Unforgettable memories made!

Hi there everyone!

As you can imagine, a lot of incredible things have happened in the course of the last ten days or so… Every day the pieces of nature’s puzzle get put together to form a bigger picture and, as the time passes by, we are able to see and understand more and more about the African bushveld. This is, of course, accompanied by unforgettable sightings which are always a pleasure to witness!

A Blue Wildebeest calf suckling 

The bush is extremely dry this year, but this has had no ill effect on the high density of thrilling animals surrounding our camp. These conditions have also brought some unusual birds into the area such as Namaqua Doves and Wood Sandpipers, which we have never seen here before! We have also had some great raptor sightings, the most exciting of which were the African Hawk-Eagle and Martial Eagle.

The game viewing is also at an all-time high - we have been visited in camp by Giraffe, Elephants, Buffalo and elusive Spotted Hyaenas this past week alone!

There is truly never a dull moment at Nkombe camp, as we are often interrupted by the chattering alarm calls of Tree Squirrels, the barking of Bushbuck and the nervous distress calls of the Vervet monkey whilst going about our daily activities.

The walking has been absolutely amazing as we have been studying different tracks and signs from small birds to impressive lion tracks. Bird watching is also at its best when on foot, as we often find ourselves only fifty metres from camp with so much to look at!

We had a couple of exciting encounters on foot as well. It is a whole new experience to view animals on their level in their environment as opposed to from the game-viewer. We had fantastic encounters with a couple of Buffalo bulls as we watched them from a distance scratching themselves on trees and continuing with their natural behaviour. We also had an exciting Elephant encounter as we watched a mighty male feeding on nearby vegetation after which we followed fresh lion tracks!

The beautiful cheetah!

We added an all-new, elegant creature to our 'exsighting' list as we found a beautiful Cheetah lying in the shade in the heat of the day. This was a first for many and still spectacular for the rest, as we don't often get to see these charming cats. 

 

We were lucky enough to find a fresh impala kill hoisted up in a tree one morning. The Leopard responsible for this was nowhere to be found. After scanning the area for a few minutes, we moved on, but decided to revisit the site later that day. On our return that afternoon, we suddenly heard the thumping sounds of massive Hyaena paws crashing through the bush, literally scraping past our vehicle. We decided to stay put at the site of the kill and just observe these misunderstood creatures with the hope that the Leopard would come back to her trophy...

After about half an hour of waiting, we were just about to move on when Gus spotted her hiding on top of a termite mound not too far away from where the vehicle was parked moments ago. She shot up the enormous Marula and continued feeding on her meal, with Hyaenas’ mouths watering below as they waited for scraps to drop. The carcass started to slip due to her feeding and ,despite all her manoeuvring around the tree, she could not keep the kill from falling. As soon as the carcass hit the ground, she knew it was over and that the Hyaenas outnumbered her.

We then spent the rest of the time observing these creatures’ powerful jaws crushing through bones and hooves until there was almost nothing left but the horns of a once living impala ram. One of the most amazing sightings ever, just proving that patience is everything!

A curious elephant decides to investigate our vehicle

The Elephant sightings that we have been experiencing  are personally at the top of my list! We have seen every form and size of Elephant from the cutest baby trying to manoeuvre its clumsy trunk to the most striking and impressive bulls. The students sitting right at the front (on the tracker seat) have had a few unforgettable moments as a few of the Elephants approached the vehicle curiously from the front. These memories will stay with all of us forever…

The coalition of male lions

As if all of the above is not enough, we had an intimate sighting of two new male Lions in the area.

I must say, they were more energetic than our previous coalition, in that one managed to stand up and re-position himself only a metre or so away and then returned to being its lazy, lethargic self!

This was still an absolutely incredible sighting, as we were alone with the respectable cats and had the privilege of watching and inspecting them for half an hour or more. It was remarkable!

Sunrise at Nkombe Camp...

It has been an incredible journey so far to see these great students grow and learn every day. I personally (Chanyn) can’t wait to see what amazing field guides they will become…

To another day in Africa - cheers!

