Leopard's View Game Lodge

The king is dead….

2012-02-09T07:29:00.000+02:00

Masinyo at buffalo kill near our waterhole, November 2009,
with Big Boy in the background

Our local lion pride, often known simply as “The Big Pride” in view of its numbers (19 at one stage a couple of years ago), recently suffered a setback. One of the two pride males, called ‘Masinyo’, was found dead near the Olifants River. He had not been in good health for a while and had been seen some two weeks previously with quills stuck in his mouth, having presumably come off worst in an encounter with a porcupine.

Masinyo, November 2009

We had not seen Masinyo since March 2011 when both he and his brother, ‘Big Boy’, were feeding together on a giraffe killed in a collision with an electricity power line. Only Big Boy was present at the giraffe kill near our waterhole in late November 2011 and was very thin and limping badly (but has recovered since.)

While theoretically Masinyo’s death leaves Big Boy and the pride more exposed, to date the surviving brother has been holding his own as the lone pride male, on several occasions roaring loudly very close to the Lodge. The two of them had controlled the pride for over ten years, a far longer time period than is normal in lion society.

Big Boy at our waterhole, November 2011

Cyclone hits Balule Reserve

2012-01-20T16:37:00.000+02:00

The river behind our waterhole after approx. 175 mm of rain had fallen.

Out here in the bush rain is always welcome and so far this summer we had had 295 mm since the start of October, that is until Tuesday 17^th and Wednesday 18^th January, earlier this week. It began raining on Tuesday and by 4.30 p.m. only 18mm had fallen. Over the next 24 hours, however, a further 262 mm (10 inches) fell.

The same river some 500 m upstream

As a result our normally dry river beds became raging torrents, audible even over the sound of the rain. The largest river on the main road to the reserve gate was 40 m wide. In the midst of this most of the local lion pride were in the area, on our neighbours’ property and here on Leopard’s View. We even had to deliberately let water out of the splashpool at various intervals. Luckily we have suffered only from erosion of paths and roads although we did have a mini-river flowing through one of the huts as the ground became saturated. Giraffe Hut is now drying out and we have dug out around it to create better run-off management in the future – pictures to follow as the work progresses.

The main road through the reserve to the gate, Wednesday morning

At a stroke our rainfall total for this wet season has jumped up to 575 mm, which is 125 mm more than the annual average for Balule.

Afternoon of Thursday 19th - our river much subsided

All roads in and out of the reserve were impassable until the middle of Thursday 19^th and some routes are still closed.

The main road river shown above, 24 hours after the rain stopped

Our local town, Hoedspruit, which is 21 km away, was cut off by flood water and was declared a disaster area: some sections were completely under water. Many major roads and bridges in the area have been damaged and the Olifants River came over the top of the high-water bridge. The local Air Force base was active in the area, rescuing many people trapped by rising water.

Clean-up operations are in progress everywhere. We hope that the cyclones now building in the Indian Ocean will not affect us this far inland over the next week or so. With soils already saturated more heavy rain would undoubtedly lead to renewed flooding.

Water (Rain & the Swimming Pool)

2012-01-01T11:14:00.000+02:00

Swimming pool

We began renovating the splashpool in mid-September but within a week we were side-tracked by problems with a septic tank. The best solution was to build a new one, plus a new soak-away, tasks that took the next eight weeks to complete. It was not until the start of December that we managed to get back to working on the pool. Preparing the surfaces was a huge, tedious, dusty and hot job and as Christmas approached the race was on to get it ready in time for plastering (something that has to be done by professionals) before everyone went on holiday for three weeks. Renovations were finally finished on the 21^st after several days of frantic activity and on the 22^nd the pool specialists from Hoedspruit did the plastering. Early on the 23^rd we began filling the pool and by lunch it was ready. The transformation has been pleasing and the new-look pool fits in much better with the bush environment.

Before

During - ready for tiling

During - tiled & ready for plastering

After - plastered and filled

Rain

The rains so far this year have been reasonably frequent but light, as was the pattern last year, and despite the regular top-ups the bush was getting dry. However on the 24^th December we had 48 mm and on Boxing Day another 74 mm, most of it slow and soaking. These were the biggest totals for a single day since May 2010, which is unusual for this area and not a good thing: some heavy rain is needed to make the small streams and rivers flow, to fill up dams and replenish underground water supplies. After the 122 mm in 48 hours the river beyond the waterhole flowed for a while and then trickled for a couple of days after that. The bush looks in excellent condition and dams and waterholes are full, not surprising after the wettest first three months of the rainy season for some years.

Giraffe kill – the lions move on

2011-12-06T12:33:00.002+02:00

4 of the males & 3 of the females

During the night of Sunday 27^th/Monday 28^th November, the six males lions that had killed an adult giraffe about 150 m from Leopard’s View’s waterhole 48 hours previously had been joined by four females.

As with the males alone on the previous two days, they fed in the relative cool of the early morning and then moved off into the shade to rest during the heat of the day. At intervals they drank at the waterhole or returned to the carcass to feed.

During the evening of Monday they continued this pattern, feeding, drinking and resting, either adjacent to the carcass (or in the odd case, on part of the carcass!) or in the open between the waterhole and the kill site.

White-backed vulture

Tuesday and Wednesday saw similar behaviour, although by now there was relatively little meat left to be gleaned from the remains and the lions finally moved off to the north during the early evening of Wednesday 30^th.

Now it was down to the vultures to pick the carcass clean and by Sunday 4^th all bar a couple of vultures had gone.

As of Monday 5^th, there is no sign at the carcass of hyena activity but a hyena did drink at the waterhole during the evening.

Giraffe kill - the lions feed on

2011-12-01T17:13:00.001+02:00

After bringing down an adult giraffe during the night of the 25^th/26^th November, the six male lions that were at the carcass at the end of the day on Saturday 26^th were still there, as expected, at dawn on Sunday 27^th. Their bellies were full and they were spending as much time resting as feeding.

As the day heated up so they spent more and more time away from the kill and close to our waterhole, where they drank frequently or slept in the thick shade of the adjacent trees and bushes. From the Lodge we had regular views of one or more drinking.

