Hope you all enjoyed your holidays, and are ready to take on 2014 Head On !!
Well, 2014 started off with a bang for me as I was straight into the leopards !! Yes please, i like it that way !!
The new face that appeared around early november last year is making his presence felt, and it looks as if he is wanting to set up territory in an area not too far from the lodge.
So yes, this is splendid news !!
This was on thursday morning…..
Some more good news, is that the hyena den that we reported on earlier, is giving us some amazing moments with the cubs becoming more habituated to the vehicles, and growing in confidence.
So thats how my 2014 starts here in the bush….. maybe you should start yours in the bush too????
Happy New Year everybody! Wow 2013 just flew by and here we are ready and set for 2014.
The rains finally set in and Madikwe could not look any greener. It always amazes me how this barren winter landscape can transform after some proper rain storms. Of course with the rain arrives the new born Impala’s (Mac nuggets) and Wildebeest calves which always ads to the excitement on game drive. But the most adorable baby’s this December were to be found at the Hyena den in the South of the park. What a treat it is to pull-up to the den site and see the cutest little hyena cub sniffing and stumbling around the den site. These cubs are probably not more than a month or two old and still black due to their young age and has stolen quite a few guests’ hearts.
We also had a clash of the titans drive one afternoon. We were heading off to Vleipan in the east of the park. It was rainy and we didn’t expect to see much game…but were we in for a surprise!! On the way to Vleipan we could hear a lion roar, but not just any roar, this roar stated that someone or something was about to be in serious trouble. We went looking and found one of the young Kwandwe males on a mission towards Vleipan. Not too sure what was going on we followed close behind and then the call came in, the two Naledi males are at Vleipan. Technically it was the Kwandwe males trespassing on the Naledi males’ territory, but this young Kwandwe was going to war. Just south of Vleipan they encountered each other, the lone Kwandwe quickly realized that he was outnumbered two to one, he turned tail and ran to go look for his brother, with the Naledi’s right on his tail. And then something happened I could not have foreseen in my wildest dreams, the Kwandwe male found his brother and went on the attack. I suspect the Naledi males were just as surprised as us, for now it was their turn to run for their lives. We did not see the fight as they disappeared into the thickets still chasing each other, but it must have been ground shattering. A few days later only one Naledi brother was found. It seems like the Kwandwe males made a deadly statement.
One of the Kwande males reflecting on their victory over the Naledi males
The Wild Dog sightings this month was out of this world. The Southern pack of dogs made it their mission to impress the guests and we were fortunate enough to experience them hunting and killing twice; and that on the same day. The morning hunt started off with the dogs harassing some Zebra, but decided not to try their luck with sharp hoofs and accurate kicks. Next up was a small group of adult Wildebeest that saw through the dogs hunting strategy and just stood in a group not allowing the dogs to unnerve them into running away, which would give the dogs the upper hand. So we followed some more as the dogs set of yet again to acquire a new target, which they did a short time later. Two unfortunate Wildebeest cows with brand new babies attracted the Wild Dogs attention and the hunt was on. The dogs quickly surrounded the two Wildebeest and with a tremendous amount of noise started harassing the two mothers and calves. The aim of the dogs was to cause chaos and confuse the Wildebeest mothers who were trying desperately to protect their calves from the hungry mouths of the dogs. But to no avail, the Wild Dogs finally succeeded and we were left in awe of the savagery and unforgivingness of Mother Nature.
Two small Wildebeest calves obviously did not satisfy the Wild Dogs appetite. On the evening drive we again found the dogs on the hunt and after a mad dash through the bush they managed to single off a sub adult Wildebeest and the chase was on. The chase did not last long, as the Wildebeest ended up in a small drainage line and the Wild Dogs had another feast.
Seeing that it is baby month even the jackals were happy to show off their new pups. We found 3 jackal pups playing outside their den one morning. At first they were not too sure if they could trust this strange noisy “animal”, but eventually decided we didn’t pose a threat and continued their play, even gnawing a baby Impala head mom or dad must have brought them.
The Cheetah’s as always also played their part and we stumbled into them a bit unexpectedly one morning whilst out looking for the Wild Dogs. But they didn’t mind the surprise and happily carried on marking their territory, even climbing a termite mound I parked next to, just to make sure that we could see them in all their splendour and glory.
Back at the lodge families were enjoying the swimming pool, massages and cocktails while the elephants helped themselves to a drink at the lodge watering hole. Kids were also busy with activities, and worked together to build their safari adventure with modeling clay while also receiving their junior ranger certificates for spotting the animals on game drive!
And Best for Last…..
Kids at Tuningi, all the way from Finland, had a visit from Farther Christmas!
What a surprise!! The Jolly Old Man had a close shave with lions at Tlou Dam when he stopped to water his Reindeer, but Father Christmas still made it to Tuningi.
Well that is it for 2013!
We wish you a splendid 2014!!!
We know at Tuningi the year will provide us with even more fun and excitement and hopefully lots of return guests! J
After a wet start to the game drive this morning, all our luck turned…
After a quick tracking session and teamwork we located the Naledi male lion, which was hiding in the wet grass. Lucky for us he got up, something this old guy can’t be bothered doing to often, and we could follow him for a while.
