Arathusa Safari Lodge blog

Rhino having a mud bath by Brendon Cremer

Monday 14th

Today got off to a pretty good start, with general game being in great abundance. We headed towards a well known pan, and came across some very fresh female leopard tracks en route. We investigated further on foot, and found Safari with an impala kill she’d hoisted up a tree.

After that we carried on towards a little mud wallow, and stumbled upon five white rhinos seeking respite from the heat in the cool mud. We then heard reports on the radio of a lion sighting, and raced north to find the four Nkahuma females and two Kijima males. We enjoyed really good sightings of the pride for the rest of the day. They didn’t do much more than just laze around, although they did offer guests the opportunity to get a little “snap happy”.

On our way back home we came across a pack of seven wild dogs. They had chased a young male leopard up a tree while hunting impala. The dogs then chased the impala under said tree, and the leopard decided to take advantage of the ensuing chaos by launching himself onto the impala. This was a nice idea in theory, but unfortunately he missed his mark.

Still, it was a day of action-packed excitement for us.

Tuesday 15th

The morning started off slowly, with heavy rain causing the animals to hide away. The weather cleared slightly in the afternoon however, and we were treated to an awesome sighting of the seven wild dogs again. They were running around in the soft rain, looking for a herd of impala to make a meal of.

Later on we found Ntima scent marking in the road. Sadly, it looks as if she’s stopped lactating, which means she has probably lost her last litter of cubs. Safari was also seen, and still munching on her impala kill.

In the end, what we thought would be a quiet day, turned out to be quite a productive one.

Wednesday 16th

Elephants, elephants, everywhere. The Marula trees are still the main attraction for these magnificent beasts. While driving past one of the dams in the area, we stopped to look at some impala and heard a leopard calling nearby. As we drew closer we found Mafufunyane walking away from the dam. We’d just stopped to admire him when we heard the mystery leopard call again.

After scouting around for a while we eventually found Emsagwen lying in the grass calling. In the meantime, a very nervous looking Mafufunyane quickly left the area. Emsagwen proceeded to follow Mafufunyane around for most of the day, although there was no conflict between the two.

Later on we were watching some giraffe when we heard a distress call. We found the seven wild dogs again, and this time with two freshly killed impala. What an action packed day.

Thursday 17th

Zebra by Brendon Cremer

Today was a relatively quiet day, although there was plenty of general game about. Big herds of impala, zebra and blue wildebeest all congregated on the airstrip, providing excellent photo opportunities for guests. There were huge herds of elephants around again, as well as a few of small groups of male buffalo here and there.

The wild dogs made yet another appearance, albeit a very brief one, before heading to the south. There were a few rhino around the big waterholes, and we also came across an area where a leopard had dragged its prey across the road into the bush. We followed on foot and found Ntima in some very thick bush with an impala kill.

Friday 18th

Ntima managed to keep her kill overnight, and was still eating away at it this morning. We heard male lions calling and went to follow up, but unfortunately they hadn’t come north over our southern boundary yet. With their big voices, lions often sound a lot closer than they actually are. We hadn’t seen any lions for about five days, but from the sound of things they were definitely coming closer.

We’ve enjoyed some lovely close-up elephant sightings, as well as some great hyena sightings close to the lodge.  At night we could hear them ‘giggling’ and ‘chattering’ together – one of the best sounds of the African bush!

Saturday 19th

Today we had a very sweet sighting of a female white rhino and her calf in a nice open clearing. The calf was extremely curious of the vehicle, and would constantly come closer to get a look at us. But her bravery failed her each time, and she’d go running back to Mom who was casually feeding nearby.

We also came across a young male leopard stalking impala. We think it might be one of Karula’s youngsters trying to establish his territory nearby. No doubt he’ll be forced out the area before long.

There is also a new addition to the hippo family in the dam in front of the lodge. We saw the female with her calf – who looks to be in the region of two weeks old – feeding on the island today.

Sunday 20th

This morning we heard lions calling towards the eastern sector, which was a very good sign. We immediately headed out to see if we could find them, and luck was definitely on our side. We found the four Majingilhane male lions fast asleep, just south of a well known pan. Finally, the ‘lion drought’ was over.

After watching these kings of the bush for a while, we went to see what – if anything – was left of Ntima’s impala kill. When we arrived in the area, we found Ntima and Mafufunyane mating.

This was extremely special to witness as as it’s by no means an everyday occurrence to see leopards mating. We also had the privilege of seeing the Tsalala pride of lions, and are happy to report that they are all in very good condition. General game was once again in abundance. And we also had the pleasure of elephant, rhino and buffalo right on our doorstep.

Yet another exciting week here at Arathusa Safari Lodge. Visit our Facebook and Flikr albums to see more photos.