During the early part of the morning large numbers of vultures began to fly in, mainly white-backed vultures but a few hooded vultures as well, settling in dead trees anything up to several hundred metres from the kill site: there they sat, patiently waiting, but since there was always at least one lion at the carcass the vultures didn’t get a look in…… yet!

As evening fell, the lions drifted back to the carcass where some returned to eating. By now all of the easily accessible meat had gone and so the lions had to tear back the skin from the lower neck, the legs and the back and use their carnassial side teeth to cut through connective tissue and tendons to get small scraps of muscle.

It was clearly hard work and even in the cool of the evening and the night left the lions panting from the effort. They made frequent trips to the waterhole to drink.

At one stage, when it was almost dark and when all six lions were at or near the carcass, another adult giraffe approached the waterhole. As soon as they detected this, four of the lions moved towards it in stalking mode: after a tense few minutes the giraffe moved off, away from the lions, which slowly drifted back to the kill.

Giraffe kill

2011-11-29T08:51:00.002+02:00

Between 8.00 and 9.00 p.m. on the evening of Friday 25^th November, five giraffes (one male and four females) visited our waterhole and spent some time there. Later on in the night the male was caught and killed by 7 male lions in the dry river bed around 150m away.

The first indication we had of this was two male lions drinking at the waterhole around 6.15 a.m. on the Saturday morning. When we drove down to investigate we discovered the carcass and the 7 lions, some feeding, some drinking and some lying in the shade nearby.

About an hour later, four of the young males suddenly stood up and moved away to the north: we followed and found the four teasing a large white rhino bull. The lions approached, the rhino came at them, they ran off and so it went on until the rhino moved off past the carcass to the waterhole and drank.

No sooner were we back watching three of the lions sleeping in the shade than jackals harassing an impala doe and fawn caused the impalas to run along the river bed veering away from the giraffe carcass, up the river bank and between our vehicle and the three lions sleeping some 8m away. Despite very full stomachs, instinct took over and several of the lions chased the impalas, coming close to catching the fawn. We caught up with the impalas a little while later.

During the hotter part of the day the lions spent most of the time in the shade, several resting in the bushes adjacent to our waterhole, appearing at intervals to drink.

As dusk approached and the temperatures cooled all the lions returned to the carcass and continued feeding or rested next to it. There were now six lions – one of the big pride males, looking very weak and walking with a pronounced limp in his back left leg, and five sub-adult males (although these five are getting quite large and their manes and are starting to develop.)

Given the size of a giraffe, we knew the lions would be there for a considerable time to come, so…………………..: to be continued!

Any pillow will do

“One-horn” is back

2011-11-14T17:16:00.000+02:00

The one-horned male impala

As mentioned in a previous blog, most impala look alike and once they reach adult size cannot easily be identified, other than as male or female. However, there is one male in our area with only one horn and he has been around for over three years now. We were pleased to see him again late in the afternoon of the 12^th November, moving past the stoep of our house with several other males. It’s good to know he is still alive. Like all the herbivores he will undoubtedly be very happy at the moment: after unusually early rains (with the crazy hailstones!) in early October we have had several good downpours since and the bush is extraordinarily lush and green for this time of year.

Our waterhole now, surrounded by green

We only hope that the rain will continue and that we don’t end up later on paying the penalty with a big gap when everything dries up and dies back.

Elephants!

2011-10-27T08:50:00.002+02:00

The knobthorn tree below our deck,
next to the birdpool before the elephant.

Leopard’s View birdpool is a magnet for many species of birds and some mammals as well. Visiting birds make use of a couple of knobthorn trees and a Y-thorn torchwood bush for perches and for cover. On Thursday 20th, mid-way through the afternoon, two elephants appeared at the Lodge, the Reserve’s biggest bull, "Ezulwini", and a much smaller companion. The large one proceeded to push over the big knobthorn just to the left of the birdpool, snapping the trunk completely - no mean feat given that the diameter at that point was 40 cm, although there were signs of rot inside.

The big bull and the felled tree

However, we were not pleased since this tree was important visually and also for the birds.

The big bull behind Kudu Hut

The two elephants then browsed on the fresh foliage (since the rain of two weeks previously) before doing a tour right round the Lodge and our house, eating fresh grasses and raisin bush leaves and stems.

Who needs building inspectors? "Ezulwini" checks
out work on our new septic tank for the kitchens.

They returned the following morning and at least had the decency to eat much of the remaining foliage from the knocked-down tree (elephants often push over a tree, eat a couple of mouthfuls and then move off.)

The big bull below the decks: waterhole in the background

The same pair reappeared on Tuesday 25^th, again doing a tour right round the camp. The smaller bull is relatively nervous but the large one is very relaxed around buildings, fences and the people inside them, and will feed very close by without showing any signs of tension unless one makes a sudden loud noise or sharp movement.

The young bull or "askari" that goes round
with the big one.

"Ezulwini" outside Duiker Hut

Wonderful viewing but one beautiful, mature tree less!

Hail storm

2011-10-07T16:16:00.000+02:00

We wouldn’t normally expect to get any serious rain here until late October or even into November.

Mid-storm: hail, rain and run-off

Hail stones: the wall is 24 cm wide
and the vertical post 15cm in diameter

However, on 3^rd October we had an unusually early storm: dark clouds gathered, thunder rolled ever nearer, and then came a noise like an approaching train as the wind came closer and hit with a vengeance. We had torrential rain for about 30 minutes plus hail on a grand scale! Hail is common on the highveld but is far less frequent here in the lowveld. The noise of the hail-stones hitting the roofs and the windows was incredible. We measured the stones afterwards and the biggest were over 5 cm in diameter so we were lucky to have only one window broken. Trees and shrubs in leaf were shredded and there was debris everywhere: four days later, we are still clearing it up. As usual with heavy rain, there has been much erosion of paths and tracks.

The river in our valley flowing more strongly than ever

While we were clearing up immediately after the storm we became aware of a rushing sound from the valley below the lodge: our dry river was in spate, flowing fuller and faster than we have seen in our three years here. It was the first time that this river has flowed since April-May 2010. Many of the dams in the reserve that have been relatively empty have benefitted greatly from the run-off.

