Cheetah mom and cubs bonding.

Early one morning we were driving along and up ahead on the right were a few animals moving towards the road out of the bush. A little further we recognized them as a family of cheetah. They were doing something that I could not really understand at first. Mom was licking the face of the youngster. Was this to remove blood off his face from the kill they just ate or was this just a bonding activity licking each others faces. I truly don’t know. But it certainly went on for a while and I think she was cleaning his face and afterwards he cleaned hers as well. Flies are terrible sometimes out in the bush and with a face covered in blood it’s a fly magnet. Nobody really wants that to happen to them and so I think she cat-like was just cleaning up the kids before they headed off.

The african rock python and its prey!

We had an amazing experience one day in Kruger. We were heading to the dam to do some birding and its kinda out of the way a little. So we were a little surprised to see a few cars parked by the road about 800m before the lake. Wondering what was happening when we could not see much of anything we looked around a bit and lo and behold there was drama unfolding.

A giant African rock python had caught an impala and was constricting it in the tall grass. WOW! An impala is a mid size antelope and weighs about 40kg so it would need to be a fairly big snake that could overpower that impala. Now constrictors are themselves vulnerable when they are constricting their prey especially out in the open like this and they don’t move very fast either so a group of hyena or a few lions could make short work of a large python. I have seen a video where a honey badger killed a 15 foot python. So the snake was very aware of his/her surroundings and came up once in a while to suss out the surroundings for threats to itself.

We watched for a while and when it all seemed to be quiet we left. We returned a couple of hours later just in time to find the snake dragging the impala into the bushes so he/she could swallow it in peace. You can imagine the strength it would take a snake, an animal with no limbs for traction to drag a 40kg animal through the tall grass. They are really powerful. A python is pretty much all muscle. They would eat a meal like this and digest it for about a month or so in a thicket and this is actually when they are really vulnerable cuz they cannot move at all virtually and have no ability to constrict anything in defense. So they find a deep dark place to hide and stay there till they are all set for the next round. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

The best network in Africa!

The best network in Africa is owned by…….? Not who you would think. It is the vultures who have the best communication system and its all in the air. Vultures have the best network in Africa. There was a notable case where a vulture tagged in the morning at Pilanesberg National Park was found late afternoon on a carcass in the Kruger park. A distance of 500km and more. How did he show up? Let me tell you these guys are exploring Africa by air.

How the network works is simple. Each vulture keeps track of the ground underneath for feeding opportunities and also keeps track of his buddies up to 5 km around him. So each individual has a radius of about 10 km around him or her. Its like a tic-tac-toe grid that each vulture is in the middle of. So his neighbours keep track of him and he does that same for them. So when one drops down to look at something better, soon the neighbours realize that he has moved and as one moves downwards the neighbours start and …. You guessed it, their neighbours and so on and on and on. So when 1 vulture drops down fast it is seen by all the vultures through the relay system and in no time the word is out. Nothing is seen yet on site, till out of a clear sky you have 100s of vultures in a matter of a few hours perched around near a carcass waiting for the lions to finish so they can dig in. Its incredible how this happens in such a short time when you cant even see 1 vulture at the outset.

On a rare occasion a vulture will spot a carcass in a tree left unattended by the leopard who put it there and sure enough they will latch on to it and eat it right there. In ancient times hunting tribes would look for circling vultures and head to the area in the hopes of getting a portion of a meal.

The vulture also has special eyes that can see very far and also very clearly. They can reportedly spot a mouse from thousands of feet in the air. Their eyes have two foveas with special nerves in the cornea that enable them to do this despite sunlight being so strong up in the air. So these guys are built for long distance and close up zoom. The amazing thing for me is how each vulture eats a different part of the carcass so all get their share. Some eat the flesh, some eat the organs, some eat the sinew especially, and of course the Lammergeier, or Bearded Vulture is the champ, he eats the bone and marrow. They take the bones up into the air sometimes hundreds of feet and then drop it on rocks below. The smashed bone is now in jagged shapes that they can actually swallow whole and digest completely. It looks like it could tear the skin in the throat open but they are immune to that happening. Pretty amazing how it comes together perfectly in Nature. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

THE LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT HYENAS!

Hyena cubs are a common sight in the Kruger. The hyena clans den in the Culverts and storm drains which are a convenient location for the cubs to grown up out of sight and looked after by mom. The interesting thing about the cubs is that they actually change colour as they grow older. The cubs are born totally black and are of course totally dependent on mother’s milk for the first few months.

