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Game Report: August & September 1998

AREAS COVERED: MARTHLY/ EYREFIELD/MALA MALA /FLOCKFIELD
CHARLESTON/TOULON

	AUGUST 1998	SEPTEMBER 1998
Maximum temperature (░C)	30	38
Minimum temperature (░C)	6	10
Mean Maximum (░C)	26.8	29.6
Mean minimum (░C)	10.6	14.6
Rainfall (mm)	2	16
Days of rain	2	4

(*) INDICATES APPROXIMATE AGE UP UNTIL END OF SEPTEMBER 1998

3 CUBS * 2 YEARS 5 MONTHS

NE MARTHLY/ EYREFIELD/ MALA MALA/ NE FLOCKFIELD

The wanderings of the Styx pride have continued over the last two months, with food and avoidance of the new dominant males - the West Street males - probably being the main reasons. One of the subadult lionesses of the Styx pride has not been seen for at least two months; this could well mean that she is dead. However, to have raised 7 cubs out of an initial litter of 9 to this stage is no mean feat for any pride of lions and particularly so for the Styx pride which have such a poor track record. Of the remaining lions, the young males are now starting to drift apart from the others, two of them in particular roaming around on their own or joining up at least temporarily with other nomadic males in the area. On one occasion these two young males were seen approaching the large herd of buffalo. These large animals were less than impressed and in no time had the two young males scrambling for safety in large marula trees. Later that night, however, the Styx pride youngsters joined forces with two other nomads, these two approximately 5 years of age, and the four of them pursued the large herd of buffalo for more than 24 hours and over a distance of approximately 15 kilometres before they gave up and moved back north to areas more familiar to them. Here they joined the other members of the Styx pride on the scraps of a giraffe carcass. This giraffe, an adult male, had been killed by the Styx pride some three days prior to the young males joining them. Giraffes are big and dangerous creatures and many lions avoid them. Indications are that the giraffe was caught whilst sleeping and before it could stand up, was killed. The killing of this giraffe by the Styx pride is indication too of just how much food they need and what lengths they are prepared to go to get it. In the past five or so years there have been no records of the Styx pride killing any adult giraffe and only one of them having killed a baby - it has become routine for them to simply ignore giraffe. Now, with young males to help in the hunting and the high demand for food, giraffe may suddenly become more accessible to them.

The only known contact so far between the Styx pride and the West Street males was one witnessed from the Main Camp when two of these males, the Styx pride and the Marthly pride bumped into each other. After much roaring and a scattering of lions the Styx pride retreated and moved rapidly away from an area which for years has been their exclusive domain. To add insult to this retreat, six members of the Styx pride were later that day routed by the large herd of buffalo which wandered into them whilst the lions were lying up in the Sand River.

This sustained absence from what was once the Styx prides core territory has allowed other lions access to it and both the Marthly and Eyrefield prides have taken full advantage of it. What will be interesting to see is what happens when the Styx pride females inevitably fall pregnant again and return to the areas which in the past have become the accepted places of refuge for any young cubs. What will also be interesting is whether they eventually accept the West Street males and mate with them, or seek some other area dominated by other males.

CHARLESTON/ TOULON

The last few months have been most traumatic for the Charleston pride. After enjoying a 'typical' period of successful hunting and patrolling of territory, one of the old females of the Charleston pride was injured, probably whilst the pride tackled a zebra - the remains of this animal were at the scene of the injured lioness. The nature of the injury was not immediately known, but what was apparent was that the old lioness could barley move, even when the other members of the pride encouraged her to follow them. These attentions only met with snarls. Inevitably hunger drove the other 9 members of the pride from the injured lioness, but for days they kept returning to the area. After 3 or 4 days of lying in the open, the injured lioness disappeared, indications were that she had dragged herself into a bushy ravine. Visits to the area from other members of the pride persisted, this time as individuals or small groups as opposed to the entire pride arriving at the area as a unit. The most frequent visitor was the other old lioness of the pride, which would be seen moving around the area calling but receiving no apparent response. At this stage it was suspected that the injured lioness had crawled off to die.

