WILDLIFEREPORTSINGITAPAMUSHANA,ZIMBABWE

ForthemonthofMay,TwoThousandandSixteen Temperature RainfallRecorded Sunrise&Sunset Averageminimum: 15,2˚C(72,6˚F) Forthemonth:3mm Sunrise: 06:23 Minimumrecorded: 12,8˚C(65,1˚F) Fortheyeartodate:386.5mm Sunset: 17:19 Averagemaximum: 26,8˚C(91,9˚F) Maximumrecorded:30,7˚C(103,4˚F) Winterishere!Theearlymorningsarefreezing!Well,that'spossiblyanexaggeration-ourminimumrecordedlowwas12,8˚C(65,1˚F)whichisabalmydayinmanyareasoftheworld,butforusinsunnysouthernAfricaitmeanspullingonafleeceandajacketwhensettingoutonasunrisesafari.Here'swhatwashappeninginMay:LionsOneofacoalitionoftwomalelionswasseenmatingwithalioness.Oneoftheothercoalitionsofthreemalelionswasseenbidingtheirtime-astoryaboutthemfollows...Guestshoppedoffthegame-viewerformorningcoffeeatChikwetecliffswhiletheirviewincludedtwolionsdrinkingfromtheriverbelowandretiringtotheshadejustbelowthecliffs.

CheetahsWe'vehadsomegoodandalwaysluckycheetahsightings,especiallyoftwomales.Ahighlightwasfindingayoungfemalecheetahthatwehaveneverseenbefore.Shewasveryshyanddidnotstickaroundforlong;buthowwonderfulitisthatshe'shere.LeopardsThesesightingshavebeengoodbyourstandards-especiallywhenacoupleofgame-viewerswithguestswereabletowatchamaleleopardforquitesometimeashedrankfromapanandrelaxednearthewater'sedge.Weweredelightedtoseeaflashofafemaleleopardwithacuboneevening-butshequicklyhidherselfandherlittleone.Themaleinthisphotostrolledalong,scent-markingthebushesandleavinghisimposingclawmarksonthetrees'trunksthatlinedtheroad,warninganyothermaleleopardsthatthisterritorywashis.WilddogsThealphafemaleofthewilddogpackthat'scurrentlyonthereservecouldn'tlookmorepregnant-seethephotoofheralongside.Shewillbegivingbirthtoherpupsatanysecondifshehasn'talready.Thisistremendouslyexcitingforus,especiallybecausewe'veseenthepackhuntinginourheartland.Hopefullyshewilldennearbyandwecanenjoyregularsightingsoftheseawesome,yethighlyendangeredcarnivores.

PhotobyMarkSaundersHyenasWe'vehadgoodsightingsofhyenascomingandgoingonouraccessroad,sotheytoomusthaveadennearby.Ahighlight,especiallyforthehyena,waswhenitstoleanimpalacarcassfromamaleleopardandgobbleditupwhiletheleopardwatchedfromadistance,inbristlingyetcontainedfury.

RhinosOnemorning'ssightingsreportstates,“Itwasarhinodaywithatotalofelevenwhiterhinosfeedingalongtheriverloop."Otherhighlightsweresixwhiterhinosdrinkingtogetherfromapan.Ifwhiterhinosarespotteda'walkable'distancefromtheroadourguideswillofteninvitegueststodoanapproachonfoot.Thisnotonlypreservesthevegetationbyunnecessarilydrivingoveritandpossiblydamagingsaplingsandsquashinginsects,butitgivessafari-goersafarmoreintimateandnaturalexperience.Theidealoutcomeistoapproachwithinadistancethatyouhaveagoodview,buttheanimalisunawareofyourpresenceandthereforenotdisturbedinanyway.ElephantsExcellentsightingsofbreedingherdsandbulls-especiallyofbullsswimmingatSosigiDam.Photosofonesuchjoyouseventfollow...BuffaloThankstothegoodgrassatthemomentweareseeingmassivecongregationsofbuffaloes.Insomecaseswe'veestimatedupto600hundredtogether.OnegroupofguestswentforapicniclunchonourplatformthatoverlooksNdunaDam.Induecourseaherdofaround400buffalocametodrinkthere,whilehipposandcrocodileslazedinthesun.PlainsgameBrilliantsightingsofplainsgame-especiallyontheopengrasslands.Attimesyoucanlookallaround,fromthesamespot,andseebuffaloes,elephants,zebra,giraffe,wildebeestandimpala.Elusivehighlightsthathavebeenseenthismonthincludealargesablebullandsomehartebeest.SpecialsIt'snotpartofourethostochaseafterthe"Big5"onadrive,butwhenitnaturallyworksoutthatwayit'sworthyofafewhigh-fivesbetweenguidesandtrackers.Here'stheloggedreport:"Epicafternoon,Big5inonedrive-westartedwithanelephantbullclosetotherange,thensixlionseastofthebridge,acrashoffour

