A month of surprises on game drive
Heading out on safari twice a day brings a sense of anticipation and excitement. Each drive is unique and while many sightings are expected, there are times when even the most experienced guide gets surprised.
Before I leap into the nitty gritty of our February surprises, here is an update on the special
characters we have come to feature more regularly in this report. Our cheetahs have been a bit more elusive this month, offering intermittent moments rather than consistent encounters as we are accustomed to. The older mum with the five cubs narrowly escaped the attention of our southern lionesses, but soon settled in another area and has been seen hunting on a few occasions. In their stead, we have enjoyed more frequent lion sightings this month, which is probably the contributing factor to our spotted cat movements. The elephant herd has been moving around the reserve quite a bit this month. Time with the herd has been erratic, but they have certainly given us some beautiful moments. It was definitely the month of the bull elephant, though, they have kept us entertained and on our toes.
Alrighty, let’s get into the surprises that February brought us. The fun started from the deck at Umzolozolo. From the elevated viewpoint, Henry caught a glimpse of the two Mpilo male lions down at Hoopoe Dam. With only a couple of minutes to go before the official time for the afternoon game drive, we gathered our guests with a little more gusto and headed down to see if we could get a closer view. Field guide Promise and I arrived within minutes of each other and the lions did not disappoint. They are becoming a lot more relaxed around the cruisers and eventually chose to walk past the vehicles on their way up towards the main road. It may have been the first surprise that they gave us this month, but it was not the last.
It is no secret that I am extremely fond of elephants. I enjoy spending time with them and experiencing their intensity and observing their behaviour. Most of the time, I am learning about their interactions with each other, but sometimes they come into my personal space and I get to learn even more about how they see and interact with me and my vehicle. On two separate occasions this month, the two Tembe elephant bulls gave me something to ponder. I was heading home one morning when I came across one of the bulls on his way to Manager’s Dam. As usual, I stopped a good distance away and took the time to observe his mood. Happy that he was not distressed or grumpy, I approached him and followed him up towards the dam. He knew I was there and checked on me out of the corner of his eye. A few minutes passed and when he moved off the road, I drove beyond him to get a front on view and keep the sun behind us. Positioning yourself in front of a bull elephant can often appear to be confrontational, I didn’t block his path or park square on.
Nevertheless, he turned to face me and eventually approached. Knowing the nature of this particular elephant, I decided to drive further up the road and give him plenty of space to get to the dam. The surprise came when he stood on the edge of the dam wall, facing me (parked 20m away) and he rumbled at me. A deep vibration that we all felt. Just the rumble. No head shake, no aggression. It was the first time that I had ever experienced this and it got me thinking. The second encounter was with the other Tembe elephant bull. He was browsing at a medium distance from the road when I arrived to view two other bulls a short distance away. As I was about to leave, he moved closer to the road. I pulled off the road and gave him space to choose which way he wanted to go. He chose to walk straight towards me. I reassured the guests, I greeted the bull, the bull reached out to place the tip of his trunk on the steps of the cruiser, I requested that he stop that behaviour, he listened and eventually moved off. They are curious and they are gregarious, you just have to speak calmly and firmly so that they know what your expectations are at that moment.
As the sun was rising on a morning game drive, we arrived at a battle. We joined another guide to watch two hippos fight for territory. The behaviour was intricate, not just raw power but also subtle gestures and grunts. Each round involved chomping at the water surface, scattering of dung, threat displays with their mouths opened widely and then the contact. These are hefty animals with a lot to fight for and it was fascinating to watch the battle unfold. Their forward-facing tusks seemed to be doing the most damage, and then when they moved closer to the dam wall, they stood up to challenge each other with their full body weight lifting one another off the ground as they reared up on their hind legs. It was an epic surprise to kick off a fantastic morning!
We experienced a few other surprises including three Grey Crowned Cranes at Bass Dam, the Tswalu lionesses taking a nap at Zigalala Village, white rhino moms expressing their
unwillingness for romance (despite the month), a buffalo bull with some anger issues, a South African rock python and a puffadder on game drive and a 5/5 brown hyena sighting after the ranger social!
The Umzolozolo guiding team welcomed a new guide. His name is Johan Rautenbach and he will be spearheading a growing division within our department and assisting with field guide duties. He is a young man from KZN with a real passion for botany!
While the official months of summer have ended, we are still expecting hot conditions with afternoon thunderstorms. Sunrise is a little before 06h00 and sunset is just after 18h30 at the moment. Remember to pack waterproof clothing, sunscreen and hats, and to bring your own bottles with you to help us reduce plastic and paper waste! We are looking forward to sharing memorable moments with you during your next visit.