This incidence was, of course, very disruptive to the entire pride and for days there were scattered sightings of groupings of this family - the fact that the cubs are also fast approaching the stage of independence probably also contributed to this apparent decline in pride cohesion. Nevertheless, all surviving members of the pride were apparently eating well and in good condition. Then, approximately two weeks after disappearing, the injured lioness resurfaced, joining the other members of the pride at the scraps of a kudu kill. Although emaciated and clearly suffering from an injured leg, the old lioness managed to snarl and lunge at a few hyaenas lurking nearby, perhaps more to convince them that she was too strong for them to attack her than to protect what was left of the kill. Following from this, the pride left the injured lioness, perhaps realising the futility of trying to get her back, and she was left to herself. Over the next few days this old lioness slowly made her way to the Sand River. By this stage it was evident that her leg was badly injured and chances of recovery would have been almost nil. The last seen of her was her lying in the Sand River, an animal no more than skin and bones. The age of this lioness was perhaps at least 15, old by any standards. The longer the exposure to chances of some debilitating injury which could affect any lion at any stage of its life, the greater the chance of eventually falling foul - her luck simply ran out.

Meanwhile the other nine members of the Charleston pride seemed to have returned to business, this time, however, being accompanied by one of the young males of the River Rocks pride. This young male had been seen several times alone and when seen with the Charleston pride, all lions seemed perfectly happy with the situation.

In spite of the brutal tragedy of the last month's events, the future of the Charleston pride still looks good with three young females waiting in the wings to take their place in the pride, being led, no doubt, by the younger of the remaining two adult lionesses when the other aging female eventually also succumbs.

TOULON

***the ages of the surviving cubs are not known, but the youngest would be 28 months, the oldest 32 months and any 'in-between' 29 months

Events over the preceding two months have not been particularly dramatic for the River Rocks pride, except towards the end of this period when one of the adult lionesses - the one with only one eye - left the others for several days to go mating. The other event was the moving away from the pride by one of the young males. This youngster was seen several times by himself and then joined up with the Charleston pride which, towards month's end, seemed to suit both parties. It is unlikely that this association will be long lasting and it can be expected that several coalitions of young nomadic males will soon be forming as the young males from both Charleston and River Rocks prides leave their families. This separation is very typical for young males, encouraged by their own curiosity as well as aggression from the lionesses and the dominant males of the area. One incident last month witnessed an adult male lion - probably the surviving Kingston male which is also probably the father of these youngsters - show extreme aggression towards them, chasing them and scattering them in all directions.

Although the area roamed by the River Rocks pride to some extent avoided that of their cousins in the Charleston pride, there was a fair amount of overlap and the inevitable encounter. The one such encounter witnessed saw the Charleston pride chase off the smaller River Rocks pride.

CENTRAL - EASTERN EYREFIELD

There was only one confirmed sighting of the remaining lioness of the Emsagwen pride. Given her past behaviour it is probable that she has been spending most of her time in the north and east of the reserve, an area not frequently traversed by game drive vehicles during the dry season. Nonetheless, her condition was superb. On the occasion of her sighting she was actively hunting and was seen outflanking a group of zebra, eventually hurling herself at one, only to be sloughed off. For a solitary lioness the tackling of big game would perhaps not be ideal. Not only would it be desirable to have help to bring such large creatures down, but the bigger the kill, the larger the attraction for competitors. It is quite likely that other lion prides, particularly the Styx pride, wander frequently through this area and would feel less for chasing a single lioness from a hard-won meal.