whiterhinosfollowed,thenabreedingherdofover200buffalointheBanyini,andfinallyarelaxedfemaleleopardatthejunction."Sometimesourspecialscomefromouterspace!Guestsgottooneofourphotohidesatapanandallwasquiet.Drinkswerepouredandablackrhinoappearedfromthethickets,followedbytwoelephantbulls,threewhiterhinosandahyena.Astheywereabouttoleavetheskylitupinameteoriccrescendo.Somebirdinghighlightsincludeamalachitekingfisherandabathawk.FishingandboatcruisesTherehavebeensomegoodfishingdays-oneouting'stallywassixtigerfish.Thesunsetcruiseshavebeenlovelytoowithexcellentbirdingguaranteed.ActivitiesThere'vebeenseveralvisitstothecommunityaswellastoKambakowhereguestslearnaboutancientbushcraftandparticipateinthedemonstrations.Bushwalkshavealsobeenpopular.It'swonderfultoexplorehiddenareasbetweentherockyoutcrops,seetherockart,findspringsbubblingfromthegroundandobserveallthefinerdetailsofwildlife.MassesoffunForsomereasonweoftentryanddescribethebehaviouralmotivationalforsomethingwemightperceiveasfuninanimals-weascribeittolearninghuntingtechniques,establishingdominanceorstrengtheningmusclesandsoon,butIcanassureyou,withutmostcertainty,thatthesetwoelephantbullswerehavingpuresimplefun.A'whaleofatime'youmightsay!Itwasanabsolutedelighttowatch!Thesunwasslippingbelowthetreeline,wewereparkedonthebridgeofSosigiDam,andtherestofthebullsweregrazingintheriverbed.Knowingweweretheonlysafarivehicleoutwesettledinforagoodhourtoenjoythescene.Theysplashed,sploshed,sprayedandsnorkelled.Thegamewasclear-theaimwastowrestle,thengetbehindyouropponentandjumponhishindquarters,effectivelydunkinghim.Alonehippointhebackgroundlooked,rathernonplussed!

Elephantsareexcellentswimmersastheirmassivebodiesgivethemenoughbuoyancytofloateasily.Theyuseallfourlegstopaddleandusetheirtrunklikeasnorkel.Researchsuggeststhatelephantsaregreatatswimmingbecausetheycouldhaveevolvedfrommammalsliketheseacows-dugongsandmanatees.Thisaquaticancestrywasrevealedbythestudyofoneembryoandsixfoetuses,ranginginagefrom58to166daysold.Alltheelephantfoetusescontainedaphysiologicalcuriositycalledanephrostome.Thisisafunnel-shapedkidneyductfoundonlyinfreshwaterfish,frogsandegg-layingreptilesandmammals.Thetrunksappearextremelyearlyoninfoetaldevelopment,beingshownineventheearliestembryoexamined.Furtherembryonicevidencethatelephantsonceswamisthat,unlikeotherland-livingmammals,theyhaveinternaltesticlesandalwayshavedone.Sealsandwhalesalsohaveinternaltesticles,butonlyacquiredthemwhentheirland-livingancestorstooktotheseas60millionyearsago.Fossilevidenceindicatesthatelephantsleftbehindtheiraquaticlifeabout30millionyearsago.ElephantsinAfricahavebeenrecordedtotraveladistanceof48kilometresacrosswater,andalsoswimmingforsixhourscontinuously.ExpertsbelievethattheelephantsthatliveinSriLankaaretheprogenyofelephantsthatswamfromSouthernIndiaacrossthesea.

(InformationfromBBCNews:Sci/TechEarlyelephantsused'swimmingtrunks,’11March1999.)

Pre-electionraceItseemswetoohaveapre-electionsituationhereinthewildsouth.Thesethreedelegateshavetheirteethandclawssetonthepositionofpresidency.Theywayitworkswithlionsisthatmalesbandtogetherinwhatwecallacoalition,andthentrytotakeovertheruleandmatingrightsofaprideoflionessesbyfightinganddrivingofforkillingthedominantmalesofthemoment.

