May 2025

Singita Kruger National Park

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Singita Kruger National Park: May 2025

May in the bushveld brings a quiet beauty that unfolds slowly. The red-bushwillows begin their seasonal shift, their leaves fading from rich green to soft tones of orange and yellow, painting the landscape with a gentle warmth. As elephants move through the dry grass, they stir up a fine layer of dust that lingers in the still air before settling into sharp, clean tracks - perfect markers of their passage. The sounds of the bush have softened too; the once-lively chorus of frogs has faded, replaced by the low, haunting calls of owls that drift through the night, ushering in some of the clearest, starriest skies of the year. In the cooler daylight hours, the crisp calls of the chinspot batis and the southern black flycatcher rise clearly above the delicate chatter of waxbills. It's a time of subtle transitions, when every detail seems to slow down and deepen.
A Sightings Snapshot for May follows:
Lions
  • After more than a month’s disappearance, the Shish Pride was discovered in the Granophyre ridges. They looked content, in good condition, and had obviously recently eaten as they all had full bellies and were sleeping soundly in the shade of a few young umbrella-thorns.
  • In the first week of May, the Chava Pride took centre stage in our lion sightings. The true stars, however, were the tiny new cubs, an enchanting sight that added a spark to every game drive. These little ones are not just adorable; they're incredibly vocal, their tiny growls and mews filling the air as they explore their world. More remarkably, they're far more relaxed and curious about the vehicles than their mothers were when they first arrived on our concession. It's as if they've inherited a sense of confidence and curiosity, embracing their surroundings with a boldness that belies their size.
  • Mid-month, tracks of an unknown male lion were found in the southern part of the concession - a notable event, as no dominant male has held this area for some time. His presence quickly triggered a response: the Shish Pride retreated to the Mozambican border, while the Mananga Pride moved west into Kruger and hasn’t been seen in weeks. The Chava Pride, which usually ranges through the north-west and into the public park, has also been absent for over a week. The southern region is unusually quiet, with signs of a possible shift in territorial dynamics underway.
  • The Shish Pride spent about a week just west of our concession, between the lodges and our staff village. Early one morning on our way from the staff village to the lodge they were found sprawled out over the H6. We quickly gathered our guests and headed over to where they were last seen. To our surprise, instead of the pride, there was a male lion, we estimate to be around five or six years old. He could be the owner of the tracks we have been finding in the southern parts of our concession. He was roaring and scent marking, probably having realised there are currently no resident dominant males in this area.
  • The white lion, known as Casper, and his brother appeared at the end of the month. Casper is a leucistic male born into the Shish Pride in 2014. He and his brothers dispersed from the pride in 2019 and later established a territory near Satara Rest Camp. In recent weeks, new and younger males have moved into the area and seem to have displaced the older Shish males. It's interesting to see that Casper and his brother have returned to the area where they were born.
  • The Sonop males recently ventured out of their core territory, moving further south into our concession - likely in response to the calls of rival males south of our lodges. Their movements suggest they were investigating potential threats or opportunities in the area. After circling around for a brief period, they turned and headed straight back north, returning to familiar ground without engaging in any visible confrontation.
  • The Mananga Pride spent most of this month west of our concession. Near the end of the month, we noticed a group of giraffes galloping frantically through the sticky-thorn thicket. They were clearly panicked, their legs crashing through branches as they tried to flee the area. As they broke into the grasslands adjacent to the thicket, we spotted a lioness in close pursuit. Moments later, two more lionesses appeared and darted back into the thicket. It seemed as though the Mananga lionesses were herding these towering giants. Suddenly, everything went silent. All we could see were the giraffes’ long necks craning toward a small opening in the thicket. We sat quietly, listening - and then came the unmistakable sound of growling. The pride had successfully brought down a female giraffe. With all six lionesses and ten cubs feeding, by that afternoon, little remained of the carcass - just skin and bones.
Leopards
  • One morning, we observed an intense interaction between two male leopards, Mbiri-biri and Masia, in a leadwood tree. Masia had clearly made the kill - a young kudu calf hoisted into the lower branches. However, Mbiri-biri, the larger and more dominant male, arrived shortly after and took control of the carcass without a physical confrontation. He now lay over it protectively. Masia, rather than attempting to reclaim the kill, showed clear submissive behaviour. As Mbiri growled intermittently to assert his dominance, Masia responded with soft, high-pitched purring vocalizations and slowly moved away through the upper branches. Eventually, he found an opportunity to jump down from the tree, leaving Mbiri-biri in sole possession of the carcass. The encounter was a clear display of how size and status influence access to food among territorial males. The same morning delivered an extraordinary run of leopard sightings across the reserve. While Mbiri-biri and Masia’s dramatic encounter over a kudu calf played out in the north, the Dumbana female was found further south along the N’wanetsi River, feeding on an impala carcass in a leadwood tree. Her lively young daughter was up in the tree feeding on the last remaining scraps, while her son and her lay in the soft grass below. Adding to the morning's excitement, an unknown, skittish male was briefly seen along James' track, while the Gudzane female reappeared in the northern reaches. With seven individual leopards recorded before midday, it was a standout morning - one of those rare days where the bush truly delivers.
