Author: Focus Online Dev

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.

From the T-Team

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.

Hi All,

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 !!!

Hello all you Tuningi Fans…

Well this morning was fresh after the 30mm of rain that has fallen over the last 2 days, and the bush is growing so fast at the moment, that you can actually hear it!!

The impala and wildebeest have started giving birth to their calves, and the bush is coming alive with new life. We will post some pics of the new borns shortly, but firstly, I must share with you what we experienced this morning……

it was a pretty quiet morning all around, as it was very difficult to locate tracks of anything worth following, as the rain had made the ground extremely hard, so we had to be happy with the odd elephant and buffalo sighting among the hoards of general game. Until we stopped for our coffee break that is…..

I had just finished a pot of coffee, when a wild dog came racing past our vehicle after a young wildebeest at full tilt, when I shouted to my guests to jump in the land cruiser, so that we can follow the action. And action it was as when we arrived they were busy anchoring the sub-adult wildebeest by the nose while the other pack members were starting to rip at the inner thighs with their razor-like teeth.

The tensions were high on the vehicle with the emotions running high once again, but this is life on the african savannahs, as the Painted Wolves once again treated our guests to a once in a lifetime sighting.

 

 

Greetings to all of you once again,

November was a month full of promise, as the start of the rains brought some much needed relief to the bush, and things are starting to green up transforming the vegetation in a matter of days to a healthier state.

We will start off with the positive news in that we are having amazing leopard sightings this month, and the arrival of a new young male into our area has got us all very excited, as he is very relaxed and seems to be staying in the area for now. He even joined Cornelius at one of his sundowner stops, and was spotted by another guide passing by lying on the road and observing the occasion.

Tsala, our resident leopardess has also impressed many a guest with her beauty and power, as she was seen on a few kills she had made including an impala and a young zebra on a different occasion.

We are hoping that she will get pregnant soon, and allow us to share in the new arrivals, which would really make the pinnacle of our daily safaris.

The 4 cheetah brothers are doing extremely well, and they are killing on a regular basis, but are also travelling extensively In the park in search of a female, but as of yet the park authorities have not yet acquired a suitable candidate to be brought to Madikwe.  So in the meantime, they are still searching.

Our lion prides in the area are looking good, and the Jamala prides cubs have now been weaned off of milk from their mothers, and are growing incredibly quickly as they are having regular meals all thanks to their efficient mothers.

They are also at an age now, where fun is the name of the game, and they are honing their hunting skills as they stalk and attack each other in some serious aerial acrobatics.

The Naledi brothers, which are the fathers of all these cubs, are feeling some pressure from the new Kwandwe males which are pushing in from the east, and they are having to spend a lot of time on the eastern boundary of the territory to re-scent the area with their presence. The Naledi boys are getting old now, and at 9 and a half years are in their twilight years as a dominant force in the south west, and it wont be too much longer before the Kwandwe males grow increasingly confident and will plan on a territory overtake in the not too distant future, so stay tuned for this development.

The Kwandwe males are so confident in their strength at the moment that they even attacked and killed a young elephant , as well as a buffalo this month. These guys are going to be a force to be reckoned with !!

Then, the story of the month must go out to the charismatic and efficient African Wild Dogs which Madikwe is so famous for !

It was a lazy afternoon, and the sun was out just after a short rain storm, and the fresh smells of the bush overwhelmed us as we drove around in search of the big 5, when we bumped into the small pack. They were on a mission !! You could see this in their eyes, and they were ready to hunt something down. Well, they continued on their ways, and not before long they came across some zebra with newborns with them, and before we could even blink, they were marauding the zebra, and creating chaos hoping for them to run. But the zebra stallion came to the challenge and started chasing and kicking at the dogs, which soon discouraged them, and they went off in search of easier prey.

After a short break and psyching up session, they were on the move again, and ran off into a westerly direction.

This is where one of the most amazing sightings I have witnessed in 13 years of my guiding career unfolded.

The dogs bumped into a herd of buffalo of around 50 strong, and as if they had practiced this before they charged into the herd creating chaos by giggling in their high pitched voices forcing the herd to scatter. Within seconds they had identified the target to be a mother with its very young calf, and they proceeded with the task of separating the calf from the very angry mother.

This continued for around 15 mins before they eventually separated the calf from the mother. This was the start of the end for the young calf, as the dogs overpowered it while others kept the attentions of the mother at bay by biting her on her tail as she swung around to defend her calf.

The rest is history, and no words can describe what emotions are felt in a situation like this, as my guests were all in tears and even wanted me to leave the sighting.

It is moments like these that we as rangers live for, and a sighting like this comes around only once in a career for some, and I was extremely happy with this sighting which is only the second time in my career that I have seen wild dogs taking on buffalo and succeeding !!

Until next time, we wish you all a blessed festive season.

Regards,

Gavin and the T-team