After a very short cold snap, we have now returned to the wonderful weather that we have been experiencing for most of our winter period. In fact, we have hardly had a winter at all and if we go by the old wives’ tales this should mean a dry summer ahead, unfortunately bad news for the dams. However, a lot of these wives’ tales can be taken with a pinch of salt and our fingers are crossed for a good summer season from November onwards.

     The highlight of this month is that Mkwela, the female leopard, has finally brought her cubs out and we are seeing them on a regular basis. Another bit of good news is that she has three cubs and not two as we had originally thought. The cubs are exceptionally relaxed around the Land Rovers and seem to have their mother’s temperament which bodes well for future viewing should they make it to maturity. They are about 8 weeks old now and still have a long way to go.

     In general, leopard viewing has been outstanding with as many as 7 different leopards seen on one drive! This sort of viewing is unheard of outside the Sabi Sands so we feel exceptionally privileged. Makubela and Shangwa were seen having an altercation over territorial boundaries. While no physical contact was made, there was a lot of scent marking, calling and growling as they skirted round one another and before they moved off on their separate ways. We have heard that Shangwa still has 2 of her 3 cubs alive. We have not seen them for some time as they have been on a neighboring property. Makubela also has 2 cubs and they too are hidden off our property. It is a matter of time before she moves them into our area and then our cub viewing will be really exceptional. Mambiri and her cub are still doing well. They have been seen on a duiker kill and last week Mambiri’s cub killed a guinea fowl in a tree and was also spotted killing a gennet.

     This is a sure indication that Mambiri’s cub is well on her way to independence and it will not be long before her mother leaves her to fend for herself. She is now about 20 months old so it is time for her to move on. We can only hope that these new leopards that have become independent are going to remain within our driving area as they are super relaxed and will be a real asset to our game viewing experience. Another bit of good news is that the relaxed young male leopard that was on our property a few months ago returned to this area and killed a kudu just outside Savanna’s entrance gate. The Wallingford male has been seen on a regular basis, still up in the river area. He is looking exceptionally good and it is hard to believe that he is 15 years old.

     Lion viewing has also been exceptionally good this month, with some very interesting interaction between the Ximungwe Pride and hyena. The lions killed a kudu and it did not take long for the hyena to discover and steal the kill. One hyena called in the rest of the pack and a total of 9 hyena eventually drove the Ximungwe Pride off the kudu and onto a termite mound where after throwing a lot of vocal abuse at each other, the lions made good their escape. What was interesting to see was how much respect 5 lions gave the 9 hyena. We could imagine that there would be no contest and that the lions would win hands down. Had there been a large dominant male with the Ximungwe Pride then the tables would have been turned and the hyena would not have approached the kill at all.

     Earlier in the month, the Ximungwe Pride also killed a zebra just outside Savanna Camp.

     The Mpogo, the male coalition of lions, killed a buffalo bull close to the river. Single Mpogo males have been making regular visits to our area this month. We believe that the adult female in the Ximungwe Pride is pregnant and should give birth in the near future and different Mpogo males are also mating with one of the Selala Pride females. The young lioness from the Selala Pride that was trying to join up with the Ximungwe Pride has now been accepted by them.

     The male cheetah has made several sorties into our area this month. On one occasion we found him killing an impala which he subsequently lost to vultures. We witnessed 80 to 100 vultures chase him off the kill. Within a very short space of time there was nothing left of the carcass.

     Two days later, the cheetah killed a young kudu on one of the burnt areas and the Ximungwe Pride of lions, seeing the vultures descending from the skies followed them in and chased the cheetah off his second kill! However, on both occasions, the cheetah had eaten enough to sustain himself before being forced to depart.