May Ranger’s Report

To say that the month of May was a memorable one for the lodges based in the south of Nambiti is an understatement! For much of the last two weeks, we had the elephant herd, most of the southern pride, a buffalo herd and the two dominant male lions moving about in front of our lodge or close by. Guests enjoyed hearing the cracking of tree branches, deep rumbles and iconic roaring in the early hours of the morning or late into the night. 

The two male lions took down a young giraffe while the lionesses preferred to hunt warthogs and blue wildebeest to feed themselves and their growing cubs (now roughly 19 months old). It was really special to drive out of the lodge and call in lion sightings on a daily basis. On one misty morning drive, I stopped off for my coffee stop at one of the dams and just as I was about to start taking orders, we heard a clear roar. After getting the guests safely back into the cruiser, I walked towards the edge of the dam and there they were, two sub-adult lionesses and a dominant male. A few minutes later, the other male emerged from the mist and we spent the longest time enjoying their antics.
It wasn’t only our two big hitters that stole the limelight; we also had the cheetah coalition provide us with some brilliant moments in the glorious morning light, the buffalo herd moving through the grassy patches, square-lipped and hook-lipped ungulates popping into the lens every now and again and quite a few good sightings of the African Hoopoe (Umzolozolo).

Our morning temperatures are edging towards the zero mark and game drives are starting at 06h30 for the next couple of months. When you are packing for your safari at Umzolozolo Lodge, remember to add beanies, gloves, scarves, thick socks and perhaps your thermal underwear. Winter safaris may be chilly, but they are glorious too!