September 2024

Singita Pamushana Lodge

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Singita Pamushana Lodge: September 2024

There are pockets on the reserve where the air is delicious with the candied, slightly earthy fragrance of Coffea racemosa flowers, permeating the dry, rugged landscape. The heat is often intense, with temperatures soaring, yet there have been one or two days when cold air and light rains break through, offering a respite. Around the waterholes and dams the predator activity has been frequent, with the constant, tense anticipation of an easy meal.

A sightings snapshot for September follows:

Lions

  • Southern Pride: The pride was scattered at the start of the month. We first saw two males and one female, and one of the males was mating with the lioness. Then after much vocalising they found other members of the pride. Five members (three males and two females) killed a buffalo bull in the Mahande area and feasted on that for a couple of days.
  • Nduna Pride: Five Nduna lions (two males and three females) also made swift work of a young buffalo.
  • River/Hippo Pride: Great news revealed near month end was that this pride have another set of cubs. Eleven lions were viewed at the swamps, consisting of two males, four females and two sets of cubs. It was such a joy to see the cubs suckling and playing.

Leopards

  • Two of the highlights this month are of leopards seen up trees:
  • Assistant Head Guide, Tengwe Siabwanda, heard a leopard calling whilst waiting for his guests at the coffee station that overlooks the dam. Scanning with binoculars he spotted a large male leopard marking territory along the shoreline below. With his guests gathered he quickly drove to the harbour and jumped into one of the cruising boats. They spotted the leopard still marking his territory, but then he disappeared into the thick bush. A few minutes later they heard noise coming from the bush and saw five lions chasing the leopard! Luckily the leopard managed to climb up to the top of a false marula tree. One of the lionesses climbed up halfway but failed to reach the leopard, and some of the lions lay down below the tree. Fortunately the other guests could also stop their game drive and come out on the other boats to see the scene, which lasted for over an hour, before the lions lost interest and moved off, and the leopard executed his escape plan.
  • A female leopard was seen up a tree at Croc Creek, possibly scanning the area for danger or hunting opportunities.
  • Far more secretive for both the leopard and the viewers was this sighting: A very wary female leopard had killed an impala one morning and left a drag mark near the banks of the Chiredzi River. The leopard was not on site so Head Guide, Brad Fouché, put up a camera trap nearby focusing on the impala carcass. By that afternoon when they returned to the site the leopard had not been back. But the next morning they checked again and found three photos of her. Hopefully this leopard will become less skittish over time and we can eventually view her in person.

Wild dogs

  • The pack with seven pups was seen near Nduna, resting in the shade one morning. Then the pups decided it was playtime and started their sports much to the delight of all. That afternoon they were still there, so again guests got to witness them relaxing, then rallying for a hunt, then disappearing into the sunset.
  • On one occasion the adults left the seven pups on their own right on the main Binya Road as they hunted nearby. It was terrifying when suddenly a hyena appeared and started circling them. Then the hyena chased them and the pups ran for their lives up the road where, thankfully, they were joined by the adults. The hyena gave up its chase and the adults led the pups away.
  • A fascinating experience was being with the pack when nine of the adults, with the seven pups, were contact calling for the two missing adults. Such eerie hooting calls.
  • The pack lost an impala kill to a clan of ten hyenas that descended on them from every direction, and they had to conceded the loss.

Hyenas

Notable hyena highlights include:

  • Seeing three hyenas escort a female leopard along the road at Croc Creek.
  • Two hyenas stashing parts of a wildebeest in the muddy waters of Banyini Pan.
  • Seeing seven hyenas fighting over a kudu kill, while on a walk.

Rhinos

  • White rhinos: Because of the extremely dry conditions at the moment we are seeing record numbers of rhinos together as they congregate at the permanent waterpoints to drink. We’ve also witnessed fighting between two bulls.
  • Black rhinos: There’ve been some epic sightings of black rhinos, particularly in family groups. The most was four of them drinking together on the shoreline of the dam. There has also been a black rhino drinking at the little pan at the base of Pamushana hill.

Elephants

  • There have been bulls dotted all over the reserve, including one of our favourite big tuskers, Mapunzawiya.
  • The breeding herds have joined in on feeding on the fallen acacia pods.
  • A breeding herd has also been drinking at the little pan at the base of the Pamushana hill, and it has been a delight to be detained by this road block while watching the little ones play.

Buffalos

  • The water sources are churned to mud after vast herds congregate to drink and cool down. The biggest congregation must have been a herd of about 600 buffalo drinking at Banyini Pan.

Plains game

  • It’s the best time of the year to look for the more reclusive antelope such as sable, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest and eland. Good sightings have been had.

Unusual sightings

  • A highlight this month was discovering a Verreaux’s eagle eating a dassie/hyrax at the base of a hill.

Boat cruise

  • The ultimate way to relax and unwind – just cruising along, sipping a sundowner, and drinking in the wild splendour while watching the birds, hippos and crocs. Making the cruises extra special were five lions that spent a lot of time on the shoreline this month. Also, a breeding herd of elephants drinking from the dam - they weren’t disturbed by the boat at all and guests could take stunning photos with their phones.

Fishing

  • The tigers are biting! Fishing has been very good this month and quite a few fish have been landed. Distractions have included an elephant herd drinking and a leopard on the shoreline.

Photographic hide

  • The hide is at its zenith right now. This will change when the rains come. We’ve had bull elephants visit, buffalo and white rhino drinking together. There was one afternoon that attracted multiple white rhinos, six wild dogs, two lions, an elephant bull, and five buffalo bulls. A morning session resulted in multiple white rhinos, zebras, kudu bulls and cows, two herds of wildebeest, herds of impala, eland, a jackal, a slender mongoose and a sable bull. In addition 22 species of birds were seen, the highlight being a secretarybird.

Walks & rock art

  • It is also the best time of year to walk because the low vegetation gives high visibility. Exploring can be done and new areas accessed. One group of guests was particularly keen on seeing lions and spent several mornings tracking them on foot, before viewing them safely. Some of these walks lasted for about three hours, and other animals, such as rhinos, were seen on the way.

By Jenny Hishin
Author / Field Guide