Singita Pamushana Lodge
Singita Pamushana Lodge: October 2024
After three consecutive days of rain at the end of September the landscape is showing signs of life again with new green shoots appearing. Thankfully we’ve also had some good rainfall in October – and long may it last.
The sightings have been phenomenal, and an abundance of wildlife has had no choice but to gather at the permanent waterholes, as the rain has quickly been absorbed into the ground by the parched, bone-dry earth. On one occasion at Hwata Pan we had three elephant bulls, five white rhinos, warthogs, more than 100 zebras, lots of wildebeest, kudu, hartebeest and impalas come to drink. It was so crowded that some of the animals had to defer to others and wait for a turn to drink. On one occasion guests managed to photograph three of the Big Five in one frame. On another occasion, over at the swamps on the Hippo Valley side, guests were treated to four of the Big Five in one area – lions, rhinos, elephants and buffalos.
A sightings snapshot for October follows:
Lions
Most of the kills this month were of buffalos, but we also witnessed lions feeding on a male waterbuck carcass and an eland.
- Southern Pride: Members of this pride have been in the Hwata area for most of the month, and are now moving off to the south-east.
- Nduna Pride: Two males and three lionesses, a mating pair among them, have been viewed drinking at Nduna Dam, and hunting buffalo in the area. At one point one of the males sat close to the water’s edge, stopping wise animals from coming to drink. However, a white rhino came along and was not interested in his hogging the scene, so just drank calmly from the opposite bank, without any drama.
- River/Hippo Pride: The sighting with the most members present was of 11 lions – two males, four lionesses and five cubs. The adults were sleeping in the shade, while the cubs played with one another.
- Two scar-free, strong males had a feeding frenzy when they were found amid three buffalo kills. Each male was guarding his own kill, and the third kill was unattended. We suspected the third, a calf, was killed in a stampede.
Leopards
Very good leopard sightings this month, for this region:
- A female leopard and her sub-adult cub have been seen on numerous occasions in the Croc Creek area.
- A male leopard was marking his territory along the shoreline of the Malilangwe Dam.
- A leopard missed an impala two metres away from one of the safari vehicles. Impalas shot out in all directions, snorting alarm calls which warned other animals about the hunting leopard.
- In some light drizzling rain a leopard was seen sitting on top of some rocks near the side of the road. The cat curled itself in a circle to keep warm, and then after some time jumped down behind the rocks and disappeared. The guide and his guests followed cautiously on foot and, concealed by a bush in front of them, watched as the leopard caught a dassie!
- Another highlight was finding a leopard in a baobab tree, and then seeing it descend to hunt and kill an impala in full view of our guests.
Wild dogs
The large pack have been seen with up to 19 members present. The pups are doing well, but are not involved in hunts yet.
- An exhilarating sighting was finding the pack consuming an impala. An elephant was trumpeting and kicking up a huge fuss, alerting the guide to the fact that something extraordinary was happening. Upon investigation they found the wild dogs eating the impala, and at the same time a white rhino appeared on the scene.
Rhinos
- Large crashes of white rhinos are guaranteed at this time, as they congregate at waterholes, and graze the new green shoots of grass.
- We’ve seen quite a few crashes of black rhinos together this month. They are usually solitary but we are seeing family groups browsing together.
Elephants
- Delightful breeding herds are to be found along the river, and drinking from the Malilangwe Dam. Elephants provide arguably the best viewing – watching their family dynamics and behaviour provides endless hours of fascination.
- Bulls have been trundling in to drink at Hwata Pan which is an unforgettable experience should you be inside the photographic hide when they arrive.
Hyenas
- A highlight was seeing three hyenas submerged in water, cooling themselves off.
Buffalos
- A standout sighting was when hundreds of buffalo were drinking at Nduna Dam. After watching them for a long time guide and guests noticed that one buffalo was struggling in the mud. Upon closer investigation they realised a lioness had it trapped in the mud and was busy killing it. She immediately began feeding once it was dead.
Plains game
- We’ve enjoyed such good sightings of plains game like giraffes, zebras and wildebeest, and been treated to the shyer species of eland, sable and hartebeest too. Once the seasonal pans fill the shyer species will be far more challenging for us to view.
Unusual sightings
- Two honey badgers were seen cruising the ‘street’ at Croc Creek.
- On three separate occasions brown hyenas have been seen this month. It is so exciting that we are catching glimpses of these rare animals.
Birding
- Malilangwe is a birding mecca at the moment. All the migrants are arriving, and it has been a joy to have keen birders in camp to view the visitors as well as the homebodies.
Boat cruise
- It’s impossible to describe how idyllic our boat cruises are, especially as sunset golden ripples reflect on the water. You just have to come and experience it for yourself! One set of guests even got treated to a breeding herd of over 40 elephants drinking on the shores of the east bank of the dam, and later an adult male leopard coming to drink on the west bank.
Fishing
- The fishing is on! After catching her first fish, a 3kg bream, our guest became hooked! She and her husband thoroughly enjoyed being out on the water, and her husband landed a 2kg tigerfish!
Photographic hide
- The photographic hide at Hwata Pan has offered guests the unforgettable experience of a lifetime. Soon the rains will come and render this opportunity less rewarding, but for now it has been superb with elephant bulls, rhinos, buffalos, lions and an abundance of plains game and other creatures coming to drink. A standout moment was when a courageous white rhino boldly charged an elephant, twice its size, away from the water.
Walks & rock art
- Some of the walks conducted during this prime time have been to track big game on foot; others to experience the landscape at ground level; and others to view the rock art sites. One couple were so enthralled by the rock art they requested to visit different rock art sites on consecutive days.