With further rain later in the day (mercifully gentle!) we had a total of 32 mm, and another couple since. By next morning the lawns in the lodge had greened up beautifully. The grass out in the bush is turning green too and no doubt the trees will produce leaves (again, in the case of those that lost them to the hail.) Given the early nature of this rain, we hope that there will be more before too long and that all the new growth will not burn up in the heat if we have to wait many weeks.

Birds and bushbabies

2011-09-30T15:44:00.002+02:00

Our waterhole is a magnet for a variety of larger birds that are often associated with water: we see various storks, herons and Egyptian geese there on a regular basis. During the last few weeks we have heard fish eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer) calling frequently in the vicinity but they have always been in flight. We were therefore pleased to see one perched in a tree near the waterhole on 23^rd September and to be able to photograph it. This one is a juvenile (as indicated by the black streaking on the chest, the poorly developed rufous belly colouration) and the lack of yellow in the cere, the coloured plate just above the beak) and we wonder whether the calls we have heard came from a breeding pair of adults. As their name suggests, fish eagles catch and eat fish, and so are generally found along rivers or close to large dams, but they also take any other small animals and birds that they can. .

One of the smaller birds we see and hear often is the long-billed crombec (Sylvietta rufescens). They are insect eaters and feed by searching for prey along the branches of trees and amongst the leaves, darting about and making themselves difficult to photograph. One pair recently spent some time in the tree outside the office and provided good photo opportunities. The distinctive feature of the crombecs is the very short tail.

By way of a progress report, the bushbabies that spend their days in the office veranda roof are still there, five in all, and have provided some excellent viewing for us and for guests.

Acacias in bloom

2011-09-21T10:47:00.000+02:00

Knobthorn blossom

One of the annual signs that spring is here and summer on its way is the flowering of the acacias, especially the knobthorns (Acacia nigrescens). These produce a mass of white blossom with a smell not unlike that of orange blossom. The flowers attract many insects and so the trees buzz, while giraffes also enjoy browsing on the blooms. Other acacias such as the blue-thorn (Acacia erubescens) flower at this time too. Last year the display across the bush was phenomenal: this year it looks as though it is going to be rather more restrained.

Giraffe browing on knobthorn flowers

Blue-thorn acacia in bloom in the lodge gardens

New collar for favourite elephant

2011-09-08T09:36:00.002+02:00

Soshangane with new satellite tracking collar visible

There are two elephant bulls that we regularly see together in our section of Balule Nature Reserve: they are very relaxed close to habitation and vehicles. One, known as “Ezulwini”, has targeted the marula trees close to our house this winter. The other, “Soshangane”, is the oldest bull in the area and the only one so far to have completed his musth cycle here since the fences came down between Balule and Kruger Park. Soshangane has a satellite tracking collar but for the last couple of years the device has not been working. On the 30^th August, all the necessary logistics and admin requirements came together and he was darted and a new collar fitted. The hope is that his data will now be available along with data from other collared elephants in Greater Kruger Park.

Ezulwini - destroyer of trees!

These two bulls often team up with other younger ones, the older two acting as mentors. The groups come together and then go their separate ways as time goes by. This winter some seven or eight other bulls have accompanied Ezulwini and Soshangane and have been seen often, most recently as a group of nine coming past our house on the morning of 6^th September. This was the first time we had seen Soshangane since the re-collaring exercise and he seemed none the worse for his experience. His buddy Ezulwini insisted on taking a branch off a now almost denuded marula tree and would not be coaxed into moving on until he had the branch and could walk off with it, eating it some 30 m away: just a like a naughty dog with some tit-bit from the table!

One of the younger bulls in Soshangane's group, 6.9.2011

Office Bushbabies Back

2011-08-26T17:06:00.001+02:00

The Leopard's View bushbabies provide us with our own wildlife soap opera. For a long time we had two groups of bushbabies in residence, one in the roof of the viewing tower and one in the roof of the office veranda. Then the tower group disappeared and we did not see them for ages: however, we were pleased when they reappeared a few months ago. Next the office group vanished and we neither saw nor heard them for at least the last 10 weeks, that is until a couple of days ago. Initially we heard noises from their den and then on Wednesday 24th August saw one and heard at least one more we could not see. The next day we saw them again and as I write, they can be heard getting ready to leave at dusk. This new office group (or the same ones back again?) are relatively accepting of our presence and when they emerge in the evening they always sit in the adjacent acacia giving anyone watching an excellent view. After a few minutes they head off into the bush in one direction or another.

Birds – old & new

2011-08-10T09:20:00.001+02:00

Black-headed oriole

Recent weeks have seen a great deal of bird activity around the lodge, including many birding parties. Most of the visitors have been ones that we have seen here before. The white-bellied sunbirds continue to feed on nectar from the aloes, although the flowers are now beginning to die back. Blue waxbills have been plentiful, along with arrow-marked babblers, white-crested helmet-shrikes, Burchell’s starlings, red-billed queleas, green-winged pytilias, firefinches, various hornbills and black-headed orioles, which, like the sunbirds, also feed on the aloes.

African spoonbill at our waterhole

On the 7^th of August, and much to our surprise, an African spoonbill spent the morning at our waterhole. They frequent shallow rivers with pools, pans, lakes and estuaries but our waterhole is smaller than the norm for a spoonbill. It was the first time we have seen this particular wading bird at the lodge and it takes our tally of birds seen and identified here to 114. There are also two owl species (African scops owl and the White-faced scops owl) that we have heard but not seen here, although have done so elsewhere in the past.

New-look game drive vehicle

2011-07-27T17:54:00.000+02:00

The original (sorry about the photo!)

When we bought the Lodge in 2008, the game drive vehicle that came with it, a somewhat dilapidated old Toyota land cruiser, was white with zebra stripes. The stripes were quickly removed, leaving it a rather stand-out white.

White for the last 3 years, plus the new ladders fitted

Undercoat

Changing it has long been on our task list and we have finally got round to carrying out the threat. At long last we have an environmentally friendly green colour, with our logo on the doors, and with ladders on the side so that guests can climb up to the seats with relative ease. We have also added wooden trim to the doors and the cab area as well as wooden arm rests at the back. There was a huge amount of work involved, building the ladders (like giant meccano), preparing the body work for painting and the actual painting itself and shaping and fitting the wooden sections. The spare tyre has been fitted in neatly under the rear seat. All told, we can now take guests out with pride and with confidence that we at least look the part!

