Singita Pamushana Lodge
Singita Pamushana Lodge: December 2024
An African Christmas is a hot, bright, colourful and festive celebration, with much feasting and gifts to be grateful for at every turn.
If this month were to have a theme, it would be that of “green”. We’ve had some drenching downpours of rain, the vegetation is lush, water levels have risen, hippos have been able to disperse, and impala lambs abound. Like the rest of southern Africa we’ve experienced some heatwave days too, and these have resulted in very good sightings as animals have congregated near the water to stay cool and quench their thirst. We’ve even had occasions where all the Big Five have been seen on one drive.
A sightings snapshot for October follows:
Lions
Buffalo have featured high on the lions’ feasting menu this month. Other highlights include:
- A mating pair within the Nduna Pride.
- Two lionesses as well as two white rhinos sharing a waterhole.
- A coalition of four male lions sleeping in the shade, south of Hwata Pan.
Leopards
- There have been excellent sightings of a mother leopard and her cub, on various occasions, along the West Valley Road near the lookout site and old hyena den-site. On one occasion a leopard jumped from a tree right next to the road, and as the game-viewer stopped the onlookers realised there was another leopard still in the tree.
Wild dogs
- Impala lambs feature high on the shopping list of the wild dog pack at this time, especially when it is so hot and hunting drains all energy.
- A highlight was finding 17 wild dogs relaxing just north of Ray's Drift, on an early sunrise drive, and a couple of yards away was a breeding herd of well over thirty elephants dust-bathing under a shady nyala tree.
Rhinos
We are renowned for our rhino sightings, and this month’s bounty was brought on by the extreme heat. We noticed that even the usually solitary black rhinos congregated together in places of shade, mud and water.
- Two male white rhinos were seen challenging each other. They barged into each other with force, dragging their feet and leaving deep grooves in the earth.
- Seven black rhinos were seen together, and a breeding herd of elephants in the same area.
- An impressive moment was seeing a male black rhino amid sandstone boulders, standing like a profound statue.
Elephants
- Much mud-bathing activity has been happening as the breeding herds happily spend time cooling down.
- There are a couple of impressive tuskers on the reserve at the moment.
- Our guests loved having a sundowner at Banyini Pan while an elephant bull and white rhinos shared the water supply.
Hyenas
- The hyena highlight was watching seven of them steal an impala carcass from a leopard. They managed to fight for the feast as a team, but then turned on one another once they had it, each snatching as much of the meal away from the others.
Buffalos
- The buffalo are bulking up rapidly on all the new green growth, and enjoying the rain and mud wallows.
Plains game
- The joy on the plains is provided by the enchanting impala lambs, and the long-lashed wildebeest calves.
- Even though there is water in temporary pans deep in the thickets we have seen a diverse array of plains game, such as giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala and kudu, drinking at the central Banyini Pan.
- Another highlight was seeing over 14 sable antelope on Hunters Road.
Birding
- Birds abound and it is the best time of year to be birding, but eclipsing the show was a pair of Pel's fishing owls!
Boat cruise
- The first afternoon outing for a party of guests was a boat cruise on the dam, that included an epic sighting of a young female leopard drinking on the shoreline of the eastern bank, opposite the lodge!
- All other boat cruises enjoyed the idyllic scenery, hippos, crocodiles, and birdlife, with rhinos and elephants putting in an appearance now and again, too.
Fishing
- Enormous bream have been caught, and released. It’s not the first time we’ve had guests getting hooked, so to speak, on this activity, and requesting it repeatedly thereafter. A few big tigers were outplayed too.
Walks & rock art
- Requesting a walk, be it short or long, to visit one of the numerous rock art sites is a must-do. Resting in the shade of a cave and hearing the history and interpretation of the rock art is an experience that touches the soul, and reminds one of what it is to be human.
Daytrips to Gonarezhou National Park
- Chilojo Cliffs are at their most impressive now with the river flowing at their base, and elephants spread out along the sandy bank.
