Photo by Brian Rode WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA For the month of March, Two Thousand and Sixteen Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 21°C (69.8°F) For the period: 69 mm Sunrise: 06:00 Average maximum: 33°C (91.4°F) For the year to date: 86 mm Sunset: 17:52 Minimum recorded: 17°C (62.6°F) Maximum recorded: 40°C (104°F) Our Singita Lebombo Lodge has been closed this month for renovations, so all the action was as a result of safaris from Singita Sweni. Towards the beginning of the month we had had very little rain and the rivers were all dry. There was still a pool of water at the confluence of the Sweni and N’wanetsi Rivers, which held quite a few hippos. Much of the grass was dry and in the central depression the ground was bare. Thankfully we've received some intermittent showers since then and have some grass growing and the area is looking much greener. The central depression, in particular, was covered with bulbous plants that shot up seemingly overnight.
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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
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