TOULON - NOT ENCOUNTERED THIS MONTH

WESTERN FLOCKFIELD (1 SIGHTING IN SEPTEMBER)

The only sighting of these lions in September was of them being routed by the large herd of buffalo, which wandered into the sleeping lions which then attacked them. Spoor indicated that the Windmill pride had made a long trek in to western Flockfield from the Kruger National Park. The condition of the Windmill pride lions was good, but obviously for a pride of this size and with so many adults and large subadults, the acquisition of big prey animals would be the ideal. However, they did not appear to be capable of handling the large herd of buffalo and soon headed back towards the Kruger National Park.

(STHN MARTHLY/ SW EYREFIELD/ W MALA MALA/ FLOCKFIELD)

The attentions of the 4 new male lions in the area, the West Street males, have again been focused on the Eyrefield pride lionesses. Towards the end of this game report period, the two young cubs which survived the assault of the males some months ago which left 5 of their siblings dead, were still alive, but were still being hounded by the males. It is quite likely that they will in the not too distant future be killed by these males. In the meantime the West Street males have been furiously mating with other females of the pride and at least one of them appears close to giving birth. When they do eventually produce young it will be interesting to see how the pride continues to function. As has been the pattern over the last 18 months at least, females of this pride and whatever youngsters they have had, have spent little time together, wandering around mainly as smaller units, probably comprising more closely related lions. The surviving two cubs have been seen mostly with three lionesses which have occasionally been joined by others - the one time when one of the West Street males appeared on the scene and was looking threateningly at the cubs. In this instance some of the lionesses escorted the cubs away from the male and one or two stayed behind to watch and growl when he approached too closely. That the three lionesses looking after the cubs are doing well is without question - they were on one occasion seen with three different kills - two kudus and an impala - all within a few yards of each other.

SOUTHERN MARTHLY/ SOUTHERN EYREFIELD/ NORTHERN MALA MALA

The Marthly Pride has, after the lionesses of the Eyrefield pride, also experienced the attentions of the four new male lions in the area. Surprisingly, the four cubs are still alive and well, this in spite of the fact that the West Street males have not apparently had any mating successes with the females. Unless lions have very obvious scars or other outstanding physical characteristics, they can be very difficult to identify. This applies to both males and females. At one stage an adult male lion appeared with the Marthly pride which may well have been one of the old Manyelethi males. He was alone and seemed to tolerate the subadult male of the Marthly pride. Later that day two of the West Street males arrived in the area after this male and the Marthly pride lionesses had moved off. Nonetheless, a great deal of roaring ensued, perhaps after these West Street males discovered the scent of some competitor. To complicate matters, two young males were also found in the vicinity so it may have been these which the West Street males were responding to and not what might have been one of the old Manyelethi males.

The absence of the Styx pride from their usual haunts has allowed the Marthly pride to somewhat consolidate their position in this area, at one time wandering as far east as the Mala Mala boundary with the Kruger National Park. Pickings must have been poor in this area as they were back the next day, the young female of the pride successfully and dramatically bringing down an adult female kudu all by herself. Whilst she was doing this the rest of the pride were lying up several hundred meters away, oblivious of what was going on. Only after she had eaten her fill did she then return to fetch the others. Another dramatic sighting involving the Marthly pride saw the females fearlessly lead the cubs into the large herd of buffalo. The lionesses of the Marthly pride are not big - could in fact be regarded as small - yet they and the rest of the pride went charging straight into the herd of 500 buffalo. The result was inevitable; following the initial shock of this assault, the buffalo rallied and scattered the lions, whereupon the two lionesses moved away and went to sleep beneath a wild date palm, whilst the four cubs and young male continued to stalk the buffalo. The chances of catching a buffalo were almost zero from the beginning so perhaps all the lionesses were trying to achieve was to teach the cubs of the dangers of these large beasts.

