* On the morning of the 1st the Wild Dogs were sleeping on Phakama/Savannah. They woke up and played in the area on the road for a long time. The Alpha Female looks pregnant. Since this is the Main Road from Base Camp to the Lodge and Tented Camp everybody was a little late for work. Just shows you. We're not as in control of the bush as we think we are. They eventually left and drank water at Mgankla pan.
* The Male Lion and 2 Phinda Females were at Dwang pan on the morning of the 1st and were sleeping as usual.
* That afternoon there was a big Elephant bull at the pan and the Lions were gone. The Buffalos were in a drift just around the corner from there and a Rhino Cow with a very young Calf was at Mansendlovu pan.
* That same evening I found a Porcupine running on the road close to the tented camp.
* On the evening of the 5th I saw another Porcupine on Savannah close to the off- loading ramp.
* On the morning of the 9th we got a message that there was a Cheetah on the district road, the P450. We went to have a look and found it was a Serval. For its own safety we chased it towards our Old North gate. Our Male Cheetah was on the other side of the fence and we had to chase him away before we could open the gate, but we eventually got the Serval out of harms way.
* On the afternoon of the 9th at 15h30 staff transport saw a female Leopard at the Off-loading ramp.
* At 17h25 I found the same Leopard on Gwala Gwala walking on the road. I followed her until 18h05 when she finally disappeared into the bushes. The whole time while I was following her she lay down next to the vehicle every now and again and also scent marked a few bushes. It was an amazing sighting and I think this is the same Leopard that we started seeing last year this time.
* On the morning of the 10th a female Leopard was seen on Mfhlweni.
* That evening at 19h00 another female Leopard was seen at main South/Phakama.
* On the morning of the 11th there were 6 Wild Dogs at main South close to South pan. The Beta Female was missing.
* That same morning there was an Elephant bull at Mansendlovu pan. He was in musth. When I wanted to leave, the Landie didn't want to start. Luckily he walked away, but went around a bunch of bushes, turned around and came back. I started talking to him nicely, but he came closer and touched the bull bar with his trunk. I raised my voice and slammed my hand against the door. He backed away, but then came back again. He did this a few times before he moved to the tree next to me and started breaking branches off. Alan came with his Land Cruiser, but when he wanted to tow the Land Rover it finally started. What an adventure.
* In the afternoon the Wild Dogs went up Madwaleni and there were only 6 again.
* On the afternoon of the 12th I found all 7 Wild Dogs at South gate. Shane, the Beta Female, was with them, but she was badly injured. She had cuts all over her body and was limping. The other Dogs ran into the bushes and she walked into a riverbed. I walked into the riverbed, but could not find her again. I drove up the hill along the fence and found the 3 Lionesses there. At the same time I heard a Wild Dog whoo-call close-by. I found the other 6 at the riverbed. They ran up the road towards the Lions, but luckily turned around again and went to South Gate where they slept for a while. One of the Pups called a few times, but I did not see the injured female again.
* On the morning of the 13th I found the 6 Wild Dogs without the injured Female at the old cotton fields close to the Log Cabin. They went out hunting and I realized that they learnt to stalk animals and not just run at them. They stalked a Warthog, but two of the Pups were in a hurry and they chased it away. The Pups also chased zebras around while the two adults were sleeping. It was very cold so they all eventually lay down almost on top of each other and went to sleep.
* On the morning of the 14th all the Buffalos were on the Scotia Cutline and I counted over 50 again.
* I then found the 6 Wild Dogs after they had killed an Adult Female Nyala close to the N2 between Baobab and Simon's Gate.
* The Male Lion and 2 Phinda Females were at Dwang pan on the morning of the 1st and were sleeping as usual.
* That afternoon there was a big Elephant bull at the pan and the Lions were gone. The Buffalos were in a drift just around the corner from there and a Rhino Cow with a very young Calf was at Mansendlovu pan.
* That same evening I found a Porcupine running on the road close to the tented camp.
* On the evening of the 5th I saw another Porcupine on Savannah close to the off- loading ramp.
* On the morning of the 9th we got a message that there was a Cheetah on the district road, the P450. We went to have a look and found it was a Serval. For its own safety we chased it towards our Old North gate. Our Male Cheetah was on the other side of the fence and we had to chase him away before we could open the gate, but we eventually got the Serval out of harms way.
* On the afternoon of the 9th at 15h30 staff transport saw a female Leopard at the Off-loading ramp.
* At 17h25 I found the same Leopard on Gwala Gwala walking on the road. I followed her until 18h05 when she finally disappeared into the bushes. The whole time while I was following her she lay down next to the vehicle every now and again and also scent marked a few bushes. It was an amazing sighting and I think this is the same Leopard that we started seeing last year this time.
* On the morning of the 10th a female Leopard was seen on Mfhlweni.
* That evening at 19h00 another female Leopard was seen at main South/Phakama.
* On the morning of the 11th there were 6 Wild Dogs at main South close to South pan. The Beta Female was missing.
* That same morning there was an Elephant bull at Mansendlovu pan. He was in musth. When I wanted to leave, the Landie didn't want to start. Luckily he walked away, but went around a bunch of bushes, turned around and came back. I started talking to him nicely, but he came closer and touched the bull bar with his trunk. I raised my voice and slammed my hand against the door. He backed away, but then came back again. He did this a few times before he moved to the tree next to me and started breaking branches off. Alan came with his Land Cruiser, but when he wanted to tow the Land Rover it finally started. What an adventure.
* In the afternoon the Wild Dogs went up Madwaleni and there were only 6 again.
* On the afternoon of the 12th I found all 7 Wild Dogs at South gate. Shane, the Beta Female, was with them, but she was badly injured. She had cuts all over her body and was limping. The other Dogs ran into the bushes and she walked into a riverbed. I walked into the riverbed, but could not find her again. I drove up the hill along the fence and found the 3 Lionesses there. At the same time I heard a Wild Dog whoo-call close-by. I found the other 6 at the riverbed. They ran up the road towards the Lions, but luckily turned around again and went to South Gate where they slept for a while. One of the Pups called a few times, but I did not see the injured female again.
* On the morning of the 13th I found the 6 Wild Dogs without the injured Female at the old cotton fields close to the Log Cabin. They went out hunting and I realized that they learnt to stalk animals and not just run at them. They stalked a Warthog, but two of the Pups were in a hurry and they chased it away. The Pups also chased zebras around while the two adults were sleeping. It was very cold so they all eventually lay down almost on top of each other and went to sleep.
* On the morning of the 14th all the Buffalos were on the Scotia Cutline and I counted over 50 again.
* I then found the 6 Wild Dogs after they had killed an Adult Female Nyala close to the N2 between Baobab and Simon's Gate.
Prepared By
Mariana Venter