Until next time,

The Arathusa Team

Wild dog by Brendon Cremer

Monday 7th

The week got off to a great start when we found Tyson – one of our big male leopards, just walking along marking his territory. Unfortunately he eventually moved off the road and down into a drainage line, which meant we couldn’t follow him any further.

We hit the jackpot when we came across the pack of seven wild dogs hanging out on the airstrip close to the lodge. It turned out to be a superb sighting, as the pack had just finished a kill. Watching them interact while in such high spirits is always a real treat.

The afternoon provided more entertainment, with rhino, elephant and buffalo all at the same waterhole, drinking and wallowing in the mud together. We then spent the remainder of the evening with two of the Styx lionesses. The pair was just lazing about however, as their bellies were still full from the night before.

Tuesday 8th

Male leopard: Mafufunyane - by Brendon Cremer

Mafufenyane – another of our large male leopards, was the first to greet us on morning drive. When we found him he was fast asleep in the middle of the road, panting heavily because of the massive stomach he had on him. Clearly he’d eaten well the night before.

We found our female cheetah a little while later, and she was looking extremely stressed.  She’d lost her sub-adult female cub, and was frantically running around looking and calling for her. Eventually the anxious Mom got the response she’d been hoping for, and went racing off into the bush to find her daughter.

A sizeable herd of elephants arrived to drink at one of the bigger dams, where some old male buffalo were whiling away the day in the mud.

To cap off an already great day, we found three of the Majingilhanes male lions resting and grooming one another. The fourth brother was still missing, and believed to be holed up in a “love nest” somewhere with one of the Styx lionesses.

Wednesday 9th

Today we saw Ntima – one of our female leopards, crossing a big open area. We’re a little concerned about her because she should have had her cubs by now. Suckle marks point to this being the case, but the last few times we’ve seen her she’s been covered in deep gashes. She must have gotten into a scrap or two recently, as the wounds look like they were inflicted by another leopard.

We got a nice surprise when we found the other two Styx lionesses around a waterhole. Both had nice, fat stomachs, and even better, one lioness had suckle marks.

That evening we tried to find the lionesses again, but our attempts were unsuccessful. Eventually Mafufenyane stepped in and found them for us. We were following him down the road, when all of a sudden he flattened himself to the ground and then dashed off into the bush. Next thing the two lionesses came wandering out onto the road, completely oblivious to what they had just missed.

We also saw plenty of elephant, rhino and buffalo, so all in all not a bad day’s game viewing.

Thursday 10th

Having the exciting days interspersed with the occasional quiet one is not necessarily a bad thing. Today we had a great sighting of six rhinos at a waterhole. There was a young male hippo in the pan when they arrived, and he was none too pleased with having his quiet time interrupted by the newcomers. He proceeded to put on quite a show for us, scaring the life out of the rhino in the process.

We also saw the two Styx lionesses again, but they’d eaten again the night before so the only action we got from them was their loud snores.

Friday 11th

Cheetah by Brendon Cremer

We spent the entire morning with the female cheetah and her sub-adult cub. When we first found them they were in some very thick bush, which made it difficult for us to keep track of them. They eventually popped out onto one of the airstrips, and that’s when the fun began. We watched as the youngster stretched her legs and chased an African wildcat, which ran the race of its life in order to escape the speedy young cheetah. The mother and daughter pair then went and sat on a termite mound to soak up the morning sun, affording onlookers some incredible photo opportunities in the process.

They were still on the airstrip in the afternoon, and Mom was looking keen to hunt. Unfortunately her hopes of a meal were dashed when the impala ram she had her eye on caught sight of her before she’d managed to get close enough to give chase.

A large herd of elephants spoilt us with a fantastic sighting as they fed for ages in a large open area, leaving their little ones to roam and inspect the vehicles. Seeing baby elephants up close is always something special.

The cherry on top was when we found Mixu – one of our a young male leopards, splayed across a nice big rock in a drainage line.

Saturday 12th

Rhino by Brendon Cremer

Today belonged to the large herbivores. It was nice and hot, so moving from one water point to another we were almost guaranteed to bump into one of the big guys.

We did spot Ntima resting next to one of the roads, but unfortunately she was lying in such a way that we weren’t able to make out if she still had suckle marks. We could see that her wounds were looking better however, and from the look of things she didn’t have any fresh ones either.

Our bonus for the day came when Safari – our old female leopard, showed herself. It’s always wonderful to see this old girl, because of her advanced years we never know if it will be the last time. Although she looked to be in great condition, so perhaps this isn’t something we need to worry about anytime soon.

Sunday 13th

We were privy to an impressive cheetah chase this morning. We managed to find the female cheetah with her youngster again, and it was obvious from her demeanour that she was preparing to hunt.

Just as we expected, she was up and after a herd of impala soon after we arrived. At such speeds, it didn’t take long for her to disappear from sight though. We were still looking in the direction that she’d run, when an impala suddenly came shooting past one of our vehicles. With the cheetah in tow.