The mother will keep them hidden in a den for a few weeks as they grow older and stronger. The other interesting thing is that usually 2 or 3 cubs are born and only 1 is a female. If there are 2 females the stronger one will overcome and even kill the other. The reason is that in hyena clans the hierarchy is very strictly overseen. It is also a matriarchal society. What that means is that there is an alpha female who is the only one who mates most of the time, the other females would mate depending on the alpha female’s discretion. The new born female is already instinctively aware that she is the princess and 2 is too many. So the hierarchy goes lke this, Alpha female, new born female, all other females in a line all the way to the end and then Alpha male. So if you think you are an alpha male then you best not join a hyena clan or all the ladies outrank you.

Anyway the cubs are born totally black and then they slowly start fading into the adult colour. They fade from the face backwards so you can often see half and half cubs which are so cute to look at. The black colour is to protect them in their den, so no predators get a look at them and they can be camouflaged in the den in the darkness. Jackals honey badgers lions leopards martial eagles are all in the running when it comes to who preys on these cubs and the hyena clan is very wary for this reason. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

The boss of the Kopjies.

When you explore Africa you come across some amazing creatures that don't really get enough press. Klipspringers are one of those. Dainty little antelopes that love on the rocky outcrops across the country. In Kruger we call them koppies or Kopjies which is the original Afrikaans word for these rocky outcroppings of granite. They can be from 20-80 meters high and are composed of broken down granite boulders for the most part sticking out of the otherwise sandy soil that prevails in most parts. I saw these beautiful antelope on the top of the Waterberg mountains in the Marakele National Park and got a few decent pix. Klips are actually rocks and springers are jumpers so they are rockjumpers.

They mate for life and are highly territorial. Notice the deep extra 'nostril' on the cheek. It is a scent gland and they mark off their domain with the scent from it to let other klips know that they own the area. Funny thing is if an intruder shows up and its male then the male will fight it off. And they play rough! They have been known to fight to the death! If it is a female then the female fights it off. Their hooves are hard on the outside and soft on the inside that helps them grab on to the rock and not slip just like the better known mountain goats such as ibex and others. They are small only about 3 feet high at best and have hair that is hollow. this helps them stay warm and also pads them if they were to fall. Pretty cool. So like I say come and explore Africa there is something different right around every corner.

COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

One hot day at the waterhole.

We were in Kruger PArk heading for Satara camp from Tshokwane after a quick breakfast we noticed a herd of elephants heading north as well and slowed to keep pace with them. They were looking like they might cross over and head for the waterhole just ahead so we took up position facing the waterhole and sure enough there they came. The thing is that we had not seen the whole herd yet. So as we were parked there they came across the road and heading down the slope to drink and it was then that I realized that the rest of them were on my left and now the car was between two groups from the same herd.

One female was none too pleased about this. She was suddenly apart from the herd, that itself gave her cause for concern. She turned at the waters edge and gave me a couple of real dirty looks but she passed around the back of the car to the rest of the gang giving me and the car a wide berth with no incident at all. It was a bit hairy however having her behind the car and me parked on the embankment but she just passed over and was fine with the rest of the herd.

It’s a delight to watch a herd of elephants relaxing at the waterhole. There are so many special little interactions and it is not unlike a big human family gathering. The older ones more sedately drinking cuz of course they need a LOT of water. The youngest ones with moms and nannies around to keep them safe and the youngsters were pushing shoving ducking and spraying and generally goofing off. A great sighting. Kruger rocks! COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

Thieving hyenas!

Cheetahs are delicately built creatures and have literally no defence sytem at all except to run away. Especially when faced by animals like leopards lions or hyenas who could do them serious harm or death retreat is the first and only option. This puts a lot of stress on cheetah moms who have to hunt daily to feed their brood. A cheetah kill is often a spectacular sight. A high speed adrenaline charged chase across the savannah that can attract a lot of attention from far away even. So when this mom and her 2 surviving cubs were eating a group of 3 hyenas barreled right in and took over the carcass. It was my first time to see this takeover attempt and I was amazed at how fearlessly the hyenas just barged in with no regard for anything and just took over the kill. The poor cheetahs had no option what so ever to resist.

There is a reason they cant resist and that’s because even a scratch or a bite from a hyena can take their performance down by 10% or 15% for a few days. The margin between predator and prey especially for cheetah is very narrow, its prey has a 100meter head start and runs very fast as well. So if the cheetah is not performing at optimum then its likely she will miss much more and that could be life or starvation for cheetah mom and her cubs. She just walked away and gamely started scouting for her next hunt. The hyenas were the victors on the battlefield once again.

COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

NOW YOU SEE ME......

In the bush you have to be in tune with your surroundings and sensitive to the animals you see and what they are feeling. Its not always simple to do and often you don’t get a amazing reward for it but when it clicks its very special. I was driving along the southern river road and we had stopped to watch a herd of elephants walk by. Lovely to see those majestic animals walk across the bushveld. Just as I was moving along I noticed 2 female kudu looking at a clump of logs and bushes rather anxiously. Seemed like there was nothing there at all but the 2 kudu females were convinced there was something there. So I stopped and looked from where they were, nothing. Moved forward a bit, nothing. Moved directly in front of the log covered with bushes and switched off the car. Got the binoculars out and stared into the clump of vegetation. All at once I saw movement. There was something there!!! But what?? Was it worth spending time here for what could be a sleepy warthog? Anyway, the kudu were still anxious so I kept at it.

