Game viewing continued well as we moved into Week 2. The ground is slowly drying out, but certain areas are still very boggy, especially on the seep lines. The Metsi female has been seen a few times this week, but early on she was found in one of these wet areas! Fortunately, she was on the road for some time, allowing us a good view, but as soon as she moved off the road, we could not follow owing to the waterlogged soil!

On the same day, we found Shangwa in the north-east near Tai Dam. She had been seen earlier with her 14-month old cub, but we found her alone, trying hard to stalk some impala in the clearings. She was very patient, lying down in the long grass as she waited for the impala to move into a more favourable area. We left her still waiting, and decided to have a look around for the young male cub. We found him, but interestingly he was with the Xikavi female who is Shangwa’s daughter! There was a bit of tension between them, but they eventually lay down quite close to each other, growling occasionally.

Tlangisa is fast becoming one of the best viewing leopards we have had in many years, and considering the history of leopard viewing in the past, this is some accolade! Every time she is found, she poses perfectly and this week was no different! She is still showing the signs of the altercation with the Dewane male, but is keeping these wounds clean by constantly licking them, so they are healing fast.

Metsi was found again later in the week with a very large male impala kill on the southern banks of the Mabrak drainage line. She had it very well hidden, though, and later dragged it into a very wet area where we could not view her any longer.

Kashane has also been around this week, notably down in the south where he managed to elude us for a few days, although we had seen his tracks come close to Savanna. He was found later, however, resting in the classic leopard pose in a large jackalberry tree in the Tulamanzi drainage line.

Our two prides of lions, the Mapogo and the Ximungwe pride, have also been seen often this week. The Mapogo males interestingly have been seen moving a lot during daylight hours, which is very unusual, especially at this hot time of the year! They have been struggling slightly to find food this week, so they might be on the move looking for the Ximungwe pride, or to find food.

The Ximungwe pride, in contrast, has been moving much less than usual, and has been seen in the same place for a few days in the Mabrak drainage line. They were found with full bellies, so presumably they made a decent kill in the night, and so did not need to move at all while they digested their food!

We are continuing to see good elephant sightings, especially breeding herds with small calves at foot. Many of them are only a few weeks old, and it was wonderful to see how this calf was a little unsure of crossing a wet drainage line, but succeeded with good encouragement from its mother. One of the ‘teenagers’ stepped into a particularly wet patch, and its front foot sank a long way into the sand!

The buffalo have remained in the clearings around Savanna Lodge, and have been making daily visits to Georgie’s dam. On one occasion, the lone hippo bull which sometimes visits the dam was particularly inquisitive about the buffalo and came right up to one bull to see what he was up to! The bull did not seem to mind too much and no aggression was witnessed from either party. The oxpeckers also use the opportunity to get a drink from the backs from the buffalo, but it is not often we see a cattle egret doing this!

Around Savanna Lodge, we have also been seeing unusually large numbers of impala and zebra.  The conditions in the south of the reserve have been fantastic and we are seeing general game in this area we have seldom witnessed before! Long may this last...

It is also the marula season and elephants are renowned for loving these healthy gifts of nature. Other species, however, also realise the value of this fruit and this week we saw many other species taking advantage, such as this warthog sow and her young, as well as a troop of monkeys.