Game Drives Archives - Page 5 of 14

Prying Pups

Posted on 2 July 2018 by LH Focus Online

Termite mounds do not usually stir up a great deal of excitement. However, from time to time you may just find some treasure inside.

There has been a flurry of activity around a well-established termite mound recently. One of the hyena dens is active again.

Seeing petite little pups pop their heads out of the holes brings great joy and excitement to our guests. It does not take long before the pups become comfortable with our presence and come closer to investigate.

Once the sun starts to go down their energy levels peak and the pups will practice their stalking and hunting techniques on their unsuspecting siblings.

Here a little one decides to guard the hole as mother took a little nap.

Written by: Cal Butler

New cats on the block

Posted on 30 May 2018 by LH Focus Online

It has been a while since we have had a little shake up. With the current resident lions shifting territories, new cats are moving into the area.

We had received exciting news that a female cheetah with two cubs was moving steadily west. How long it would take for them to reach us only time would tell. This week we were all surprised to find them on our traverse.

Apparently these wild felines made their way down from the Thornybush area and settled here in Sabi Sands.

The cubs are around 9 to 10 months old. They have lost 2 of their siblings due to attacks from lions and 1 from a snake bite. With less pressure from lions, there’s a good chance that these young cubs might survive the next few crucial months.

Written by: Cal Butler

The Playful Ones

Posted on 26 May 2018 by LH Focus Online

Winter is quickly approaching and the bush is swiftly showing signs of the changing season. Yet there is still a hive of activity on the reserve.

Thlangisa, a wonderfully relaxed female leopard, has provided us with a gift of cubs yet again.

The mother has found a secure den site and she has finally revealed these bundles of joy to us. She has 2 tiny cubs and they take after their mother. Thlangisa, “The Playful One”, has passed her nature onto her cubs as these two little fur-balls constantly chase each other around or hop all over mom when she is around.

This is not her first litter and most of her cubs have survived to adulthood. We look forward to see these cubs grow up into strong, independent leopards in years to come.

Written by: Cal Butler

Kelly Dam and her kill

Posted on 19 May 2018 by LH Focus Online

Night time in the bush can be a daunting thing for some, but sometimes it yields wonderful surprises.

One of our rangers, Cal, headed down to the reserve’s airstrip to fetch some guests. As he passed through a wooded area something caught his eye. It was an impala in a tree, but no leopard in sight.

That evening after sunset, our game drive vehicles headed back to the area and guests were treated to a wonderful sighting as the leopard had returned to finish her kill.

As we arrived at the scene a female leopard called Kelly Dam sat casually in a tree feeding on her kill.

Sitting in silence and surrounded by darkness we all just marveled at the sights and sounds of the feline tucking into her meal.

There was some interesting interaction as 2 hyena came to visit hoping that Kelly Dam will drop her meal or at least parts thereof. She was not phased with their presence and just stared them down.

After she had her fill she moved over to another branch and took a nap for the evening.

Written by: Cal Butler

Mhangene’s saving grace

Posted on 9 May 2018 by LH Focus Online

Life can be tough in the bush, even at the best of times. For the subadult lions of the Mhangene pride life seems to be hanging by a thread.

The Mhangene pride was once a highly successful pride and their numbers stood strong at sixteen. The pride consisted of 4 adult females, 3 female cubs and 9 male cubs. The adult females were ferocious hunters and were highly skilled at taking down buffalo.

With a weekly supply of fresh buffalo, the young cubs always had round bellies and have since grown into sub-adult lions.

There was word of some large male lions making their way towards the western sector of the Sabi Sands. Soon afterwards the adult females made their way towards those males to mate with them and they simply haven’t returned since.

The sub-adults were left to fend for themselves for the last 2 months. They were all inexperienced and had not been taught how to hunt correctly. This lead to their detriment. Two sub-adult females have since perished and the young males find themselves in a very vulnerable position. They had become extremely skinny and their lives are hanging on by a thread.

Last week something miraculous happened. The young males managed to find some energy and somehow killed a buffalo on their own. This event was with out a doubt their saving grace and has provided them with enough food to last a little longer.

