Tuningi Newsletter for August 2011

August is known as the windy month, as the Trade winds from the equator start pushing southwards, bringing with it some moisture in the air, which then hopefully will start creating some clouds, and then some much needed rain on the savanna system of the Madikwe Game Reserve …. which we call home !!!

Beside the dry conditions prevailing at the moment there has been a hint of spring in the air, with some of the trees starting to push flowers, and the return of the lesser striped swallows which have returned from thousands of kilometers away in northern Africa back to their same nests they built last year !!

Of coarse the dry conditions probably make for the best time of the year for game viewing, as most of the animals are never too far from the waterholes, and even the predators are enjoying the fact that they don’t have to travel to far to find a tasty morsel.
Yip, game sightings are really hot at the moment, with the Large Pack of Wild Dogs eventually leaving their den of safety in the inselbergs on the northern fence line, and showcasing 11 youngsters in full adult colours already keen on letting their thin little legs do some high speed chasing after the unsuspecting impala around any corner.

The other smaller pack of Wild Dogs has found a den site in the Tshwene -Tshwene complex (mountain in the centre of the park), and looks like the alpha female is about to drop her pups very soon. This is very late in the year for wild dogs to have pups, as they usually have their pups in June or July, so End August is something very unusual. We will keep you posted on our facebook page with the latest developments.

There have been some great sightings of some of the rarer small cats like the Caracal, African Wild Cat, and even a tree climbing Serval….one morning I was driving in the north west of the park in the tall grassland savanna tracking some very fresh buffalo tracks, when we came across this cat in the tree?

So my initial thoughts were…leopard cub, but as we moved in closer it was this incredibly relaxed Serval. It was sitting in the tree as if it was a leopard, with a lot of confidence. I have never seen a Serval in a tree anywhere in my career, so my next thought was that a leopard or other predator could have chased it into the tree .After scouting the area for tracks and any signs of other predators in the area, and finding nothing we returned to take some photos of this exceptional sighting. The Serval then just proceeded to come down the tree, with very little agility I must say. And then happily moved off through the tall grassland as if everything was quite normal.

A Caracal is also one of the rarer cats to be found, if you have a chance to see one in its natural habitat, then you have done really well as they are very shy most of the time. They specialize in hunting the bigger birds like guinea fowl, francolins and spurfowl, by jumping an easy 6 feet into the air and plucking their victims from mid air.

As far as the lions go, well we have been blessed with all kinds of fantastic sightings of the Jamala females and their new cubs on a giraffe kill, which lasted for 6 days of photography bliss for all of our guests who managed to enjoy this sighting with us.

Madikwe is probably one of the best places in Africa to see the Largest of our predators in action, and with all the other prides in the area, you will not be disappointed if you come and join us.

One of the other incredible sights and sounds you will witness at this time of the year are all the elephants found in and around the dams in afternoon safaris, as they come from foraging in the thickets to quench their thirsts in the ever growing temperatures of the afternoon sun. The mood when they get to come and drink is something you have to come and experience.

The Rhinos also pop out of the woodwork as, they join the elephants for a well deserved drink.

So…come on, book now for that awesome spring time bush break…. Christo, Cornelius and I just can’t wait to show you around our “office”…..

Warmest bush Regards,
Gavin and the rest of the fabulous T-team

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