Four adult males - the four which have taken over from the Manyelethi males and now known as the West Street males. Encountered on western Flockfield, western Mala Mala, southern Marthly and perhaps one sighting of two of them on central Western Charleston. They have seldom been seen together and have spent most of their time continuing to dominate the females of the Eyrefield and Marthly prides. There was one interaction with the Styx pride, this when at least two of the West Street males, the Marthly pride and the Styx pride came together in front of the Main Camp. After a great deal of roaring and running around, lions scattered and the Styx pride moved far east of the area. It is not known if they have had any other interactions with these males. In spite of the above, it is not known whether the Manyelethi males have indeed been forced entirely from the area. Some indications are that they or one or two of them may in fact still be hanging around, perhaps hoping to cling on to some of their old domain. One male lion which was seen with the Marthly pride and which did not particularly resemble any of the West Street males, tolerated the presence of the young male of the Marthly pride, was roaring much and this then probably attracted the attentions of two of the West Street males. By the time these males had arrived on the scene, the Marthly pride and the single lion had moved off, but a great deal of roaring ensued, perhaps a response from the West Street males to this foreign male - to complicate matters, two other young males were found in this area and they too could have been the cause for the West Street males to roar and posture.

The situation of dominant males in the south of the reserve is quite confusing. Indications are that only one of the old Kingston males is alive and well, the other one having been injured many months ago - these injuries apparently resulted in this lion's death. Compared with what has been the situation for at least the last year, this remaining Kingston male has over the last two months started to patrol his territory on a regular basis, wandering almost over the entire area of Charleston and Toulon. To confuse matters, this male has at times been seen in the company of another but younger male lion, the origin of which is unknown. Just what has prompted this sudden return to assess and secure his territory is uncertain; perhaps there has been conflict further to the west where this male has spent most of his time - fresh scars on one of these two lions suggest that this may well be the case - or perhaps the mating with one of the females of the River Rocks pride has stimulated him to enter her usual haunts and look for similar mating opportunities. At his age and with the number of challengers roaming around, it would take a strong lion to singularly maintain a territory for the time needed to raise any new crop of cubs to maturity.

One sighting in September of 4 males - 2 adults and 2 sub adults - on SW Marthly. The adults were potentially West Street males, but the other two were not identified and made sure that they moved away from the adult males as fast and respectfully as possible. This submissive behaviour brought no response from the adults.

Single sighting in August of one of the male lions which used to accompany the Windmill pride - distinguished by scarring and missing tip of his tail - E Toulon.

Sighting in August of 2 young males on NE Toulon - nervous of vehicles.

2 sub-adult males - approximately 5 years old; These have been seen on many parts of the reserve (Marthly. Eyrefield and Mala Mala) over the last two months, but principally on Eyrefield where they have been seen upon occasion with the Styx pride or teaming up at least temporarily with some of the young males of the Styx pride - one occasion being when they followed the large herd of buffalo from north western Eyrefield to north-eastern Charleston in 24 hours. They did not appear to have killed any buffalo. The following day they had retreated to the more familiar north of the property and had joined the other members of the Styx pride on the remains of an adult male giraffe. Their relationship with the dominant West Street males can probably be described as respectful, with the younger lions spending much time avoiding the bigger dominant males.

Single sighting in August of a solitary lioness - central north Mala Mala; probably the Emsagwen pride lioness.

Sighting in August on Eastern Flockfield of 3 lionesses - 2 adults and 1 subadult. These could well have been the same three which have been seen on the reserve, particularly the southern portions, over the last few months. Besides this sighting there have been at least 8 others during August and September. These lions have no territory, and are simply occupying an area already claimed by other prides, with the intention of making themselves as inconspicuous as possible. At one sighting where they were seen stealing the remains of an impala kill from a group of cheetah, the lions made almost no noise whilst fighting over the meat. Noise would of course attract other lions, something which would be a real possibility if the lions were not in their own secure area.

In August there was a single sighting of 2 lionesses - one adult and one subadult - fending off the advances of a young male lion. This was on NW Toulon and no identity was obtained; females may have been members of the River Rocks pride.