Soon enough a little head peeped up through at me and I go the jolt of my life. It was a baby leopard. ‘Leopard’ I shouted to my guests in a stage whisper and every one glued their eyes to the bushes hoping for a new glance. Now I was a little concerned. If this little bloke was here alone and we attract attention then jackals, hyenas, honey badgers and worst of all lions may find him and that would be the end. No trees in the vicinity less than 30 meters away. It would be curtains for the poor bloke. Then some one said ‘That’s not a cub’ followed by someone else ‘Seems like there are two’. All this while I have been taking pictures and hoping to catch the movement into something tangible. So I went back over the photos, one by one. Sure enough. Mom and the little one were together. It would have still been hard to take the little one to safety from where she was so another couple minutes and we were off. What a cool sighting. Nobody in sight to tell either. The kudu were right to be nervous, but they outweigh a leopard almost 3 times so no real danger there. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

The portable airconditioner of the bush.

Rhinos are huge. You look at them and really wonder at them cuz they look like they are from a different time. Almost dinosaur in size and shape and the black rhinos have a mean disposition. Those have been hunted to near extinction all for the horn. These are white rhinos, so called by the early settlers who were of Dutch extraction and referred to them as 'weit' meaning wide mouth rhinos. The English came along and figured it was 'white' and we are now stuck with that nomeclature. White rhinos are more placid and considerably bigger than black rhinos. They live in the grasslands and their mouth is perfect for eating grass.

These two mother and calf, have obviously been cooling off in a mud wallow. The idea being you sit in the mud and roll around in it cake yourself all over with the wet cool slimy mud. Then as it dries off it cools you down. Like a portable airconditioner. Then the side benefit is when it is all dried up you scrape it off on a convenient tree or a rock and all those pesky ticks and bloodsucking parasites that are on your skin are sloughed off by the mud being scraped off. Exfoliation in the bush. Most Large mammals do this, in fact even warthogs who are not really that big use the same technique.

This cute little guy has been busy at it as well. Literally coated like icing on a cake. Too cute. COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

The huntress and the Go-away bird.

One bright winter morning in Kruger we driving along the Sabie river and saw some movement down the slope to the bank from the road. I had a good feeling about this and stopped to check it out and sure enough….. leopard!

She was sneaking around the bushes tail down and that got my attention right away. A leopard walking and doing the rounds of his or her territory walks along with tail curved over the back. Tail down means one thing… the huntress was stalking! Sure enough there were 5 young warthogs on their knees grazing about 50 m away in a small clearing. the huntress had her eye on those andd it looked very possible. Good cover till pretty close to them and they were intent on eating, so she got going.

There is a kind of solidarity in the bush among prey in that they are always ready to warn others and one of these warnings is given by the grey lourie or the Go-away bird. Alas one of these guys was on watch and luck not with our girl. When a Go away bird spotted the stealthy approach and gave a “Go away” call the warthogs bolted, and fortunately for them, away from her line of approach. The huntress tried valiantly, but it was no go with the warthog moving fast through the bushes in good cover. They live to eat another day. This happens to leopards more often than you might think. They succeed 3 out of ten tries.

Any way the huntress was not pleased at all, sat down by the river bank and plotted murder of the wretched Go-away bird that deprived her of her meal. So ‘you wins some and you loses some’ as the sage said, and in the Kruger it is certainly true.

COME ON SAFARI WITh US AND HAVE YOUR OWN AMAZING STORIES TO TELL - www.dreadlionsafaris.com

The lappets aren’t here and we can’t get in!

Explore African wildlife and check out the vultures. South Africa has a number of vulture species and tragically many are endangered or close to being so. The Cape Vulture is one such and saw a massive decline not long ago. The numbers are coming back up slowly and yet there is a long way to go before we can breathe easy on their account.

Vultures have the best network in the animal kingdom. There was a notable case where a vulture tagged in the morning at Pilanesberg National Park was found late afternoon on a carcass in the Kruger park. A distance of 500km and more. How did he show up? Let me tell you these guys are Exploring Africa by air. They use rising air currents called thermals and soar to great heights without flapping a wing. 

Each vulture keeps track of the ground underneath for feeding opportunities and also keeps track of his buddies up to 10-15 km around him. So each individual has a radius of about 10-15 km around him or her. So when one drops down to a carcass soon the neighbours realize that he has moved and as one moves downwards the neighbours start and …. You guessed it, their neighbours and so on and on and on till out of a clear sky you have up to 100 vultures in a matter of a few hours sitting around on or near a carcass waiting for the lions to finish so they can dig in. With cheetah kills they bully the cheetah off and many cheetah kills are lost to vultures and of course the ubiquitous hyena.