 

The ANT Blog

The cutest, smallest African carnivore - Dwarf Mongoose

A rare sighting of a juvenile Southern Ground Hornbill

A majestic Elephant bull crosses the open plains

A Red-billed Oxpecker in its element, scissoring its way through the hair on a Buffalo's back

The curiosity of a Giraffe

Those magnificent eyes!

The king of the jungle!

 

Masthulele - The Quiet One

Map of central Kruger National Park

I’m the first to admit I’m not the bravest person around elephants but I don’t think I’m alone where that’s concerned. I do however have a fascination with the 'Big Tuskers' of the Kruger National Park: past and present.

As a frequent Kruger National Park visitor I have had the privilege of seeing and photographing some of Kruger’s Emerging Tuskers over the last few years.Whilst standing on the Letaba high level bridge on 1st April 2013 I noticed two large elephants drinking water in the river below. On closer inspection I realised that one of them had huge tusks.

I watched and photographed him for about an hour and was amazed to see how few people actually stopped and looked at this beautiful elephant.

Upon returning to Letaba Camp, I immediately headed for the Elephant Museum and asked the staff on duty about the elephant.  

Masthulele on the right with his Askari, drinking water in the Letaba River

image: Jenny Bell

They identified him as Masthulele meaning ‘the quiet one’.

He was named after Dr Ian Whyte, who recently retired after 37 years of service in Kruger. Masthulele was the name given to him by his staff.



I had the privilege of Meeting Dr Whyte at a birding event earlier this year and what a gentleman – I can see why his staff named him ‘the quiet one’.

Note: older bull elephants that break away from their herd often form the nucleus of bachelor herds with one or more younger males which are referred to as 'askari' (singular and plural). The origins of the word mean 'soldier'.

Masthulele’s tusks are almost symmetrical, with the left curving a little higher than the right. Apart from his magnificent tusks Masthulele is fairly easy to recognise by the thickened skin growth on his trunk. His ear right ear is clean and there is a tiny V notch in the centre of his left ear. He is found in the Letaba / Mopani areas of the central Kruger National Park.


Masthulele - you can see the skin thickening in the centre of his trunk & the tiny ear notch
image: Jenny Bell

Have you seen this gentle giant?


The ANT Blog - submitted by Jenny Bell

A kill on the wing!

On a recent trip to the Kruger National Park, we parked on the high level bridge over the Shingwedzi River, enjoying the amazing sunset. A ranger mate who used to be stationed at Shingwedzi always assured me that Bat Hawks did indeed exist, as he had seen them in the area from time to time. “Yeah, right...” was my usual reply!

So there we were, clicking away with our cameras, whilst keeping an eye on the bats emerging from their roost under the bridge, when two dark birds swooped over the river from some nearby large trees. Could these be the elusive Bat Hawks I have wanted to see for years? Binoculars quickly replaced the camera and my eyes confirmed the over-excited expletives from my husband – our first sighting of a Bat Hawk!

Image: Bat Hawk in daylight by Johan Janse van Rensburg

The Bat Hawks started their hunt as one swooped on a bat. 

The bat detected the threat and swiftly took impressive evasive action, only to fly directly into the path of the second Bat Hawk – we had just witnessed a ‘kill on the wing’. 

It all happened very quickly and, with the light fading and gate-closing-time fast approaching, I did not manage to get photographic evidence of this incredible sight, but I definitely have a picture in my mind that I will never forget.

Back at camp, the reference books came out and we read that Bat Hawks do indeed hunt their prey on the wing, catching prey with their feet and - if the prey item is small enough - swallowing it whole in flight. 

Insectivorous bats are the usual prey of the Bat Hawk, with most hunting occurring at dusk. The bird can catch its daily food requirement within only twenty to thirty minutes. 

It is estimated that there are no more than five breeding pairs of Bat Hawks in the Kruger National Park[1] and they have ‘Near-threatened’ status in SA - so this is a very rare bird to see.

Image: Shingwedzi sunset by Jenny Bell

We returned to the bridge the following evening and - luckily - the Bat Hawks made another appearance at sunset...so keep an eye out for them next time you overnight at Shingwedzi!

The ANT Blog 

- written by Nature Enthusiast Course student, Jenny Bell

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[1] http://www.birdlife.org.za/conservation/important-bird-areas/iba-directory/item/143-sa002-kruger-national-park