The finished green vehicle, with logo, trim and all

Aloes and sunbirds

2011-07-20T13:01:00.001+02:00

One of the delights of the lowveld winters, apart from the sunshine, the dry air and the warm (but not hot) temperatures, is that the aloes come into flower. This in turn attracts sunbirds to the Lodge gardens. Most frequent are the white-bellied sunbirds (Cynnyris talatala). As the name suggests, both sexes have a white or off-white belly: the remainder of the female’s plumage is white below and brownish on top. The male, however, has dark wings above and a brilliant metallic green head, throat and mantle with iridescent stripes in purple and blue on the breast. The male sings loudly (incredibly so for such a small bird) throughout the day – a monotonous and often-repeated ‘chuee-chuee-chuee’. They feed on nectar from the aloe flowers and their long bills are ideally shaped to reach it.

White-bellied sunbird (male)

Many other birds are drawn to the gardens as well at this time, frequently visiting the birdbath and the bigger birdpool. Blue waxbills, various fire-finches, green-winged ptylias and many others. Our resident African barred owlet is still about and often roosts in the gardens during the day.

Green-winged ptylia

African barred owlet

Blue waxbill

Jameson's firefinch

Winter animals

2011-07-10T16:29:00.000+02:00

We have been enjoying typical lowveld winter weather of late: cold nights and crisp mornings with dry, sunny days that are warm but not too hot. The cold in the early mornings has resulted in some beautiful inversion layers with mist blanketing the valley below the lodge and the ridge poking through behind.

After the wet months of April and May (when game animals were widely distributed and visiting permanent water only infrequently) the dryness of the last six weeks has increasingly led to animals visiting our waterhole in numbers. We have seen large groups of zebra (20 or so), large herds of impala, wildebeest, kudu (groups of 4, 6 and 8), duiker, warthogs and giraffe.

One giraffe group included a mother and one of the smallest calves we have ever seen. It was fascinated by the water in the waterhole, peering intently at it in the classic giraffe drinking position but then running back to mother at the slightest noise or gust of wind. We couldn’t tell whether it was actually drinking but we saw it suckling from its mother so we suspect it was curiosity as much as thirst.

A grey heron has spent several evenings at the waterhole as well and the days see an almost endless procession of guinea fowl.

Social birds

2011-06-24T12:46:00.001+02:00

Southern white-crowned shrike

There are three species of birds that we see often around the lodge and that are both social (moving and feeding in small groups) and noisy. They come from three different bird families.

Most common are the Southern white-crowned shrikes, mostly feeding on the ground.

Next are the Arrow-marked babblers, also very much ground-feeding birds.

Arrow-marked babblers

Least often seen are the Green wood-hoopoes, iridescent blue-green birds with long, curved red-coloured bills that they use for finding insects in the bark of trees. However, all three make their own distinctive and quite continuous noises, generally as they move around and fly from point to point or from tree to tree but also whilst sitting as a group in a tree. Indeed the wood-hoopoes are known locally as “bahlega mfasi” or “cackling women.”

Green wood-hoopoes

There is a fourth species of social and constantly noisy bird that we see only rarely and have not spotted for a long time: this is the White-crested helmet-shrike. It was therefore a great pleasure to see a group of these birds on two occasions in the last week. Although they moved on relatively quickly the second time, the first visit saw them flitting from tree to tree around the lodge for a while, enabling us to get a good view and take photographs.

White-crested helmet-shrike

Crescendo!

2011-06-20T12:40:00.001+02:00

On Friday 16^th, soon after dusk, and as we waited for guests to arrive, a dark shape appeared at the back of the waterhole: one white rhino.

Then a second appeared at the other end of the water: two rhinos.

After watching these for perhaps a minute or two, two more walked in from the left and drank at the front of the waterhole: four rhinos.

By the end of ten minutes, two had drifted off into the darkness while the remaining two grazed in the light.

Although obviously focused on these two we then became aware of movement on the left of the water: a leopard was finishing a short drink and then turned and moved off. It was a brief glimpse only but nonetheless exciting.

The grazing rhinos slowly moved up into semi-shadow, towards the lodge, and finally some 30 minutes after they first appeared were lost in the dark and the thick bush.

Throughout this we kept hoping our guests would arrive but sadly that was not to be and all was quiet when they reached the lodge.

Great views of the lunar eclipse

2011-06-16T16:44:00.000+02:00

The lunar eclipse of 15^th June was a worldwide event but here in Balule Reserve we were blessed with both a total eclipse and perfect, absolutely cloudless viewing conditions. We were therefore able to see the whole phenomenon, notably the change from brilliant white full moon, through the earth’s shadow moving across, to totality and the orange-red colour of the moon as it was lit by light refracted through the earth’s atmosphere. It was interesting to note how the stars and the Milky Way became increasingly visible as the eclipse proceeded. The sahdow first cut into the moon's disc at 20.23 pm locak time and the disc was fully covered at around 21.27 pm. We managed to obtain a reasonable series of photographs, some of which are given below. For those interested in photographic specifications the pictures were taken with a 100-500 mm zoom lens on full zoom; ISO settings ranged from 200 before the eclipse to 12000 at totality; shutter speeds ranged from 1/4000 before the eclipse to 1/30 at totality. This enabled detail to be seen beforehand and in the early stages and the later orange-red colour, which is very distinct with the naked eye approaching and after totality, to be realised in the photos.

19.56 hrs: before the eclipse

20.30 hrs: soon after shadow started to cross the moon's disc

20.46 hrs: about one third across

21.05 hrs: almosy two thirds across

21.26 hrs: almost total

21.30 hrs: totality

One-horned impala still going strong

2011-06-15T13:00:00.000+02:00

September 2009 - the earliest photo we have

June 2010 (top left)

When we first arrived at Leopard’s View in September 2008 we were immediately aware of the presence of a male impala with one horn only. He appeared to be in charge of a small harem of females and so we reckoned that he was doing alright in spite of this handicap to seeing off other males. He has not been in charge of a harem since that first year, however. How he lost the missing horn we do not know but impala do sometimes lose horns during fighting or perhaps even falling while being chased. We have seen “one-horn” on and off ever since, always within the general vicinity of the Lodge, although the first photograph we have of him is from September 2009, a year after we first encountered him. Further photos are on our files from early June 2010 and then 13^th March of this year, 2011. We were pleased, therefore, when a one-horned impala and a couple of other two-horned males spent some time browsing outside our house late on the afternoon of 12^th June. We assume that it is the same animal: while it could be another male altogether, the likelihood of two one-horned impala in the same area is small. It is good to know that he is still surviving.

