WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA GRUMETI, TANZANIA For the month of May, Two Thousand and Sixteen May has been a wet month, with us having a thunderstorm almost every afternoon. As each day stretched out one could feel the humidity rise and the clouds build up, which culminated in afternoon thunderstorm and rain showers. With all the rain we have had the bush is looking beautifully lush and green. This also made for some challenging game viewing as the grass is extremely tall, allowing the animals plenty of opportunity to take cover. The great migration arrives: As the month drew to a close we were all anticipating the arrival of the great migration and the wildebeest did not disappoint. On the 19th we had the first visual of the migration entering our concession on our far eastern boundary in the Ikorongo Game Reserve. Since then we have had a steady stream traversing through our concession. This abundance of plains game has allowed the larger predators the opportunity of watching their food come to them... Photo by Joe Kibwe
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WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAGRUMETI,TANZANIA
ForthemonthofMay,TwoThousandandSixteen
Mayhasbeenawetmonth,withushavingathunderstormalmosteveryafternoon.Aseachdaystretchedoutonecouldfeelthehumidityriseandthecloudsbuildup,whichculminatedinafternoonthunderstormandrainshowers.Withalltherainwehavehadthebushislookingbeautifullylushandgreen.Thisalsomadeforsomechallenginggameviewingasthegrassisextremelytall,allowingtheanimalsplentyofopportunitytotakecover.Thegreatmigrationarrives:Asthemonthdrewtoaclosewewereallanticipatingthearrivalofthegreatmigrationandthewildebeestdidnotdisappoint.Onthe19thwehadthefirstvisualofthemigrationenteringourconcessiononourfar
easternboundaryintheIkorongoGameReserve.Sincethenwehavehadasteadystreamtraversingthroughourconcession.Thisabundanceofplainsgamehasallowedthelargerpredatorstheopportunityofwatchingtheirfoodcometothem...
PhotobyJoeKibwe
PhotosbyMarkNicholson
PhotobyJoeKibwe
PhotobyAdasAnthony
PhotobyAdasAnthony
Lions
Yetanothergreatmonthforlionsightings!Wehavealionesswithfourcubsthatwehavebeenseeingonaregularbasis,whichalltheguestshaveravedabout.Beforethearrivalofthemigrationthemajorityofourprideshadmovedout
towardstheNyasaroriRidgeandRangersPostarea,asthisiswherethemajorityofourresidentherbivoreshavemovedto.
PhotobyMarkNicholson
CheetahWehaveseveralmothercheetahsandcubsthroughoutourconcession.WehavebeenseeingamotherandthreecubsregularlyaroundKoroyaHillasthereisagoodnumberofimpalaandgazelleinthisarea.Thecubsareaboutthreemonthsoldnowandthefamilywasseenmultipletimesoverthemonth.
(PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha)
PhotosbyJoeKibwe
LeopardsOurleopardsightingshavebeenconsistentthroughoutthemonth.AmotherandasinglecubhavebeenseenonthesouthernsideoftheGrumetiRiver,closetoGermanBridge.AnothermotherandtwocubshavebeenseeninandaroundColobusCrossing.WehavealsoseenvariousleopardsalongtheRahoDrainage.
PhotobyMarkNicholson
PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha
WilddogsThedogshavemadeafewappearancesthismonth,allofthembeingalongtheNyasaroriRidgeareaandRahoDrainage.Severalofourguideshavebeenfortunatetoseethemhuntingandkillingvariousantelopespecies.Wereceivedinformationfromthenationalparkthattheyhavestartedtodenapproximately1kmfromtheenclosurewherethealphapairarecurrentlyraisingalitterofpups.
PhotobyAnthonyNyambachaRhino'BigJohn'ashehasaffectionatelybecomeknown,hasbeguntobemorecomfortableleavingthesafetyofhisoriginalenclosureareaandhasbeenspendingalotmoretimeroamingaroundthebomafence,tobothguestandguides’delight.HewasspottedatleasteighttimesinMaybrowsingontheleafyfoliageoftheboma,andgivinglittleattentiontosafarivehiclesastheystopandviewhiminamazement.WehavealsoheardrumoursfromtheSingitaGrumetiFundteamthatheandLaikipiahavebeenspendinglotsofqualitytimetogether.Fingerscrossedthatthisfriendshipblossomsintosomethingmore.