  • Interestingly, it appears that the Dumbana youngsters are beginning to spend a considerable amount of time alone when not feeding with their mother. The young male has been seen exploring the western side of the N’wanetsi River, venturing deeper into his mother’s territory, while the young female seems to be favouring the eastern side, particularly around the Ntsibistane drainage. This separation and increased independence could be an early sign of the gradual weaning process, as both cubs start to gain confidence and familiarity with the broader landscape around them.
  • Dumbana, the resilient female leopard, has been covering remarkable ground across her mountainous territory. One evening, we spotted her tracks on the far eastern ridges, only to find signs of her presence on the opposite side by the next morning - a testament to her tireless patrols. On one such day, her tracks led us into a vast valley where a hooded vulture lingered nearby, hinting at a possible hidden carcass. As we prepared to investigate, fresh tracks showed she had moved on - likely to fetch her cub. We followed, and within thirty minutes, encountered Dumbana on the road with her impressive male cub, already larger than her but still heavily reliant on her for sustenance. The pair retraced her earlier path, leading us back to the valley. Slipping into a drainage line and beneath a dense knobthorn tree, mother and son quickly began feeding on a freshly killed, young impala ram.
Cheetahs
  • A mother and two subadults lay resting on the H6 near the Sonop waterhole as we transferred a few guests to the Satara airstrip one morning.
African wild dogs
  • Two wild dogs, we assume to be a mating pair, were found resting in the shade of a Guarri-bush in the far north.
  • A pack of three individuals has been roaming the Lebombo Mountains in the eastern part of our concession this month. We were privileged to witness them on the hunt and successfully catch an impala. Most packs within Kruger National Park typically hunt one to two impalas per day to meet the demands of their fast metabolisms.
Spotted hyenas
  • The den on the H6 is active with at least two cubs, one still with pitch black fur, providing much entertainment as they frolic around their patient mother. She is a female that was collared about six months ago by Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to monitor hyena movements as well as being an indicator species to any poaching or poisoning incidents.
  • The clan near the Ntsibistane drainage is still active, with the cub now fully covered in spots. Despite its growing independence, the young one continues to accompany its mother on their scavenging outings.
Elephants
  • This month has brought an impressive presence of large elephant bulls, many of them in musth, moving through the area with purpose and intensity. On one memorable occasion, we followed a breeding herd that had three mature males trailing closely behind. The largest of the bulls soon singled out a receptive female, breaking into a determined chase - his temporal glands streaming and urine dribbling, clear signs of musth. This behaviour, while dramatic, is a typical part of elephant courtship, often preceding a mating attempt.
Buffalos
  • The African buffalo have been frequenting the northern sections of our concession recently, largely due to the higher rainfall in that area compared to the drier south. This increased moisture has resulted in more abundant grazing and water sources, attracting large herds to the region. The largest herd, estimated at around 800 individuals, has been spread out across our northern boundary, making for impressive sightings. In addition to this main group, several smaller breakaway herds have begun their usual east-to-west movements, following the Dumbana drainage line as they head toward the N'wanetsi River in the afternoons - an age-old pattern dictated by the availability of water and forage.
Plains game
  • The plains game have been thriving along the N'wanetsi and Gudzane Rivers, with a noticeable abundance of activity throughout the area. In the north, the tall, green grasses still dominate the landscape, attracting large herds of elephants that feed and move through the lush vegetation. Meanwhile, zebra and wildebeest have been more concentrated in the southern regions and open sodic patches, where the grass is shorter - more suited to their grazing preferences - and a few seasonal pans still hold the last remnants of water. With the grass now low in certain areas, sightings of elusive species like steenbuck and Sharpe’s grysbok have increased, their long ears just visible above the vegetation. Giraffe continue to be a common and elegant presence across the terrain, and we’ve recently seen the return of impressive male kudus, once again gracing our concession with their stately horns and cautious movements.
Rare animals and other sightings
  • The black-backed jackal pair have returned to the sodic area in the central depression. There is a dead leadwood trunk that over the years has slowly hollowed out. Each year the pair uses this as a den-site and we are hoping this year is no different.
  • As the early mornings remain cooler for longer, some nocturnal animals are taking advantage of the extended twilight. An African civet was seen casually moving through the Xinkelegane drainage well after sunrise, foraging for food.
  • A pair of honey badgers emerged snarling from the tall grass and confidently trotted across the road, treating the vehicle as little more than an inconvenient obstacle. It's always amusing to watch the swagger of these seemingly untouchable creatures.
  • One evening, on our way back to the lodge, we rounded a corner and spotted a tiny Sharpe’s grysbok lamb on the right side of the road. Its mother initially leapt into the tall grass but soon returned once we dimmed our lights. Bathed in moonlight, we watched in awe as the newborn wobbled its way back into the long grass.
Birds
  • We've been fortunate to record several rare and exciting bird sightings across the concession this month. Just north of Lebombo Lodge, a peregrine falcon - a species rarely seen in the area - was spotted, a thrilling moment for any bird enthusiast. Near the same time, we observed a martial eagle feeding on a monitor lizard, showcasing the raptor's power and precision. In the gorge, a pair of crowned hornbills made an unexpected appearance, adding to the diversity of our sightings. To top it off, a trumpeter hornbill was seen south of Xingwenyana Crossing, marking a rare encounter with this striking and vocal species. These sightings highlight the incredible avian diversity within the region and the importance of preserving these habitats.