March 2011 at the waterhole (top centre)

12th June 2011 - still going strong

Cheetahs rescued

2011-06-15T12:43:00.000+02:00

On 6^th June we were both amazed and delighted to come across two cheetahs lying on a track adjacent to the western boundary fence of Balule Nature Reserve. Cheetahs are an extremely rare sighting within the Greater Kruger Park and the core Kruger Park: there are only some 250-300 in an area of about 2.4 million hectares. They were very relaxed and appeared not to be disturbed either by us or by the traffic passing on the main road past the reserve gate. Apparently their mother had left these two youngsters (they are only about 9 months old) on several occasions in recent weeks, exiting the reserve to the west. The rangers had caught her and brought her back several times but each time she got out again and now appeared to have gone for good. Meanwhile the youngsters’ condition was deteriorating rapidly and, despite attempts by rangers to feed them, they were starving and so on 7^th June it was decided to capture them and take them to Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, which specialises in looking after cheetahs. They were duly darted, checked by the vet, tube-fed and rehydrated, before being taken to HESC. When they are fully recovered they will be returned to Balule reserve. It is always difficult to know whether to intervene in situations like this or whether to let nature take its course: in this instance there were two important factors to consider. First, the problem was due, at least in part, to the presence of man-made fences; and second, cheetah are so rare and sufficiently endangered that preservation must take precedence over the course-of-nature argument. We look forward to the return of these beautiful creatures once they have regained their health and are old enough to fend for themselves.

Bush baby update

2011-05-31T14:34:00.000+02:00

A recent vigil of the viewing tower at dusk showed us that there are now 5 bush babies calling it home. Poking their heads out of the thatch before hopping away in separate directions to begin a night's foraging, it's always a treat to see these tiny primates at such close quarters.

Starry starry night

2011-05-24T14:03:00.001+02:00

The night sky has long held a fascination for people and is often one of the things that leave a lasting impression to bush visitors. Away from the light pollution of bright city lights, stars and even galaxies are fully visible if you care to look up. The night sky is also more impressive in the Southern Hemisphere simply because it contains a greater number of stars than the Northern Hemisphere, and a higher density of the brightest ones.

The night sky changes with the seasons, each having specific constellations which can be identified. The end of May heralds the disappearance of the constellation Orion (the hunter) from our skies as he makes way for Scorpio (the scorpion). Scorpio is made up of 17 stars, and as constellations go is one of the less abstract shapes! It includes the super red giant ‘Antares’, seen clearly with a reddish hue in the photograph of last night’s sky below.

Sunset over the escarpment

2011-05-22T13:52:00.000+02:00

Last night’s sunset was truly stunning sending rays of pink in all directions. No photograph could do it justice but this one, taken from the viewing tower, shows the last of light disappearing behind the escarpment

Who needs Kruger?

2011-05-15T09:06:00.000+02:00

We took advantage of some time off last week & decided to take a day trip into Kruger. Whilst being treated to some great sightings of elephants wallowing & many herbivores, we had no luck with the elusive carnivores. Until we returned to Balule that is... where just 5 minutes into the reserve we came across a lone lioness lying across the road. With dusk coming on fast she moved a little way into the bush and began calling softly to pride mates out of sight before eventually heading off into thicker vegetation and dissapearing from view.

Long-legged friends

2011-05-10T17:14:00.001+02:00

Throughout the week we’ve been seeing a group of four-five giraffes browsing in the bush alongside the lodge entrance road. It’s always a beautiful sight with the backdrop of the escarpment behind them and today we managed to creep up and get a few photographs.

As the bush begins to dry out we’re expecting to see more of the herbivores around the lodge, drawn in by the promise of fresh water (& in the case of the local warthog family, fresh vegetation inside the lodge gardens!).

Rutting reaches its peak in May

2011-05-05T17:45:00.001+02:00

If you’ve visited Leopard’s View recently you’ll have become familiar with the variety of loud snorts and grunts emanating from the surrounding bush at all hours of the day and well into the night. Indeed, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the area is under siege by a large group of aggressive carnivores, hungry for their next meal!

The culprit, however, is one far less glamorous and often overshadowed by the “big and hairies” of the bush – the impala.

For the majority of the year impala are found in two types of herd, bachelor groups comprising males of all ages, and breeding herds of adult females and youngsters.

Come the end of January, however, bachelor herds break up as competition for territories gets under way. Rams attempt to hold those territories which females will find most attractive, such as those with good food and available water. Once a breeding herd enters a male’s territory he will try to keep them on his patch, whilst advertising his status to would-be challengers through patrolling, roaring and scent-marking vegetation.

Males roar to advertise their status. Their skulls are modified to give greater resonance and so increase the volume of their roars.

May is the peak season of the rut, and with the females finally coming into oestrus the competition for territories is now at its fiercest. For the testosterone-fuelled males their days are divided into herding and mating with females and fighting other males – there is no time for feeding. Territory holding is such exhausting work that at this stage in the game, the average tenure is just 8 days!

These two males treated us to a brilliant display of ‘horn-to-horn’ combat, so engrossed in their task that they remained completely oblivious to our presence!

Within a few weeks, however, the tournament will be over, all the females will have been mated and the bush will return to a state of relative peace and quiet.

A resurgence of spring

2011-05-02T11:26:00.001+02:00

Despite the fact that we are heading firmly into autumn, the recent rains have brought many splashes of colour back to the bush with leaves and plants becoming green, and wild flowers appearing once again. Here is a small selection of those that are currently blooming in and around the lodge.

