September 2025

Sabi Sand

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Sabi Sand: September 2025

There’s a sense of renewal and relief as the first of the southern winds bring scattered showers onto our Singita. We look closer seeing new shoots and colours that were once forgotten in our landscape. During these times of global uncertainty, we find calmness in our natural world, reassured by the new life in our surroundings showing that change can occur, even after the toughest of times. While we take comfort in nature we have also marvelled at it - spectacular displays from mammals to birds and so much more. It’s not by coincidence that so many of these moments are found close the Sand River and its life-giving water. The influence of this river has been evident during the month of September and our two lodges, Ebony and Boulders, are perfectly positioned to witness so many raw wild moments at any time of day.
Here is what is going on in the reserve currently:
A snapshot of the sightings for September follows:
Cheetahs
  • The Makhatini female and her three cubs have been seen numerous times recently. They are doing exceptionally well with not only hunting but navigating around the many other predators in the area including lions and wild dogs. They are close to earning their independence as a crucial period approaches, the impala lambing season. Their condition and hunting skills will improve during this time and may be the catalyst to encourage them to go their own ways.
  • The male that patrols this same area has also been spotted many times, giving us plenty of high-quality cheetah viewing in the south.
Leopards
  • The leopard viewing has heated up over the last two months as sightings have been called in all over the reserve. In the north the Xinzele female has been spotted atop of termite mounds and lounging in various trees. A highlight was her in a small common fig tree that was growing alongside a saffron tree.
  • Speaking of fig trees, Marc Bowes-Taylor finally lived his dream of seeing the Hlambela male in a massive sycamore fig tree, a tree that he has envisioned seeing a leopard in for many years! This sighting was extra special as a journey of about 12 giraffes crossed through the Sand River while the leopard slept above.
  • The Nkuwa female has been having lots of success close to Castleton Camp where she has been providing regular kills for her cub.
  • In the west of Singita the Rivala female has been viewed many times just begging to have her photo taken as she ascends the massive trees in this area. In much the same region the Tisela female and her two daughters have been around too.
  • Other leopards viewed include the Ntoma female, Thamba male and the Nottens male leopard, a young male exploring the area during this time as a nomad.
Lions
  • The Tsalala lioness has been seen with at least two cubs! Still very small we are unsure of exact age and total litter size; she has only been seen once on Tavangumi koppies.
  • We have had good viewing across the Sand River of the Othawa lionesses which have been doing well providing successive kills for their three cubs. We have even had the pride on show right in front of the Ebony Lodge deck.
  • The Mhangeni Pride, three adults, two sub-adult lionesses, and a sub-adult male, have occupied most of the south, while the oldest female has also been mating with the Nkuhuma male lion.
  • A welcome sight in the north is that of the Nkuhuma Pride which spend most of their time to the north east of our boundaries. They were found feeding on a buffalo bull. There were six lionesses and four cubs of about three months old.
  • A new pride in the area is the Msuthlu Pride and Gjima males. All in all, 18 lions that have been trailing the herds of buffalo along the old railway in the south.
Elephants
  • Elephants have been seen mostly in the wooded parts of the reserve as they look to uproot trees for the nutrients stored there. A noticeable fodder species for elephants recently has been the common spikethorn trees which are only targeted for the roots. The ebony tree berries have also been fed on by elephants, an incredible display of dexterity in the trunk to collect these marble-sized fruits.
Wild dogs
  • We have had a few sightings of a pack of 19. There are 11 adults and 8 pups. We are unsure of the identity of the pack.
Buffalo
  • The herds have been in the far south of the reserve where there seems to be more green vegetation. We have seen a smaller herd feeding in the wooded sections of the north as well.
Bird List
  • We had two new species for September bringing our total to 286.
  • A special sighting was of an African cuckoo-hawk.
Unusual Sightings
  • As day breaks at Ebony Lodge two dark shapes make their way along the Sand River. A pair of honey badgers has been seen a few times before game drives have even begun!
  • With the welcoming of spring there has been more reptile activity on display. We watched a pair of rock monitors mating, at a particular tree we see one of them on a regular basis.
  • Along Vlei Road in the south we have observed a pair of reedbucks feeding on the coarse grasses that line the valley. A secretive antelope that is very specific in its habitat requirements.
  • On a particularly windy morning drive a family of six southern ground hornbills foraged close to Castleton Camp. As we approached, one of the adults ran after something in the dry grass. Then suddenly a quick snap of the beak revealed a vine snake! About four feet long, a large specimen, it was in the beak of the bird and quickly dispatched before being passed to their hungry fledgling.