Withinacoalitionthereisa'superdelegate'that'smoredominantthantheothers.It'sawinner-take-allsituationasheshouldgetthematingrightsandthelargerportionofkills-butitdoesn'talwaysworkoutlikethatandthereismuchtensionandoftenconflictwithinthesecoalitions.FrommyobservationsoftheselionsIwouldsaythatthelioninthefirstphotographisthewiliest-he'sbig,strong,alertandnotcoveredintoomanyscars.Thesecondisthebiggest,withtheblackestmane(studieshaveshownblack-manedlionsarepreferredoverblonde-manedlions,bylionesses,possiblybecausetheyarestrongergenetically).Buthehasmanyscars,woundsandinjuries.Hewaslimpingbadlyhere,andsowhilehemaybethemostaggressivehemightnotbethebestatavoidinglife-threateningviolence.Thethirdishandsome,blonde,hardlyscarredandsmallerinsizeandmanelength.Whoknows-hemayendupbeingthesmartestofthelotiftheothertwoinjurethemselvestooseverelyinatake-overbid.Theircampaignhasbeenaconsideredone-we'vewatchedthemgrow,bond,becomestrongerandbolderintheirmovements.ThedayswhentheywillrunfromthedominantmalesoftheotherpridesarenumberedandIsuspectitwon'tbelongbeforetheyrule.OneoftheirprizescouldbethislionessfromtheHippopride.She'saformidablehunterandinherprime.Shewouldbetheidealmothertocubsandwithastrongandstablecoalitioninplacetoprotecttheprideforafewyearsthey’dstandthebestchanceofsurvival.Iwouldrathermeetthethreemalesonfootthanher.Justlookatherpiercing-right-through-youstare!Lionessesseemfarmoreaggressivethanmales,ingeneral.Theyinitiatemorehuntsandstandtheirgroundorchargemorereadilythanmales.Alionessismostdangerouswhenshehascubsandwillreadilyriskherlifetoprotectandsavethemshouldshefindmanorbeastisthreateningtheminanyway.

BlackandwhiteandgreensThesetwophotosshowthepreferredhabitatofblackandwhiterhinos.Abovetheblackrhino(Dicerosbicornis)nimblynavigatesrockyoutcropsinsearchofthespecificplantsandleavesofbushesthatformpartofitsdiet.Belowawhiterhino(Ceratotheriumsimum)andhercalfslowlywadethroughaseaofgrass,mowingdownlargemouthfulsofitastheygo.

Buffaloesen-masseWe'dbeentravellingsouthforsometimeandallwasratherquiet.Wespottedthislonebullanddecidedtotakeanarrowsideroadtohaveacloserlook.Continuingonthispathafterviewinghimweroundedabendandencounteredwhatmusthavebeenaherdofabout600buffaloesspreadoutinthemopanethickets.Weheardthemoverthevehicle'senginewellbeforewesawthem,butamongthegenerallowingofthisvastherdwasarepetitiveandfarmoreplaintivecallthatpersisted.Abouthalfanhourlaterthemysterywasresolvedasthesoundgrewcloser

and,fromtheoppositedirection,acalfcamegallopingthroughthemassesandtrottedupsubmissively,yetjoyfully,toitsmother.Itmusthavegotlostamongthecrowdanditsmothersearchedfranticallyforit,callingallthewhile.

AnythingbutplainPlainsgameisageneraltermfortherangeofantelopefoundontheplainsofAfrica.Whiletheyarefoundonplainstheyareanythingbutplain!Itissopeacefulandtranquiltositquietlyandobservethemfeedingandinteracting.Thefirstphotoshowsthesunriseburstingthroughthetreesandthrowingshadowsofwildebeesttotheforeground.Ifyoulookcloselyatthezebrafoalbelowyou'llseehehasaspotuponthestripesonhisrump!Thekuducowsoakedupherpatchofsunlight.

SettledownWecameuponthislonebullandheinstantlyreactedtoourintrusionbypickingupclodsofearthwithhistrunkandhurlingthemintheair.Wegotthemessage.Wesettleddownandsatquietly,andhethensettleddownandresumedfeeding.Hewasmakingthemostofthegreenery,scoopingtrunkfulsofplantsandflowersintohismouth.It'ssuchacontrasttoseefragilepinkpetalsagainsthistoughgreyskinandivory.

TitanicbattleBackatthelodgeInearlytrodonthesetworainbowskinkshavinganalmightybattle.Theywouldapproacheachother,wait,andthenwithastonishingspeedlaunchanattackandtrytotosstheotherintheair.Itwastoofasttocapturebuttheysentleavesandsoilflyingeachtime.Interestinglyitwasamaleandfemaleincombat(thefemalehasthebluetail)andIdon'tthinkitendedinsuccessforthemalebecausewhenIleftthemhehadawoundathebaseofhistailandshehadhisheadfirmlyclampedinherjaws!

WrittenandphotographedbyJennyHishinSingitaPamushana

MalilangweWildlifeReserveZimbabwe

31May2016