We’ve experienced a bit of a lull in the Week in Pictures, but certainly not a lull in game viewing. Across the board its been a continuous cycle of predator sightings, unpredicted take downs and rare moments shared with the residents of the Lowveld. Our guides have been busy in the field, leading guests into life-changing sightings, while our photographers have been hiding behind their lenses, capturing exquisite stills from the bushveld. We finally had a rest period between drives, and found the time to collate a bumper album of images combined with a quick catch-up.
Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp enjoyed 24 hours of noteworthy sightings, the fragments of which we’re still enjoying. Friday things were ticking along nicely, and come Monday a flood of insane wildlife reports littered the airwaves. In a space of 24 hours guides at camp spotted 3 cheetah relaxing after a recent kill (their matted bloodied fur was a “dead” giveaway), 6 bloated lions tucking into a massive meaty giraffe, and 15 wild dog puppies huddling together on the road. And these were just the highlights!
Ezulwini Game Lodges is always at the front of the queue when it comes to lion sightings. Just when you become familiar with Ezulwini’s consistent sightings of the Kudyela pride and the Machaton males, things shift. It now appears that the River Pride females have been hanging around River Lodge’s area of the traverse for roughly 2 weeks. The Kudyelas seem to be moving around quite a bit, but they’re still spotted while out on game drive. In other cat news, the Matimba male leopard was also spotted – the leopards certainly didn’t want the lions hogging the limelight.
Chacma Bush Camp really impressed their recent guests with their game drives and personalised service. When one of the guests arrived, the efficient staff knew that it was her birthday and baked a cake for her. They also ensured the welcome area was decorated prior to her arrival. But it wasn’t the cake that stole the show. Herds of elephants jostled down to the waterhole in front of camp, putting on a show for the Rhoda family. And there was a close-up lion sighting of the Maseke pride that came rambling past the vehicle.
Umkumbe Safari Lodge hit the jackpot a few weeks ago when they came across young Ntsumi with her newborn cub. Then – lo and behold – Jade and the team spotted Ntsumi with two little cubs ! Apart from the leopard cub sightings, guests at Umkumbe have been relishing in sundowner set-ups, and just generally loving the unforgettable Umkumbe lifestyle.
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