Yellow Mouse-Whiskers (Cleome angustifolia) Impala lily (Adenium multiflorum)

African wild violet (Aptosimum lineare) Yellow morning glory (Ipomoea abscura)

Bush violet (Barleria obtusa) Trachyandra saltii

Lodge business

2011-05-01T11:00:00.001+02:00

If having read the title you’re already reaching for the Horlicks, fear not. Whilst more often than not business means anything from ‘one’s regular occupation’ to ‘commercial firm’, it is also the collective noun used to describe a group of mongooses.

This morning it was a business of dwarf mongooses which visited the lodge gardens. Weighing in at approximately 270g these tiny creatures are Africa’s smallest carnivore. Not only do they have a fascinating social system but they are also great fun to watch with interactions constantly taking place. Their social groups are highly cooperative units comprising a dominant pair and several subordinates, with the alpha male and female being the only group members guaranteed to reproduce.

Tree of the month - red bushwillow

2011-05-01T08:30:00.004+02:00

Autumn colours

There are several representatives of the bushwillow family in the lowveld. Around Leopard’s View the red bushwillow (Combretum apiculatum) is particularly prominent.

Twisted leaves

The red bushwillow is deciduous, shedding its leaves each year. Having sprouted bright green foliage back in September the leaves are now beginning to turn yellowy-brown as we enter autumn and will be unlikely to remain on the tree long past May. The tip of each leaf is noticeably twisted and pointed upwards, allowing the tree to be easily recognised.

The four-winged pods

Like other members of the Combretum family, the red bushwillow produces four-winged pods. The wings of the pods can reportedly be used to make a tea when infused along with the leaves, something we shall have to try now they are so abundant!

The bushwillow family is also known for having very strong wood, and here the red bushwillow certainly does not disappoint. Its termite resistant wood is exceedingly hard, being even denser than the celebrated leadwood tree (Combretum imberbe).

Dung beetles

2011-04-25T14:14:00.000+02:00

In the bush, nothing is wasted. A carcass, for example, when finished from our point of view is nothing of the sort. Horns are broken down by the larvae of horn borer moths, old bones are sucked and chewed by a variety of animals from giraffes to leopard tortoises providing vital nutrients.

A dung beetles rolls his ball away

Similarly, dung is not finished with once it hits the ground. The eating of dung, or ‘coprophagia’ is exhibited by a number of animals such as warthogs, scrub hares and leopard tortoises.

But the creatures best-associated with dung are of course the dung beetle species. Yesterday, following the visit of an elephant, we were able to witness the beetles at work, up close and personal! Within minutes of the elephant defecating several dung beetles had arrives on the scene, rolling large balls with incredible speed and precision before rolling them away.

These balls will most likely be used by female dung beetles to lay their eggs in. Only one egg is laid per ball, keeping male dung beetles busy as a single female may lay up to 60 eggs per season.

These two dung beetles were having a scrap over a particular dung ball

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T14:03:00.001+02:00

Elephant beside the water tower

This morning began in quite a different way to the traditional egg hunt: a lone bull elephant appeared on the entrance road to the lodge and spent over an hour working his way around our house.

Feeding by the veranda

Being used to viewing elephants from a vehicle it was wonderful to watch him from the ground, gaining a completely different perspective. We could see every hair, eye lash and wrinkle, not to mention really get a feel for his size.

Towards the end of his round he discovered a freshly dug trench which will form a new soak-away for our shower, giving us a few nervous moments as he promptly stepped down into it. Luckily he decided that it wasn’t worth further investigation, left the pipe and climbed out again before fading into the bush.

A Cold Front!

2011-04-22T13:51:00.000+02:00

March was the hottest month we’ve had so far since moving to Leopard’s View with an average daily temperature of 34.6°C. So whilst we’d expect it to begin to cool down now we’re nearing the end of April, we didn’t expect it to do so quite this suddenly.

Since the last rainfall just over a week ago the average temperature has dropped to 25.5°C which has proved to be quite a shock to the system. Jumpers are being worn, blankets pulled out of cupboards, & English guests assure us that it’s much hotter in the UK!

Bush baby banquet

2011-04-15T17:29:00.000+02:00

Spotted – a lesser bush baby foraging above the sun deck getting a fill of its favourite food source, gum. Gum provides a very nutritious sideline to insects being rich in both carbohydrates, proteins and minerals. In this particular case the bush baby is feeding on the gum of the marula tree.

A most ferocious dinner guest...

2011-04-12T12:54:00.000+02:00

Picture taken from Google

Dinner on Monday night was interrupted when a pair honey badgers (Mellivora capensis) came to drink just metres away at the bird pool. We were alerted to their presence by the reflection of light on their silver back and watched them for a while before they disappeared into the bush.

This black and white colouration is known as ‘aposematic colouration’ and acts as nature’s warning system to deter predators from eating unpalatable prey. Honey badgers produce a strong smelling secretion from their anal gland which is used as a defence mechanism and, coupled with their well-earned reputation for strength, must surely count as unpalatable!

No roadworks but......

2011-04-10T15:56:00.004+02:00

During the evening of 30th June we became aware of loud cracking noises from close by our house. Not able to wander out in the dark to investigate in detail, we could only make out the shape of an elephant in our torch beams, feeding on a tree just the other side of our carports. From his tusks we could recognise him as a bull we have seen around on several occasions. He spent at least an hour at the tree before moving off to tackle a raisin bush, drinking from our overflow tank and then demolishing a ‘blue thorn’ acacia just outside Kudu Hut.

Next morning, however, we were able to see exactly what the elephant had been up to. The alternative track from our house to our entrance road was awash with several large branches from a marula tree and a whole host of smaller twigs and debris. Some had been chewed but many were just left untouched: elephants are nothing if not wasteful eaters. At this time of year, when the grasses have dried up and have transported their nutrients from the leaves down to the root system for storage over winter, elephants are more dependent on trees for nutrition, particularly leaves and bark.

The only good thing about marula wood is that it is very soft and so easily cut with a bow saw for removal!

News from the bush babies

2011-04-08T15:10:00.000+02:00

It appears that the local lesser bush baby (Galago moholi) family has expanded into another residence. Having moved house from the game viewing tower to the roof of the office last year, dusk down at the deck has become a quieter affair. In the last few weeks, however, the sunset has been punctuated by the tiny silhouettes of three adult bush babies bouncing down the tower on their way to begin a night’s foraging.

