2005 : January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November |
2006 : January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
2007 : January | February |

     Photographic opportunities in the bush are phenomenal at this time of year. Most mornings are clear, becoming hazy towards the middle of the day and late afternoon. This is due to the controlled and uncontrolled fires through out the whole region. We are constantly on the alert should a fire break out at the end of the winter and before the rains come. Although the trees have burst into bud, the grass is still very dry. It is also at this time of the year that our neighbours outside the reserve burn their fields and grasslands in anticipation of the rains coming. The smoke haze from these fires gives us the most beautiful sunsets.

     While on the subject of fires, we are encouraged to see more and more genets, bush babies and white tailed mongoose. We believe the devastating runaway fire of 1998 affected their numbers when almost half the Sabi Sands was burned. These nocturnal species are at a huge disadvantage when these fires erupt as they are asleep during the day and generally it is too late for them to escape when they wake up.

     Once again this month, the female leopard, Mkwela, and her little cub have dominated the game viewing. One of our rangers had the privilege of viewing the cub play- killing an impala foetus and then trying to drag it up a small stump, showing that hoisting of kills is instinctive and starts early in life. The cub remains totally relaxed with the Land Rovers. Mkwela did have an altercation with the 3-year-old female, Makubela, from Shangwa’s previous litter. Makubela is at that age where she is trying to control as much territory as she possibly can. However, Mkwela put her right and sent her packing into the area that she has already established. It has now been confirmed that both Shangwa’s latest cubs are still alive and doing well. We saw Shangwa and the cubs on an impala kill.

     Elephants have continued their almost daily appearance at the Lodge dams. One has taken a fancy to our new trees and has discovered a way of getting across our electric fence. We are going to have to outsmart this young bull in some way or other as this is causing havoc with our new planting program. We have an abundance of elephant around at the moment and it is not uncommon to see 3 to 4 different breeding herds on a game drive, predominantly along the Sand River. While this is wonderful from a game viewing point of view, we have to be aware of how much damage all these elephant are doing to our habitat and the sooner the powers that be decide on what action to take with the over population of elephant in the region the better.

     The Mpogo continue their killing spree. There has obviously been a fair amount of in- fighting among these males to assert dominancy over each other as there are a few of them showing serious wounds. One of these males is sure to lose half his tail as it has been bitten through and is hanging by a sinew. The older male has a huge hole in his testicles, which was caused by one of the females. (The rangers wince every time they see it!) The Sand River females have been doing their monthly mating. It can still be seen that this mating is not serious and we wonder how long it will take for these females to gain the confidence of the Mpogo coalition.

     There is due to be another introduction of 600 wildebeest into the Sabi Sands and, as many of you will already know, their acclimatisation boma is built on Savanna property. When they are released, and until such time that the wildebeest become a little wiser, it will be a time of plenty for the lions. It is extraordinary that even before the arrival of these animals, the lions are already pacing around the fenced off area.

     Zinane is spending more and more time off our property – it looks like he is trying to extend his territory away from the Mpogo males. This is to the east and we have seen very little of him this month.

     At this time of year, a lot of the birds are starting to breed. The male weaverbirds are frantically building their nests hoping to entice a female to select their home, which often will entitle them to breed with that particular female. A kurrichane thrush has built a nest outside Suite 6 and is sitting on 3 blue eggs with brown speckles. A bearded woodpecker is also nesting in a hole in a tree outside our gate.

     Last month we told you of the plover sitting on eggs near the lion kill while the Land Rovers trundle past with great regularity. Now these eggs have hatched and we were fortunate enough to revisit the nest the day that they did so and this photo was taken. They generally leave the nest an hour or two after hatching and follow the parents on the ground until they are old enough to fly.

     The Mabarula Youth in Action Choir continues to give us great joy. They are developing a fund with the money that we pay them to build their community a village hall to be used for their practises, weddings and other social events. So far they have raised approximately R10, 000 out of an estimated R35, 000 that they need. Savanna will continue to support this project as they in turn strive to entertain and give such pleasure to all of us.