We have never had a cheetah come so close at such a speed. She even grazed Debeer – our tracker, as she flew past. Unfortunately she lost the impala in some thick bush, so we just sat with her for a while as she recouped some of the energy she’d just expended.

We then got a call from the lodge to let us know that there were two leopards in the parking lot, so we headed back to have a look. Just as we arrived Shadow – one of our female leopards, and her cub came strolling out of the lodge.

It’s quite ironic how the animals invariably visit the lodge while we’re out in the bush looking for them.

The remainder of the evening was spent sitting with four male cheetahs that were resting out in the open. They were later joined by seven rhino.

Wow…what a way to end yet another brilliant week up here in paradise. Visit our Facebook and Flikr albums to see more photos.

Until next time,

The Arathusa Team

Thandi - Female leopard by Brendon Cremer

Monday 31st

We had mixed fortunes during our afternoon game drive. We were delighted to find Thandi – one of our female leopards, but she crossed into the Kruger National Park shortly thereafter, and we were unable to follow her. We found three of the Majingilhane male lions and one Styx lioness feeding on a fresh buffalo kill, which left us wondering where the fourth male was. Later on in the afternoon we saw a group of seven white rhino. All in all, not a bad day’s viewing.

Tuesday 1st

There were lots of elephants about this morning, and they provided us with some fantastic sightings. It proved to be a very romantic drive. We eventually found the missing Majingilhane male mating with one of the Styx females, which explained his absence at lunch yesterday.

We couldn’t believe our luck when we also found two of our leopards – Mafufenyane and Ntima, mating. Unfortunately their amorous activities came to an abrupt halt when two hyenas interrupted them, sending them bolting for the hills.

Two of the Majingilhane males and one lioness were still enjoying their buffalo feast this afternoon.

We saw lots of buffalo bulls and elephants during the afternoon. Salayexe - one of our more regularly seen female leopards, was found relaxing on the cool sand of a dry riverbed just before sunset.

Wednesday 2nd

Majingilhane male lion by Brendon Cremer

The Majingilhane male and Styx female were still ‘at it’ today, in spite of all the attention they were getting. We also enjoyed good sightings of elephant, buffalo and rhino on both the morning and afternoon drives.

Thursday 3nd

This morning we came across Thandi – another of our beautiful female leopards – just ambling along the road. We found four young male lions in the north east corner of the reserve, at the Kruger National Park boundary. We’re not sure who they are or where they come from. They appear to be in the vicinity of two and a half to three and a half years old, and were roaring confidently.

Things could become very interesting if they try to move into the area. They will no doubt have to explain themselves to the four Majingilhane males, who are much stronger and older than they are. We were ecstatic to find four male cheetahs at a watering hole, as these cats are not that easy to find. Not that you’d believe that, considering how often we’ve seen them in the last month.

Friday 4th

Styx lioness by Brendon Cremer

This morning we found the young Styx female all by herself at our airstrip. She showed passing interest in some nearby impalas, but didn’t attempt to stalk them.

Shadow – one of our female leopards – showed us her gorgeous cub to us just as we were returning to the lodge. The cub, who is about four or five months old, is becoming very playful and entertaining, as well as being extremely inquisitive of the vehicles.

The afternoon belonged to the cheetahs. We found the four males again, this time relaxing on a dam wall. We also saw a female with her eighteen month old daughter at another small waterhole.

Mafufenyane – our old male leopard – had an unfortunate afternoon. He’d just killed a young impala and hoisted it into a tree, when he saw two lionesses approaching. He tried to reposition the kill in order to secure it, but unfortunately it fell to the ground in the process, providing a free snack for the females. He looked very disgusted as he watched them eating his hard-earned meal.

Saturday 5th

Today we once again had the privilege of seeing Shadow and her cub on their way for an early morning drink. The two of them have been spending a lot of time around the lodge lately, which has of course been fantastic for us.

The two female cheetahs managed to kill a young impala this morning, and we spent a fair amount of time watching as they devoured their prize. We noticed the two Styx lionesses lurking nearby, but luckily they did not steal the cheetahs’ meal. Which is something that often happens, as cheetahs are very low ranking predators.

Sunday 6th

Shadow and her cub showed themselves close to the lodge again. It was a real treat to be able to watch this playful pair interacting with one another.

We saw various herds of elephants feeding. Now that the Marula trees are in full fruit, we seem to be bumping into them around every corner.

The four male cheetahs were back at the waterhole again, a spot they’re evidently quite fond of.

On the afternoon drive we came across the two magnificent Kijima male lions, the pair was with four females and two cubs when we found them. We kept a safe distance because we don’t see them that often, and as a result they are less tolerant of vehicles than the lions we see on a regular basis.

We’re looking forward to the coming week, and wonder what it holds in store for us. Visit our Facebook and Flikr pages to see more photos.

Until next time,

The Arathusa team