The others are still living in the office roof so we’re hoping to discover the identity of the tower three. They may turn out to be last year’s pups or new faces altogether. We’ll be sure to keep an eye out from now on!

Rain at last!

2011-04-06T09:29:00.019+02:00

The bush at Leopard’s View has been looking very dry in recent weeks. Dark clouds have threatened tantalisingly on many occasions but have departed without bringing any real relief since 29mm at the end of February. March was incredibly hot with the average daily maximum for the month being 34.6 degrees.

With an average annual rainfall of 450mm, last week's cumulative total for this year's rainy season of 372mm was well below what we hoped for by the end of March. Monday night, however, the promising clouds did not disappoint. 42mm fell in a tremendous storm, with Tuesday’s continuous drizzle yielding a few more millimetres.

Already the bush has taken on a green tinge again with grasses changing colour literally overnight. We’re very grateful for this latest downpour, and are hopeful that this year’s winter will not be too tough after all.

A visit from the pride

2011-04-02T18:14:00.012+02:00

It was with great excitement that we spotted a dark shape lying in the shade beside the waterhole mid-afternoon. It could only be a big cat and the telltale outline of a small tufty mane confirmed it to be a young male lion. He soon moved off to a clump of bushes behind the waterhole but wasn’t lost from sight for long.

Half an hour later, as the sun began to dip and the air became appreciably cooler, the rest of the pride began to materialise. One by one, females, males, and sub-adults came down to drink from the waterhole before gradually making their way off along the road, one of the old adult males taking up the rear and scent marking as he went.

Although they had moved off, their presence was heard late into the night with a chorus of deep roars punctuating the other night sounds. What a treat!

Tree of the month

2011-03-30T14:51:00.000+02:00

To give you an idea of what’s happening in the bush we’ve decided to choose a tree each month that’s prominent in our surroundings. This month it’s the turn of the purple-pod terminalia (Terminalia prunoides), also known as the lowveld cluster leaf.

Belonging to the Combretum family, the purple-pod terminalia gets its common name from the deep plum coloured fruits which are present during autumn and winter. The grass in the bush has now lost its colour & many of the leaves are also turning from green to brown, making the inedible purple pods of this tree even more conspicuous.

The wood of the purple-pod terminalia is remarkably heavy, being only slightly lighter than the celebrated leadwood tree (Combretum imberbe). As a result it is used as building material, providing items such as fence posts and axe handles.

Saddle-billed storks

2011-03-28T18:13:00.000+02:00

Following the great sightings we had last month of southern ground hornbills (Bucorvus leadbeateri) at the waterhole, we’ve been delighted to see a steady stream of large feathered visitors around the lodge this week including the Verreaux’s eagle-owl (Bubo lacteus) and saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis).

Despite its relative abundance inside protected areas the saddle-billed stork population is experiencing a similar decline to the southern ground hornbill. The most recent surveys conducted during the 1990’s suggest that no more than 150 individuals remain in South Africa!

It’s great to have a resident pair in the area & we only hope they continue to thrive here.

All Creatures Great & Small

2011-03-20T14:29:00.000+02:00

Whilst we always love to see the larger birds and mammals on Balule, it’s great to discover more about the smaller creatures that are around, especially at this time of year. With ongoing rain the bush is host to many fascinating insects and spiders, often beautiful and bizarre in equal measure!

The garden acraea butterfly (Acraea horta)

A corn cricket (Hetrodes sp.)

A kite spider (Gasteracanthus sanguinofenta)

The beautiful golden orb web spider (Nephila sp.)

One of those weeks!

2011-03-07T13:52:00.000+02:00

27 February - White rhinos

3 March - one of the evicted young males

Game viewing in a nature reserve is always a matter of luck: sometimes you see little and at other times animals and birds appear almost continuously, inlcuding some of the less frequently seen species.

This last week (end of February – start of march) has been one of the latter times. It began in the evening of Sunday 27^th February - three white rhinos at the waterhole: next morning, four rhinos. That evening (Monday), the giraffe was killed by power cables and later discovered by lions, as reported in our previous blog entry, which covered up to the morning of Thursday 3rd March. In the late afternoon on the 3^rd, the same older female from the morning was still there at the carcass, now with all three of the young males evicted from the pride a few months ago. Their manes are now well developed and they have grown bigger. Two current members of the pride then appeared and there was much tension from both groups. However, something caught all their attention off to the east and all six lions ran off to investigate. Frustratingly, we don’t know exactly what it was but the behaviour suggested another lion or possibly another carnivore. We then went to our neighbour’s property for supper but had to rush back to Leopard’s View to help Iris chase a big bull elephant away from the trees by the deck. It moved off in the neighbour’s direction so we hurried back, just in time to drive it out of their garden.

3 March - pride male at waterhole

Lion noises were very close during all this, and then, during dessert (!) one of the big pride males walked through their garden, 10 m from where we were all sitting. It went down to our waterhole, drank and then rested under a nearby tree.

4 March a.m.

4 March - evening: the two pride males

Next day, Friday, an elephant drank and bathed at the waterhole during the morning; in the evening, we watched the two pride males at the remains of the giraffe carcass, although there seemed little meat left by then. To round the week off, on Saturday morning there were two hyenas at the waterhole at dawn, and buffalo on Sunday.

4 March - black-backed jackal near giraffe carcass

We hope we haven’t used all our luck up and that the next week will also be a good one.

Lions benefit from accidental death of giraffe

2011-03-03T16:24:00.000+02:00

Early in the evening of Monday 28^th March, a giraffe accidentally walked into low electricity power lines about 500m from the Leopard’s View entrance track: this is something that happens occasionally in game reserves and generally the power company responds well and gets the lines raised as soon as possible. Sadly the giraffe was killed instantly and ended up lying across the road. The next morning it was dragged away into the bush by rangers to allow vehicles to get by. By then some of the local lion pride had found the carcass and they have been feeding well ever since, with up to seven on the carcass at any one time. We saw five there on Wednesday afternoon.

