Wild Dog Den
There has been a lot of drama at the wild dog den over the past week. It was confirmed that the beta (second) female had denned in a separate termite mound close by. The pack had therefore been splitting there time between the two dens. During the course of the week however the pack suffered a major blow when one of the females was killed by a Ximungwe lioness. The lioness came upon the den areas one afternoon and one of the mothers (we think the beta female) must have tried to distract the lioness but unfortunately paid the ultimate price. The scene was not witnessed but could be heard by vehicles nearby. The lioness emerged with a lot of blood on her and a wild dog carcass was found in the area a few days later. A second blow was dealt to the den when a few days later we found three dead pups near the entrance to the mound. It is thought that the alpha female must have either killed the pups (as they are not hers) or simply removed the dead pups that starved after their mother was killed. The pack was then seen moving the pups around the first den and they could have moved them to the second den as the pack seems to be spending all their time in this area. Although it is sad that some individuals from this endangered species have died, research has shown that only 10% of pups born to the beta female survive (usually killed by the alpha female) and up to 35% of adult members from a pack will die in a year, especially in an area like the Sabi Sands where there are high concentrations of both lion and leopard. On a positive note though we have continued to hear the pups in the den and the males from the pack are continuing to feed the remaining female so there must be some pups left. We hope to get some photos of them soon!
Mapogo and Ximungwe Pride
Both the Mapogo and the Ximungwe pride have been disjointed this week. The majority of the lion sightings in the week were centred around the female with the oldest cubs that made yet another adult male kudu kill. The size of the kill meant that it would take them a while to consume it which unfortunately meant that it was just a matter of time before other predators were attracted to the area. Makhulu arrived when the carcass was well into its 4th day of decomposition and yet he claimed it, never one to turn down a free meal. This meant the lioness and cubs had got their share and they moved off to a nearby dam to drink and rest on some rocks.
Kashane Male Leopard
Kashane was again found patrolling his southern territory when he suddenly became very interested in a termite mound. He approached carefully and lay down about two meters from an opening of what we suspected was a warthog burrow. We stayed with him as he patiently waited, but our patience eventually ran out and he was left in the late morning. Upon returning in the afternoon it was evident that his patience had paid off as he had a fresh warthog kill at the mound. It was a young warthog which wasn’t going to last him long and the next morning his tracks indicated he had continued his patrols up to the northern part of his territory.
Shinzele Male Leopard and Hlabankunzi Female Leopard
Shinzele had a very busy week. He started off with seeking out the trespassing Bushlodge Male and although they ended up only about 200m apart at one stage they were not actually seen to physically interact. It is certain though that the scent marking and audio displays from Shinzele were enough to intimidate the younger male and Shinzele eventually left the area, satisfied that he had again won a mental battle. Later in the week we found Shinzele again, but he was not alone. Hlabankunzi was with him and making an attempt to court him. Again he was not interested and made his way east with the female in tow. The next day we found Hlabankunzi with a young kudu kill but Shinzele was nowhere to be seen. Distracted by the kill Hlabankunzi had lost sight of Shinzele and she made an effort to attract him again by roaring her intentions. Shinzele was obviously still not interested though as he was found further east but moving away from her rather than towards her. Hlabankunzi eventually gave up and returned to her kill while Shinzele perched himself in a tree and eyed some male impalas as they chased eachother about.
Bushlodge Male Leopard
This young male has been having a bit of a hard time this week as each time we saw him he was pacing frustratingly up and down the western fenceline. This suggests that he has already had an encounter with Shinzele and he is looking to get out of the area. Unfortunately there is nowhere for him to go to the west so he will have to run the gauntlet back east or perhaps make a challenge for the territory north of the river.
Hlangisa Female Leopard
We saw a lot of Hlangisa this week. She seems to be looking to stay in the south now after her foray to the north. Typical of Hlangisa we found her in trees surveying the landscapes on numerous occasions and she seems to have adopted a new pose! On two different days and in two different trees she chose to sit as if on a chair and casually stared into the distance, giving us some great photographic opportunities.
Metsi Female Leopard and Cubs
With Metsi pushing further east we are seeing a lot more of her and her cubs. One of the sightings of the week was of her and one of the cubs at a duiker kill when three hyenas charged in and forced them up a tree while they stole the kill. Unfortunately I was not able to get any pictures as it all happened quite quickly but the squabbling of the hyenas and the crunching of bones was a most impressive experience. We do not see hyenas often in this area so it was a treat indeed, although not for the leopards that unfortunately lost their meal. The next day all three of the leopards were seen and again Metsi seemed to be leading the cubs to another kill, so the loss of the duiker the night before was more an irritation rather than a catastrophe.
Xikavi Female Leopard
Xikavi made a few appearances and provided some great daytime hunting. She seems to have her eye on the rutting male impalas as they are less vigilant while chasing females and challenging other males. One of our vehicles was actually present when she managed to catch an impala and it was incredible to see how the rest of the herd gathered around the stricken animal as Xikavi suffocated it. (This image is courtesy of Paddy Hagelthorn, www.paddy-hagelthorn.com)
Cheetah
Makamisa made a welcome return in the middle of the week but then disappeared for two days before popping up again. He was very fat suggesting he must have had a kill in the area and must have been lying low as he finished it off. He was very sleepy and we left him resting on top of a termite mound in one of his favourite clearings.
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