PhotobyAnthonyNyambacha.
HipposurpriseThehippopopulationatSasakwaDamhasexperiencedaratherslowgrowthratesincetheSingitaGrumeticoncessionwasacquiredandconservationworkbeganin2002.Abigbullhippofirstarrivedatthedamaround2008,andhasremainedthedam’sprimaryresidenteversince.Somemonthsafterthebigbull’sarrivalhewasjoinedbytwofemales,andthethreeoccupiedthedamforabouttwoyears.In2010,Grumetiexperiencedaparticularlyrainy,rainyseason.IntensefloodingcausedtheSasakwaDamwalltocollapse,andallofthewatercameflowingoutemptyingthedam.Withthewaterwentthehippos.Thedamwasswiftlyrepaired,andthebullhipposoonreturned,butthetwofemaleswerenotwithhim.Forthreeyearsthebigbullwasthesolitaryoccupantofthedam.Then,inmid2013,twofemalesappearedatthedam.Someeightmonthslater,atinybabyhippowasborn,bringingthedam’spopulationuptofour.Thissoonturnedbacktothreewhenthefemalewithoutacalf,left.
PhotobyAdasAnthonyThen,thisMay,wewereblownawaywithsurprisewhensevenhipposwereseenatthedam.Fournewhippos,twofemales,asub-adultmale,andonesix-month-oldcalf,hadjoinedthethreeresidentsatSasakwaDam.Theyremainedatthedamthroughoutthemonthandwehopetheycontinuetostay.WeareexcitedtoseewhatthenextchapterholdsfortheSasakwaDamhippos.
SurvivalinterventionThefourlioncubsfirstseenontheSasakwaPlainsclosetothemainroadinAprilarestillaroundandthingsseemtobegoingwell,butforamomentthere,theirwell-beingwasuncertain.Atthebeginningofthemonth,thefourcubsandtheirmotherwereseen,butthemotherwasnotingoodcondition.Shehadclearlybeeninaveryintensefightwithanotherlionandshehadadeepwoundinherbackleftthigh,deepscratchesonherbackandfrontleftshoulder,andoneofherleftclawswaspartiallyseveredfromherpaw.
Thelioness'conditionwasquicklyreportedtotheSingitaGrumetiFundconservationmanagementteam.Theteamandafewoftheguides,withthelocalvetintow,soonrelocatedthelioness.Thevetwasabletoeasilydartherwithatranquilizergun,andonceshehadsuccumbedtothetranquilizer,soongottowork.Asarule,theconservationteamdoesnotusuallytreatanimalsthatsustainnaturallyoccurringwounds.Theonlyexceptiontothisruleiswhenanendangeredanimal,likethislioness,isinvolved.Theteamcleanedherwoundsandsprayedthemwithastronghealingspray,whichassistsinrapidrecoveryofthewoundsbybothdisinfectinganddrying.Thesprayalsocontainsanelementthatkeepsfliesandotherbugsawayfromthewound.Theyalsogaveherinjectionsofantibiotics.Oncealloftheworkwasdone,theyplacedthelionessinaniceshadyspot,astheyknewshewouldbequitegroggyoncethetranquilizerworeoff,andwouldstayinthesamespotforawhile.Onceshewasintheshade,thevetinjectedthelionesswiththeantidotetothetranquilizer.Thelionessremainedinthatspotfortherestoftheday,dozingandsleepingoffthedrugs.
Luckily,thelionesshadlefthercubsattheirdenningspot,sotheteamwasabletoavoidthecubsbeingputundertheunnecessarystressofseeingtheirmotherinthissituation.Overtheremainderofthemonth,themotherwasseenwithhercubs,herwoundshealingandmakingpositiveprogressdaily.BytheendofMayshewasalmostfullyrecovered,andhercubsarehealthyandwell.
WeareverythankfulforthesupportoftheSingitaGrumetiFundconservationteamforalloftheirworkinensuringthesuccessfulsurvivalofthisfemaleandhercubs.
ByElizabethHamrickandMarkNicholsonSingitaGrumeti
SerengetiTanzania
ThirtiethofMay2016
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