The highlight for me and my guests was the Wild dogs we found not far from the lodge. This pack has been hanging around the lodges close to us for a few days now but keeping track of them through all the rocks proved challenging. As we got to them they were in an open area full of white flowers called “String of Stars”. There were great interaction between the dogs and a heard of Zebras, the Zebras did the chasing.
Happy New Year to all our friend and family. May you have a wonderful and blessed 2014. We hope to see you back this year to join us in all the exciting happenings at Tuningi.
Yesterday was another cool and wet day after the rain we had the day before. For weather like that we had an amazing game drive. We saw lion cubs, a big herd of elephants, a male elephant in musth that caused some excitement and a herd of Buffalo.
But the best was when a White Rhino joined us having a Gin and Tonic. We all stood close to the vehicles as he passed through the clearing with an amazing sunset as the backdrop.
The year is almost at an end but at Tuningi the excitement never stops!!!
These Dwarf Mongoose were our highlight one afternoon. Although we saw big things, these little guys entertained us for a long time as they played in a massive Leadwood stump they used as their playhouse for the day.
They were in and out of all the holes trying to figure out if it was safe to come out. After a while they had the confidence and moved to another spot.
It is not always just about the big cats. Yesterday we spent some amazing time with a clan of Hyena’s that was fooling around in the cold morning air. They are denning in the south of the park and although there are hyena cubs we have not been lucky enough to see them yet.
Our luck changed when we stumbled upon a Black Backed Jackal den. The 3 puppies were very relaxed with us there and continue to play around their burrow and eventually went to gnaw on a baby impala head that the parents brought back to the den.
We were spoiled to see these guys again yesterday afternoon. After they disappeared from the south of Madikwe a few days ago, they were finally found.
As we planned our game drive to the north they were gone. Full of hope, we decided to go in any case. To all surprise they popped up at Tlou dam. All of Madikwe saw them as they enjoyed the last warmth from the sun.
After the 30 mm of rain we had in the early hours of the morning the land was soaked. The drive started off with an unexplained excitement in the air. We didn’t mind the quiet start of the drive, we were just happy to be out there.
The Mica pride was found as the finished a Blue Wildebeest they killed last night. When I arrived all the pride members were sleeping on the cool, wet soil. The one young male though was making there will be nothing left for the jackals waiting patiently.
Yesterday afternoon started off with lots to see. Lots of general game close to the lodge and not far, the Jamala Pride of lions. The two females and their six cubs were quite active for that time of day. There were some nice interaction between them and a herd of Elephants close by.
The early activity obviously meant they knew something we didn’t!! Just as the sun went down a thunder storm came out of nowhere and we were soaked by the time we got back at the lodge. We don’t mind tough, we love the rain!!!
This morning did not start very well for us. After the wake-up call as the guests were having coffee down by the main lodge a sudden thunder shower dampened our early morning game drive spirit. We diced to make the best of the delay and poured another cup of coffee. So after waiting for an hour for the rain to blow over I went on game drive with very jittery guests, too much coffee I suspect.
Usually just after the rain game drives can be rather quiet as the animals are still huddled away in the thickets or laying down trying to stay warm, but luckily for us the Wild Dogs got called in not too long after we left the lodge, exactly what I was looking for. So we’re happily bumbling along towards the Wild Dog sighting when I notice 3 Wildebeest staring of into the distance looking very alarmed, usually a good sign that they have spotted a predator, but what could it be? Then to the amazement of the guests a Cheetah makes its appearance from the bush, then another, and another. The 3 Wildebeest alerted us to the presence of our 4 male Cheetahs, what luck. Wild dogs forgotten we spent a bit of time with the 4 males as they look rather hungry and definitely hunting, but being typical cat gets distracted by the prospect of rather sleeping.
Later on we left to go and find the Wild Dog and got them as they were busy cleaning up the remains of a year old Impala they caught earlier the morning.
Not too bad for a drive that started off with rain and way to much caffeine.
My new guests were treated to a super sighting of the 4 cheetah boys on a cloudy cool morning,as they were just relaxing under some trees, when all of a sudden a small herd of Red Hartebeest come rushing straight towards us, and the cheetahs all stood up as one and gave chase, but it was aborted due to them not been able to locate a suitable target…. But the speed…… impressive !!
So that was how this morning started, and the grins on the guests faces said it all !!
Then we located on our resident pack of dogs once more, and followed them through some tough terrain as we witnessed their efficient teamwork as they harassed a few zebra and adult wildebeest. What happens next, might not be for some, but when lady luck is in your hands, take it, because you will not see this again in your lifetime. This was what my guests experienced this morning, and is not for the feint hearted !!
Yesterday’s sighting had nothing on this one, and the emotional roller coaster felt on this hunt was unbelievable. The dogs eventually found a herd of wildebeest with 2 newly born wildebeest, and then proceeded to showcase their skill in separating the 2 mothers and their young from the herd. After this it was just a matter of time before the inevitable happened .
TWO KILLS IN 24 HOURS….. THATS WHY YOU COME TO TUNINGI SAFARI LODGE !!!