There is a catch though. Most vultures can’t really get into a carcass if there was no major predator feeding on it first. So a giraffe for example (in the pic) that died of natural causes would have to be opened up before any can feed. The big shot who can actually do that is the Lappet faced vulture with its huge strong beak and powerful body. Once it has been opened then it’s a free for all.

The carcass as you can see in the picture has hardly been opened at all. Giraffe skin is pretty tough and even 24 hours after the giraffe died it has still not been exploited. Maybe the lappet’s are off on a jamboree cuz they ain’t showed up yet, and the Cape vultures and their hooded vulture pals are just hanging around waiting for a meal to be served.

This video of the buffalo that was killed by lions shows how completely they can clean a carcass to the bone. Cape and hooded vultures are very efficient scavengers when the carcass is opened up.

As we explore the cause of things, Africa becomes more and more exciting and amazing and thrilling. Explore Africa and discover something every day.

The Trick and the Dead.

People think only lionesses hunt but nothing could be further from the truth.  Male lions are very effective hunters and very very strong. They can bring down a rhino as I have written about and its not just brute strength though they are immensely strong as well.

I was watching a pair of male lions tag teaming herds of impala in Kruger and it was really cool to see how they were doing it. Two males were chilling under a few bushes about 30 yards from a water hole and the impala were coming in to drink in small herds of 20-30 impala. This went on for a little while and I noticed that though the lions were in the shade and off to one side they were watching the impala very closely. 30-40 meters is not enough distance to run down an impala across the open area of a few acres. They would take off pretty quick and impala are fast.

So the one lion crouches even lower while the other one gets up and walks full in the open across the eastern end of the waterhole and stations himself in full sight under a tree in the shade about 50 meters south east of the waterhole. The other lion was ensuring he did not move a muscle while his buddy took all the looks. He would even periodically move, get up walk around a few steps this way and that. The first couple groups of impala knew there were two lions and in the same place. In 20 minutes the new groups were focusing on the one lion visible out in the open and they never saw or appeared to not see the other one.

They kept their eyes glued to the one lion in the open while just past them there was another lion in hiding.

It was a recipe for lunch for the lions. One distracts and the other ambushes. Too bad I did not get to see the action cuz I had to drive my guests back to camp but getting pix of the impala looking the wrong way with the lion in the background was awesome.

Also missed getting a wide angle shot of both lions and just got the one. But you see the story.

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous

There are a good many who sit at home in an armchair with a cold drink in hand and talk of the places they would love to go and the things they wish they could do or that they would do if they could. It always is the wrong month, the busy season, the awkward timing, the sudden change in the stock market; all designed to provide an excuse to the otherwise intrepid traveller (in his dreams) to stay back and hold forth on all the wonderful things he would do if only ……

It is the ones who step out and do it anyway that earn my respect.

Sitting on the edge of a waterhole with a sandwich and an apple, with a bird hide close by to use as a night shelter in the south African autumn weather, with a  sleeping bag close at hand and shooting panoramas with a mobile phone of the huge red sun going down as the trees turn purple in the dusk….. these are the times that fill your soul with wonder and you start wondering why you never did it before.

Then the leopard shows up at the non-existent door of the bird hide and you start reevaluating. Ha! No…. she did not come that close but she was right there when I went out to…. you know. As I put my sandals on to put some distance between the hide and my business I noticed a round face with spots looking at me from about 6 meters away under a bush. My buddy next to me got a jab in the ribs, “Dude…. Leopard”!!! We both stepped off quickly backwards to get ….. the camera of course. In a matter of seconds we were loaded for bear or rather leopard with all sorts of lenses and it was of course pitch black with a faint light from the stars pretty much. It was a new moon night. “Red spotlight on the jeep” said some one in a stage whisper and the hunt was on.

Jeep was filled in another few seconds and the light man started to pan the bushes for the leopard. She came out in front crossed under the hide and in front of it and disappeared. We drove around to get another visual as she disappears into the thicket and we wait patiently. The leopard however is already out of the thicket some 25 yards down and patiently watching us. “there there… came the voice of the spotter and the light man turned to shine on her sitting and watching us. 

“ A curious leopard” said someone, “Well just so long as she just looks, its cool right?” . She was probably just thirsty and came upwind and was surprised to find the bird hide stuffed with people. Ha!  After a few minutes of watching she took off on her nightly round. Good hunting babe!

Is your life escaping too, before you take time out to live it?

Explore Africa!

Come on safari with us and you will have your own amazing stories! www.dreadlionsafaris.com