The MalaMala Wildlife CyberDiary

MalaMala Diary Entry: 3 March, 1998

Waterbuck are a common antelope species encountered on Mala Mala, particularly around the main camp where they seem to find the manicured lawns a fine place to sleep. This week a young male leopard was found close to the remains of an adult female waterbuck, an animal which he might have killed, but which may also have died of some or other cause, and he then took the opportunity to scavenge from the rotting remains.

The long dry grass at this time of year is not ideal for rhinos, these large animals preferring short and succulent grazing. It is quite common for rhino to "create" short grassland for themselves by repeatedly grazing certain areas and returning to them at regular intervals to "harvest" the new growth. This of course means that the supply of ideal grazing will diminish, particularly as conditions become less favourable for growth with the approach of winter. This scarcity will then lead to competition and potentially violent interactions between rhinos sharing the same range - just such interactions have been seen recently, occurring when a dominant bull has encountered others inside his domain and eating from "lawns" which he would otherwise have had access to.