundant
birds in this area, but they are extremely beautiful, and when a guest sees one for the first time, it is well worth
sharing in that person’s delight at seeing such beautiful colours on a bird. Being a keen birder myself, I latch
onto any opportunity to nurture a guest’s interest in birds. By starting with the colourful or impressive species,
and then growing it from there, it is possible to develop somebody’s interest in birds to such an extent that it
opens up a whole extra avenue to explore.
One of the key points to remember, and for guides to remember to explain, is that by stopping to enjoy and
appreciate the little things, we are not sacrificing opportunities to view the larger, more 'important' species. How
often have I been watching weavers build their nests, when I have heard a tree breaking, drawing our attention
to an elephant? Or a bushbuck barking in alarm, leading to the discovery of an active predator? Many, many
times!
Without ever wanting to 'manipulate' guests into enjoying an aspect which is particularly enjoyable to me (such
as bird-watching), I do consider it my responsibility to show them a full spectrum of wildlife. There is definitely a
huge opportunity with almost all guests to broaden their interests. Essentially, therefore, I am hoping to help
make the whole guided experience a shared one, where I remember what it is like to see the wild world through
the eyes of a first-time visitor, and I also hope to enable them to start seeing it through the eyes of somebody
who has spent more time in the bush. It is a mutually uplifting and enjoyable process!
Game viewing summary for November 2013
Statistical analysis:
Lions:
Leopards:
Elephants:
Buffalos:
Cheetahs:
Wild dogs:
A total of 70 lion sightings throughout November, an average of more than two a day.
85 leopard sightings.
64 elephant sightings.
54 buffalo sightings.
18 cheetah sightings.
10 sightings of African wild dog. This is absolutely fantastic as they are such endangered
and transient animals.
Articles by Ross Couper, Dylan Brandt, Leon van Wyk and Ricardo Careaga
Photographs on location by Ross Couper, Dylan Brandt and Ricardo Careaga
Singita Ebony and Boulders Lodges
Sabi Sand
South Africa
Thirtieth of November 2013