This morning, Thursday 3^rd March, at 6.00 a.m., four youngish lions were lying in the road near the power lines: al had very full bellies. As the sun rose higher, and stopping at intervals along the way, with one giving regular location calls, they walked slowly back to the carcass. There they encountered a young male and a young female, both of which ran away immediately at speed. One older female stayed her ground, growling threateningly, but had to give way to the four arriving lions and moved aside for them: from the lack of fear and overt animosity, we assumed that she must have been part of the pride at one time. The disappearing young male may well have been one of those evicted from the pride several months ago. The four chased the hooded and white-backed vultures gathering on the ground and three of them then sought cover in the shade while one, possibly a young male, continued feeding, at times disappearing deep into the carcass.

While the death of the giraffe in this unatural way is regrettable, there is no doubt that the lions have gained at a time of year when hunting is more difficult for them, with prey species less dependent on water and widely spread in the bush.

Southern Ground Hornbills

2011-02-20T09:24:00.001+02:00

Southern Ground Hornbills belong to the ‘Big Six’ bird list - a list created by the Kruger Park as the birds most sought after by visitors. They are indeed impressive looking birds, if also somewhat bizarre!

In recent years the future has not looked so rosy for the distinctive species due to a number of threats. Habitat destruction has lead to the loss of 50% of their natural range in the last 30 years, and the birds are often victims of poisoning, or caught for use in the tribal medicine trade. On top of which ground hornbills are slow breeders, successfully raising one chick to independence approximately every nine years!

Following a large conservation effort, however, their numbers are slowly on the rise again and we are delighted to report that a group of 4 have been seen around our waterhole several times in the past week. It’s great to see them back!

Stunning sunset

2011-02-14T15:05:00.000+02:00

These zebras kindly posed in front of last night's beautiful sunset.

A perfect moment in the bush!

Elephant monitoring drive

2011-02-14T15:00:00.000+02:00

Yesterday afternoon we were lucky enough to join the warden of Olifants West Game Reserve and his team of staff and students on an afternoon’s elephant survey. Following radio leads from other rangers out and about we came across a breeding herd of cows and calves and were able to see first-hand the monitoring that goes on with photographs of any identifying features recorded (e.g. large tear in the right ear of this young cow).

On the way back to camp we also caught up with 9 youngsters from the York lion pride, lounging in a dry river bed.

The "dagha-boys" are back in town

2011-02-07T14:14:00.003+02:00

Hoedspruit is well-known for its humidity and recently we’ve found ourselves longing for dry heat, albeit with hotter temperatures. It seems we’re not the only ones to have been struggling. Yesterday we were lucky enough to spend the day with three old buffalo bulls who had decided to use our waterhole as their very own splash pool.

Old buffalo bulls that have passed their best are known colloquially as “dagha boys”. Small groups are often found around water sources where vegetation is softer and mud is easily available for a good wallow. It was a great pleasure to watch the trio from the deck, alternating between bouts of eating the lush vegetation and cooling off by lying in the water and wallowing in the mud.

This thirsty young giraffe was less sure of the buffalo. Several times she bent down to drink before taking fright of the bull lying in the water and running back. Eventually she plucked up the courage to drink, strangely choosing a spot right beside the buffalo!

The heat is on

2011-02-06T14:07:00.003+02:00

Whilst relaxing on the deck yesterday afternoon we were treated to some wonderful displays of giraffe behaviour panning out below us. Counting up to 5 around the waterhole at one time we were constantly entertained watching them drink.

Whilst 4 of the giraffe were male the 5^th was a young female who seemed to have attracted some attention to herself. The largest of the males spent the hours shadowing the female, never letting her stray far from him, and certainly not in the direction of the other males!

Elephants on the move

2011-02-04T20:00:00.000+02:00

Balule Nature Reserve is open to the Kruger National Park, meaning that animals are free to wander where they chose. As we’re now in the middle of the summer months when the lowveld receives its rainfall, small pools, streams and spruits have filled up allowing animals to cover larger distances, being less tied down to permanent water sources.

Today was a day for elephants. Having enjoyed watching a bull elephant making use of our waterhole during the day, we were delighted when a breeding herd decided to stop by in the evening. By the time they’d reached our house dusk had turned to dark and all that alerted us to their presence was the odd crunch and crash coming from the thick bush! It’s great to have them around again.

Leopard's View's smallest stars

2011-01-25T14:22:00.011+02:00

Forget “Meerkat Manor”, since arriving at Leopard’s View over two years ago we’ve been able to watch many a wildlife saga unfold. The stars, although smaller than most (20cm tall and weighing 150-200g), are undoubtedly the resident group of lesser bush babies.

When we first moved to Leopard’s View the bush babies could be seen leaving their shelter in the roof of the viewing tower to begin foraging each evening. Initial counts gave us a figure of 2 adults. That number grew to 6 when 4 babies were born to the group.

The next year 3 more youngsters were born. If adults are small, bush baby babies can only be described as miniscule, weighing just 10g at birth! The temptation to snack unfortunately proved too much for the barred owlet who is usually found roosting in the trees above the pool. Although he made a swoop for one of the youngsters, it was thankfully an unsuccessful attempt.

The family has since emigrated to a new location – the roof of the office! They seem completely unperturbed by all the comings and goings below them and are seen bouncing out of their refuge and over the wall at dusk. We are watching keenly to see whether any new faces will be joining the group this year and will keep you updated of their progress.

Watch this space!

Highlights of 2010

2011-01-02T13:58:00.001+02:00

The New Year’s in full swing, and with several resolutions already down, we decided to look back instead and bring you a brief selection of our wildlife highlights from 2010.

There was only ever going to be one contender for Neil’s choice – the incredible sighting in November of the 18-strong pride which often frequents our waterhole. With several larger males, females and youngsters, there was never a dull moment!

For Ann the wildlife highlight of the year came when a large bull elephant visited the lodge…literally. Having drunk from the small bird pool just below the deck the elephant took a tour of the lodge’s surroundings, ending up peering through the lodge gate!

Welcome!

2011-01-01T13:00:00.000+02:00

Welcome to the Leopard’s View blog site. In addition to our bimonthly newsletter and website diary we’ve decided to start up our own blog to wet your appetite with smaller snippets of life from the lodge.

Leopard’s View is a small and intimate private game lodge situated in Balule Nature Reserve, a big-five reserve that is part of the Greater Kruger Park. More information about Leopard’s View Game Lodge can be found by visiting our website, www.leopardsview.co.za.