WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH …€¦ · The hippos saw the lions watching them from the top of the embankment and they decided rather to leave ... females

PhotobyBrianRode

WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAKRUGERNATIONALPARK,SOUTHAFRICAForthemonthofMarch,TwoThousandandSixteen

Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&SunsetAverageminimum: 21°C (69.8°F) Fortheperiod: 69mm Sunrise: 06:00Averagemaximum: 33°C (91.4°F) Fortheyeartodate: 86mm Sunset: 17:52Minimumrecorded: 17°C (62.6°F)Maximumrecorded: 40°C (104°F)OurSingitaLebomboLodgehasbeenclosedthismonthforrenovations,soalltheactionwasasaresultofsafarisfromSingitaSweni.Towardsthebeginningofthemonthwehadhadverylittlerainandtheriverswerealldry.TherewasstillapoolofwaterattheconfluenceoftheSweniandN’wanetsiRivers,whichheldquiteafewhippos.Muchofthegrasswasdryandinthecentraldepressionthegroundwasbare.Thankfullywe'vereceivedsomeintermittentshowerssincethenandhavesomegrassgrowingandtheareaislookingmuchgreener.Thecentraldepression,inparticular,wascoveredwithbulbousplantsthatshotupseeminglyovernight.

PhotobyChrisErasmus PhotobyBarryPeiser Pancratiumtenuifolium OurwildlifereviewforMarchisasfollows:

Buffalos:Afterthefirstrainsofthemonthalargeherdofafewhundredbuffalosmovedintotheconcession,particularlyupontheLebomboHillsneartheborderwithMozambique.Theystayedforapproximatelyaweekbeforemovingonagain.Sincethenwehavehadregularsightingsofsmallerherds(upto40individuals)orsmallgroupsofmales.

Leopards:Wehavehadatleast13sightingsofleopardsthismonth.ThetwostarsweretheXhikelenganefemaleandtheNdlovumale.OnoneoccasiontheNdlovumalewasseenhuntingNyalainthehillsandonanotheroccasionhewasseenstalkingwaterbuckclosetotheMozambiqueborder.TheXhikelenganefemalewasseenonatleastthreeoccasions.Ononeoftheseoccasionsshewasseenlimpingandobviouslyhadaninjuredfrontleg.Thenext

timewesawhershewassleepingsowewerenotabletoseetheextentoftheinjury.OtherleopardsseenthismonthincludedasightingoftheMadagamale,asightingoftheStickyThornfemalelyingdowninthedryriverbednearXhingwenyanaCrossing,asightingoftheone-eyedmaleinthefarnorthernpartoftheconcession(hewaschasedawaybysomebaboons)andatleastonesightingoftheTingalafemalenearthecamp.Afewunknown,orunidentified,leopardswerealsoseenthismonth.

PhotobyMargauxLeRouxCheetahs:Wehadsomegreatsightingsofcheetahsandhaveseenthemonatleast16occasions.Unfortunatelythe‘motherwithfour’isnowthe‘motherwiththree’.Thisfemalehasbeenthestarthismonthandwehaveseenherandherthreecubsonatleast10occasions.Thethreeremainingcubsaredoingwellandhavealmostlosttheirpaleruffs.Theystillbehavelikeyoungstersthough,andareoftenseenchasingandplaying

witheachother.Ononeoccasiontheywereseenwithanunknownmalecheetahandonanotheroccasiontheywereseenrunningawayfromsomelions.Onthe9and14Marchthisfamilywasseenfeedingonfreshlykilledimpalas.Acoalitionoftwomalecheetahshasalsobeenseenontwooccasions,onceononeofthepublicroadsnearbyandonceinthefarnorthernpartoftheconcession.Wewereunabletotellifthesetwosightingswereofthesamecheetahs.

PhotobyMargauxLeRouxElephants:Westruggledinitiallytofindelephantsontheconcessionuntiltherainsfilledtheriversandpans.Sincethenwehavehadafewsightingsoflargeherds(inexcessof40individuals).Ononeoccasionwecameacrossabreedingherdofelephantswithanewborncalf.Theherdwerebeingveryprotectiveofthebaby.Quiteafewotherherdshavehadyoungcalveswiththem.

