May 2025

Singita Pamushana Lodge

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Singita Pamushana Lodge: May 2025

The landscape is looking decidedly lush for this time of year, for which we are thankful, but the temporary pans have mostly dried out which attracts wildlife to the permanent water sources of the river, dams and permanent pans. Our game drives now make sure to check the these water sources for any animals drawn to them, and for the predators that set up ambush there.
The weather is sublime! Cool enough that you need to bundle up in the early mornings, but shed layers as it warms up into glorious winter sunshine – the kind that requires you to bask in its embrace!
There’s been a lot happening on the property this month, and some incredible sightings and news. Here’s the overview for May:
A sightings snapshot for May follows:
Lions
  • The majority of the Hippo Pride were seen in the swamps, with the youngest members looking well. Other sightings included seeing three lions at Ngwenyeni Pan, one male and two females, with one of the lionesses mating with the male.
  • Five adult lions feasted on a buffalo carcass on the Banyini. The three males and two lionesses kept five black-backed jackals at bay until they’d had their fill. Again five lions fed on a buffalo kill north-west of Hwata Pan, this time keeping a wake of vultures waiting. Also, probably the same five lions killed a wildebeest this month.
  • The three territorial males have also been seen together patrolling in the Mahande Loop area.
  • Six lions from the Nduna Pride, one male and five females, made a short meal of a nyala. Members from this pride were also seen at the picturesque Madhope Pan when a foolishly brave herd of buffalo came to drink.
Leopards
There is such wonderful leopard news: there are two sets of young cubs!
  • We were introduced to the first set, probably ten to twelve weeks old, on Ultimate Drive when their mother brought them a scrub hare. The story follows in this journal.
  • The second set of cubs, about five to six months old, were glimpsed at Simbiri Dam.
  • Both the mothers of these cubs have been hunting often and have been seen in the West Valley/Ultimate Drive/Pamushana Access region, and the Banyini/Airstrip/Simbiri areas respectively.
Wild dogs
Denning season has begun!
  • We’ve narrowed down the area where the big pack of wild dogs is denning, so this makes checking for them at the surrounding waterpoints of Manyuchi Pan and Sosigi Dam a best bet.
  • Eight wild dogs were seen relaxing in the middle of the road, on the Hippo Valley side.
  • At one sighting there were wild dogs, one elephant bull, and a hyena in one area. The wild dogs were calling for other pack members, the hyena was following them, and then a male lion came to investigate the commotion but kept a discreet distance.
  • An enthralling day included watching wild dogs trying to hunt two warthogs, but the warthogs fought back and chased the dogs. Then the dogs took off in pursuit of a nyala but missed that too.
Rhinos
It’s a milestone month for rhino news. The translocation of 30 white rhinos from Malilangwe to Gonarezhou has taken place. The story follows in this journal. Also, our annual rhino operation of notching new calves has occurred.
White rhinos:
  • Many of our guests were in the right place at the right time, and invited to witness the proceedings of a rhino being immobilised and moved into a transportation crate. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and an opportunity to learn more about rhino conservation in action.
  • A newborn white rhino was seen, tottering along next to its mother.
  • Rhinos were seen sharing space with elephants at a couple of the waterpoints.
  • Three rhinos were seen on Hunters Road - a bull and a mother with her calf. As the guests were taking photos, we noticed blood on the rump of a calf and it was limping. We suspect hyenas had attacked the calf the previous night, and the parents had fought vigorously to defend their calf.
Black rhinos: With the bush still thick and all the activity of the translocation the sightings have been less prolific, but highlights include:
  • An incredible sighting of an adult bull black rhino in the open plains of Banyini.
  • Three black rhinos at Ray's Drift, comprising of a mother, sub-adult calf and an adult male, right in the open before entering the Chiredzi River.
  • A drive notched up two particularly beautiful black rhino sightings first thing in the morning.
  • While following a black rhino off-road a “nest” of lions erupted out of the long grass where they’d been curled up.
Elephants
  • The bulls have provided great viewing as they drink, mud bathe and bully one another at the pans.
  • A lone elephant bull was seen feeding for a long time on a huge umbrella tree that had fallen down.
  • A breeding herd of 30 elephants were drinking at Ngwenyeni Pan, with a crash of six white rhinos in close proximity.
  • A breeding herd of well over 60 individuals was drinking from the Malilangwe Dam, just below Malilangwe House, with a backdrop of a pod of hippos and basking crocodiles.
  • A huge herd of elephants enjoyed the splash of rain we had. They fed spread out, with the calves vocalising and playing in the wet conditions.
  • Stopping the vehicle a distance away from an approaching breeding herd allowed the herd to accept the vehicle as part and parcel of the landscape. They engulfed the vehicle and calmly fed around it in very close proximity.
Hyenas
  • A clan was in great evidence on West Valley Road spending a couple of days there, and having a “sing-off” with lions at about 04:00 on consecutive mornings. It was incredible to lie in bed and hear the roars of lions and the instant volley of whoops from hyenas.
  • The hyenas are looking extremely well fed at the moment. We’ve seen one carrying a head of an impala on Old Binya Road, and one carrying a buffalo leg near the Malilangwe Dam wall.
Buffalos
  • The large herds are in great evidence, with quite a number of chocolate brown calves trailing their mothers.
Plains game
  • The plains game gather in herds in the open areas. There was an incredible sighting of about 100 zebras in the area surrounding Hwata Pan.
  • Sable antelope have made an appearance too, and some were seen along Hunter’s Road with very small calves at heel.
Other sightings/observations
  • It’s encouraging to see good numbers of warthogs rooting around. They’ve had a couple of good seasons and are doing well.
Boat cruises
  • Sunset boat cruises on the Malilangwe Dam enjoying the hippos, crocodiles and birdlife is a firm favourite. Every now and again there are some lucky sightings too, like drifting very close to a malachite kingfisher, and seeing elephants and buffalos drinking together on the shoreline.
Photographic hide
  • The hide is back in use after the rainy season and has been delivering incredible viewing! Guests have delighted in being safely inside the hide, at eye-level to the water, and seeing elephants, rhinos, buffalos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, impalas, warthogs, sable, eland, and even one hartebeest.
  • A Cape turtle dove escaped the talons of an African goshawk, just by an inch!
Fishing
  • Even though the water is a few degrees colder there have still been some great catches of big bream and some explosive hits from tigerfish with a few big ones landed.
Rock art
  • Having a vast collection of rock art hidden among the stone galleries is something we love to share with our guests, and they often reflect that seeing it was a highlight of their stay.
Kambako Living Museum of Bushcraft
  • Tours to the living museum are a real eye-opener to human skills of survival and advancement.
Gonarezhou National Park
  • A full day safari to Gonarezhou included seeing the Chivilila Falls and then Chilojo Cliffs.
  • One lucky party spotted a large male leopard with an impala carcass up in a tree.
By Jenny Hishin
Author / Field Guide