November 2024

Singita Sabi Sand

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Singita Sabi Sand: November 2024

Leading up to the month of November the Sand River was a major focal point but this month the grasslands have taken centre stage. With over 80 mm of rain falling during two isolated thunderstorms the reserve has gone through its seasonal makeover, like it has done for millennia. There’s a feast for the senses about that has been felt not only out on safari but within our lodge environment too. The dawn chorus starts earlier each day as the birds wake the Sun, impala ewes add their soft bleating contact calls and sharp-nosed grass frogs frantically croak to gain advantage for a chance to copulate. The abundance of life that is now present at Singita Sabi Sand fills us with hope as we look to nature to inspire and calm our souls.

Here’s a sightings recap for November:

Elephants

  • At the start of the month the attraction of the new sweet grass growing on the basalt-rich soils on the eastern side of the Greater Kruger, near our sister lodges Singita Lebombo and Sweni, proved too tempting for the mega herbivores, which saw a major localised movement toward that area. Once we finally received rains, we welcomed the return of herds of elephants back to the Sabi Sand. With the high volume of grass all over the reserve herds are made up of small groups of closely related elephants numbering about six in a herd.

Buffaloes

  • Much like their pachyderm counterparts there has been an increase in herds of buffalo in the south. The megafauna presence in this area is crucial to the success of the grassland ecosystem.

Lions

  • The rise of the Ximungwe Pride, two lioness and two female almost sub-adult offspring could possibly be responsible for the Tsalala cubs demise, as they seemed to have laid claim to the Tsalala lioness’ rocky kingdom which is Tavangumi koppies. They push further east now which has forced the Tsalala lioness to occupy the area around Taylor’s Crossing and beyond.
  • Sadly it has been confirmed that the Tsalala lioness, the lioness who gave birth and did her utmost to raise her three cubs close to our camps has been unsuccessful in her first attempt at raising her litter. It is not clear what/which predators killed them but the fact that they have not been seen in over a month and she has been mating again with the Plains Camp lions confirms their fate.
  • The Mhangeni Pride are looking strong as they have been securing regular large prey items like buffalo and zebra.
  • We had a sighting of the Kambula Pride, which is a breakaway of the Mhangeni Pride from many years back. The pride is 17 members strong, and they have been searching for the buffalo herds that now are feeding in the southern grasslands.
  • The Plains Camp males have been providing great viewing this month and have been sighted many times on Singita, some of these sightings have been from the decks of Ebony and Boulders Lodge

Leopards

  • At the start of the month the Nkuwa female leopard and Thamba male were mating, and again in the last week of the month. This is the first time these two have mated. She may mate with him numerous times before falling pregnant as this is to make certain he is the dominant male within her vicinity.
  • Ntomi male is a regular feature in our sightings report as he ritually patrols along the Mobeni River and around Castleton Camp.
  • We have had more sightings and signs of the Tiyisela female and her two cubs to the west of Ebony Lodge. Two factors influencing this are the cubs are now getting older and learning their mother’s territory, and the Ravenscourt male pushing Thamba, who is their father, further east.
  • In the north the Xinzele female was spooked by a pack of wild dogs as they went hunting in search of impala in the woodlands. She took refuge in a marula tree which made for phenomenal viewing.
  • The Hlambela male has favoured the waterholes across the river on the hot summer afternoons. Often the hippos which are resident there are what draw our safaris vehicles to the area, and a leopard is the added bonus.

Cheetah

  • This time of year, is crucial for mothers of cubs as the abundance of young herbivores can provide excellent hunting subjects for young ones starting to learn that essential survival skill. Although we are yet to witness it happen thus far there is a strong possibility this has happened with the Makatini female cheetah and her three cubs. Up until recently they have been covering much of the south preying on wildebeest calves and impala, they have only lately moved south out of Singita.
  • The male cheetah has been sighted patrolling his vast territory on a weekly basis.

African wild dogs

  • We have had sightings of four different packs on Singita this month. This time of year, with so many impala lambs, there is plenty to go around and packs do not have to wander far to find a hunting opportunity.

Birds

  • We have clocked the magic 300 with red-winged starling and common house martin!

Unusual sightings

  • Like so much else, the rain has influenced the insect life which gets the attention of so many smaller creatures that have waited so long for this season. The first nuptial flight of the wet season has taken place which have filled the stomachs of birds, reptiles, mammals and so many more.
  • On one particularly humid evening Luke, Israel and their guests saw six snake species on just one road! They were feeding on the many frogs that had come out to forage on the termite alates and everything else associated with this significant emergence.
  • There have been a few sightings of honey badgers as they go searching for underground hives of mopane bees and the variety of grubs now waiting below the surface to metamorphosize to adult form.
  • It’s been a pleasure to see so many leopard tortoises feeding on wild flowers and fresh vegetation.