Written by: Cal Butler

Othawa’s kill a kudu

Posted on 22 April 2018 by LH Focus Online

It is not over until it is over. This could not be more true as we recently had a great surprise while we were finishing an evening game drive.

There was a comotion close to the lodge when another ranger called us into a sighting. It is not easy to catch the action as it happens. This time around we just missed the action by a few minutes. The evenings are getting cool now and as we manouvered the land rovers through the bush we could see steam rising out from a lifeless carcass.

In the grass lay two adult female lions from the Othawa pride. They managed to catch and kill a kudu a few hundred meters away from the lodge. They wasted no time tucking into the fresh meat. We could hear the contact calls of the two subadult lions who had trailed behind. The two adults did not heed their call. They continued to feast selfishly as if it was their last meal.

Together with our guests, the rangers sat in silence just observing and taking in the sounds around them. What seemed to fascinate our guests the most was the sound of crunching bones a few meters from them.

Written by: Cal Butler

Playful Leopard

Posted on 25 November 2017 by LH Focus Online

The summer rains have arrived and the Leopard are enjoying the cooler conditions.

Thlangisa and her cub were seen in a riverbed being very playful after a early morning thunderstorm.

Dayone Male Leopard resting on the top of a termite mound after some refreshing rain.

Ravenscourt Male Leopard on a territorial patrol on the edge of Dayone’s territory after a heavy thundershower.

Stalking Leopard Cub

Posted on 20 August 2017 by LH Focus Online

Thlangisa & her cub found the perfect spot in a dry riverbed to spend the afternoon as they took a break from feeding on their hoisted kill. The sun had already set and soon the two leopard would be hidden by the dark night.

She noticed a duiker moving towards them in the riverbed and starting paying close attention to its movements, as it had not seen the two leopard in the sand. Her cub on the other hand, had different ideas. She noticed the duiker and started walking in its direction, however not in the normal stalking posture, but tail raised high up in the air.

Thlangisa kept an eye on her cub as she moved towards the duiker, as she got closer she started stalking and used her camouflage to hide her whereabouts. The antelope wisely kept moving away from the riverbed and out of the leopards’ sight.

With time and practice the cub will learn the skills to become a successful hunter.

Ravenscourt & Boulders

Posted on 24 April 2017 by LH Focus Online

Intense interaction between Ravenscourt Male & Boulders Female, it is always wonderful seeing these solitary cats together.

Boulders Female made a kill which she safely hoisted away from the lurking hyena below. Ravenscourt had other ideas and he claimed the hoisted meal as his own. While the hyena were guarding the tree, hoping for any scraps to fall from the hoisted kill, Ravenscourt made his way to a nearby waterhole for a drink.

As he approached the water, Boulders showed herself from some tall grass and made her presence known to him when he got close to her. Ravenscourt didn’t let her growling influence him too much and he lay down withing a few feet from her.

Hyena pup playing

Posted on 8 January 2017 by LH Focus Online

Spotted Hyenas work in a matriarchal society, meaning their is a dominant female or queen that will be in charge of the clan. Within a clan’s territory they might have multiple den sites which they use when they have pups.

They are known to be very social animals and enjoy playing with each other, especially when the pups are involved. While we were at one of the Hyena dens, we were fortunate enough to enjoy one of these playful occasions between a mother, her baby and another youngster from the clan.

Enjoy the video.

Video by Hugo Breed

Kelly Dam Female Leopard

Posted on 23 December 2016 by LH Focus Online

The bush has turned beautifully lush after some much needed rain and has burst with vibrant colours.

Kelly Dam Female was seen resting up on a fallen over tree, prefect vantage point from where she kept an eye on an approaching hyena.

Shortly after the hyena moved away, she continued to scent mark on the path she was following and disappeared into a nearby thicket.

Dayone on Patrol

Posted on 22 December 2016 by LH Focus Online

Dayone Male Leopard vocalizing and scent marking during his afternoon patrol. Ravenscourt Male has been edging his way into the territory of Dayone, which is forcing Dayone to regularly traverse his territory to make sure there are no intruders. There has recently been some interaction between Dayone and Ravenscourt as they met up while Dayone and Xikavi were mating.

With Ravenscourt putting pressure on the territory of Dayone, there is sure to be some interaction between these two Male Leopards in the weeks to come.