PhotobyBrianRode

Lions:Wehavehadgreatlionsightingsagainthismonth(over57sightingswererecordedforthemonthintotal).UnfortunatelythelargergroupoftheShishpride,withthewhitelion,wereonlyseenonthreeoccasionsthismonth.Theyhavebeenoutsideoftheconcessionformostofthetime.On22Marchtheywerefoundinthecentreoftheconcessionfinishingupawildebeestkill.ThesmallerportionoftheShishpridewasseenregularly,andononeoccasionwefoundthemrestingonthebanksoftheN’wanetsiRiver.Therewasstillasmallpoolofwaterandtwohipposwerelyinginit.Someoftheyounglionscametowardsthepooltocomeanddrinkwhentheynoticedthehippos.Theywerequitecurious,yetwaryofthelargeranimals.Thehippossawthelionswatchingthemfromthetopoftheembankmentandtheydecidedrathertoleavethesmallpoolandheadeddowntheriverbed.Astheyheadedoffoneoftheyoungstersseemedinterestedinthemandfollowedthemforashortwhilebeforedecidingrathertoleavethenandreturntothepool,wherethelionsplayedwitheachother.Laterinthemonththeywereagainseenstalkinghippos,althoughtheywereunsuccessful.WealsofoundthispridefeedingonabuffaloinLebomboHills.TheXhirombepridewasalsoseenonafewoccasionsthismonth,mainlyintheregionoftheN’wanetsiRiver,eastofthecamps.WehavehadafewsightingsoftheCollaredprideinthefarnorthoftheconcession,wheretheymanagedtokilltwobuffalos.TheNorthernpridewasseenhangingaroundawaterholeononeofthepublicroadsnorthoftheconcession,wheretheyalsomanagedtokillabuffalo.TheShishmaleswereseen,althoughwedidnotseeallfivetogether.ThestarsthismonthweretheMountainpride.Twoofthefemalesinthepridehavenowgotcubsandwehaveseenthemforthefirsttime.Webelievethattherearefivesmallcubs.Theyarestillveryyoungandwearetreatingthemassensitivesightingsandlimitingvehiclenumberswhentheyarearound.

PhotobyMargauxLeRoux

Spottedhyenas: TheH6clanwereseenonafewoccasionsthismonthattheden-site,althoughusuallyonlyatnightjustbeforethegamedrivesreturnbacktocamp.Onthe5Marchaclanof15individualswereseenfeedingonahippocarcassatGudzaneEastWindmill.

AllabouttheAfricancivet ArticleandphotobyBrianRodeAfricancivets(Civettictiscivetta)fallundertheViverridaefamilyandarecloselyrelatedtocats,althoughtheyarenottruecats.TheyareconsideredtobecarnivoresintheOrderCarnivora,althoughtheAfricancivettendstobemoreomnivorous,feedingonawiderangeofthingsincludingfruit,roots,shoots,manyinvertebratesandsmallervertebrates(usuallyuptothesizeofscrubharesorlargebirds,whichtheybiteandshakevigorouslytokillthem).Theyareabletodigestthingsthatarepoisonoustomostothercreatures,includingfruitfromtheStrychnosfamilyandevenmillipedes(shongololos).Theirdistinctivemiddensortoiletsitesoftencontaintheshellsofmillipedesandtheytendtomarktheirterritoriesregularly,pastingandsprayingatspecificsites.Thescentofthesepastingsissaidtoholditssmellforprolongedperiodsafterthecivethasleftthearea.Africancivetshaveverylargeperinealglandsandhistoricallypeopleusedtoharvestthesecretionfromtheseglandsforuseasafixativeforfloralperfumes.Nowadaysartificialfixativesareused.Imaginewhatwomenmighthavethoughtiftheyhadsuddenlyrealizedthattheyweresprayingsecretionsfromtheanalareaofacivetonthemselves!Fortunatelythepractiseofcivetfarmingforanalglandsecretionsisprettymuchobsoletenow.SadlynowadaysAsianpalmcivetsarebeingbred,cagedandforce-fedcoffeefruitasitissaidthattheseedsofcoffeethathavepassedthroughthedigestivetractbeforebeingroastedareadelicacyandthesecoffeebeansaresoldatextremelyhighprices(upto€550/US$700perkilogram-Wikipedia).Thiscoffeeisoftenreferredtoas“Kopiluwak”.Thisindustryhasresultedinmanyanimalsbeingtreatedhorriblyandshouldnotbesupported.AfricancivetstendtobenocturnalandweseethemfairlyregularlyonournightdrivesatSingitaLebombo/Sweni.Theyareusuallyseenwalkingaroundalonewiththeirheadsstoopedlow.Duringthedaytheyhideincaves,thickbushesandotherhiddenplacesinthebushveld.Theyhaveabeautifulcoatwithanornatepatternofstripesandblotches,whichisverygoodcamouflage.Theylookliketheyarewearingbandits'masksontheirfaces.Theyarefairlylargeandcanweighupto20kgandhaveashoulderheightofupto40cm.Theyhaveagestationperiodof2to2.5monthsandcangivebirthtouptofourkittens,whichgrowupveryquicklyandbehavelikeadultswithinsixmonths.Theycanliveforuptotwentyyears.

FebruarymomentsintimeThecycleoflifeanddeathintheAfricanBush PhotobyBarryPeiserAveryraresightingofapackofAfricanWildDogs PhotobyMargauxLeRoux

Lionswatchashipposgraze PhotobyBrianRode

PhotobyMargauxLeRoux

ArticlesbyBrianRodePhotosbyMargauxLeRoux,BarryPeiser,&BrianRode

SingitaKrugerNationalParkSouthAfrica

Thirty-firstofMarch2016