High-speed Hunts and Killer Cats: May at Umzolozolo
“The morning air is crisp and bright,
With frost that sparkles at first light.
It laces grasses, cool and fine,
A fleeting trace of evening’s spine.
The sun still warms the waking earth,
A gentle fire with a softer birth.
Its rays, though shy, still kiss the skin,
While winter stirs its breath within.”
Forgive me for waxing lyrical in this introduction to May, but it really is a special month in the bush. We have experienced a few mornings where temperatures have clearly dipped below zero and left frosty evidence on the grasses and piles of rhino dung. Guests have bundled up with thick jackets, beanies, scarves and gloves to fend off the icy conditions, and the coffee stops have stretched a little longer into the morning as we enjoy the mild sun and the warm beverages.
Our big cats have featured brightly this month, and given us much to photograph and video. Blue wildebeest and zebra seem to have been the main target prey items for both the lions and the cheetah brothers. The southern lions (including the two dominant males) started in the second week of May with a wildebeest kill in the south. They followed this up with a zebra foal and a few days later another wildebeest kill that must have happened just before or during the first few minutes of game drive because there was still steam rising off the carcass when we arrived on scene. In the last week of the month, the southern lions moved closer to Umzolozolo. Field Guide Mark and his guests witnessed them taking down another blue wildebeest for breakfast, and on that same afternoon, Field Guides Promise and Nols witnessed them stalk and kill an eland.
The spotted cats showed off their skills with a bit more flair. A few of us were responding to the cheetah sighting towards the end of our morning safari. The two brothers had positioned themselves to the south of a large confusion of blue wildebeest. From stalk to chase, these two speedsters displayed their experience and collaborative skills as they isolated and brought down a calf. It was an epic!
In between the big cat moments, we have also enjoyed excellent sightings of hippos, square-lipped rhinos, kudus, giraffes and buffalo. The hippos are beginning to lie on the banks of the dams during the day, and the autumn shades of yellow have made it a little easier to spot the darker coats of buffaloes from afar. May has also been a good month for leopard sightings. The sightings have, for the most part, been brief, but at least four separate moments have been called in on the radio.
One of the best things about this time of the year is the opportunity for bush breakfasts and boma dinners! The morning temperatures are milder for longer and it is quite pleasant to be seated out in the open with Hoopoe Dam sparkling in the sunlight. In the evenings, with more stable weather conditions, fires burning brightly and the red wine flowing, outdoor dinners are more enjoyable too!
With the last official autumn month complete, we move into winter at Nambiti Game Reserve. Mornings are particularly freezing. We leave for the game drive at 06:30 and extra layers are imperative. Between game drives, it is gloriously mild and the sun is a treat. The afternoon safari starts off warm, but as dusk arrives it gets progressively colder and blankets are absolutely necessary.
Hope to see you soon! Stay wild!
Head Guide Noleen Turner