Distant sighting in August of 2 lionesses on the northern bank of the Sand River on NW Toulon - probably members of the Charleston or River Rocks pride.

3 young males (approximately 5 years old) seen on Eastern Mala Mala on scraps of a giraffe kill - apparently moved in and took over from the Styx pride - September

LEOPARDS:

EASTERN TOULON

(no sightings since the end of June 1998)

W TOULON

(no confirmed sightings)

EASTERN TOULON

(no confirmed sightings over the last two months)

NORTH CENTRAL & WESTERN TOULON/ CENTRAL & WESTERN CHARLESTON

(5 sightings in August, 7 in September)

This adult male is one of two or three which has taken up part of the territory vacated by the old Jakkalsdraai male. His origins are uncertain but he is very relaxed and has apparently quite successfully fought off any opposition. Within his territory will be at least two females known to Mala Mala, these being the Selati and Toulon females and then perhaps also the Kapen female further to the north. Another female leopard sometimes encountered on the Western Bank of the Sand River on Charleston may also fall within his range. To the east of the Island Crossing male - named thus after one of the crossing points in the Sand River frequently used by this leopard - are perhaps two other male leopards competing for the eastern parts of the area once occupied by the Jakkalsdraai male. The Island Crossing male was seen with at least two different female leopards over the last two months, once when he was stealing a kill from the Selati female and then on two other occasions with perhaps the same female - at least one of these latter get-together for mating purposes. The identity of the female leopard with which the Island Crossing male was mating was not known, but it is quite common for females in oestrus to follow males out of their own territories and deep into the areas of other females. During one of these meetings another young male leopard was also seen in the area, observing both the female and the Island Crossing male. This young male was relatively nervous and is probably one which has been seen east of this area.

CENTRAL AND SE CHARLESTON

(5 sightings of the female in August, 7 in September; no encounters with her previous cub)

The Chellahanga female has not been seen mating over the last few months and it could well be that she is pregnant. If this is so and there have indeed been no matings subsequent to those witnessed several months ago, then the date of birth for whatever cubs she is carrying could be near. Some of her movements do in fact suggest this - particularly her investigations of rocky areas, which in the past have been used as areas of concealment for her cubs. Be this as it may, there are still signs that the Chellahanga female is being pressurised by another female leopard to her east. Such take-overs when another and usually younger female drives out an older established female can take time, a slow whittling away involving direct confrontations as well as the stealing of kills.

(3 sightings of the female in August, 2 of these with her cub // 3 sightings of the female in September, 2 with her cub)

NW TOULON

Several sightings of the Selati female over the last few months indicate that one of the cubs seen in July has died. The remaining cub, however, appears in good condition and with the Island Crossing male probably the father and also potentially well-established, stability for the Selati female looks good, so hopefully allowing her a good chance of raising this cub to maturity.

WESTERN FLOCKFIELD

(no confirmed sightings of the Newington female in August or September)

Although sightings of the Newington female in July suggested that she was still lactating and that cubs were still alive, rumours from the west of Mala Mala suggest that she has lost this litter - should this be the case it would be the second in just over a year.

Whilst the Newington female was not seen over the last few months, there were 11 sightings in August and 10 sightings in September of her 3 year-old-male cub. These sightings have been on SE Marthly, NW and W Mala Mala and SW Eyrefield. Upon being abandoned by its mother, it is typical to expect that a young male leopard will stay around the area for a few months after this abandonment and then disappear, probably to set up a territory of his own at some future date and in some far off area. However, with this young male, all indications are that he is serious about establishing himself in the block of land which has the confluence of three rivers - the Sand, the Mlowathi and the Manyelethi - as its core. One of the sightings of this leopard during August saw him being furiously courted by some unknown female. Although the young male knew that she wanted to mate with him, he was clumsy and although enthusiastic, did not seem quite able to get it right. The following day it was a very different young male - not only was the female gone, but he had been savagely beaten up, so much so that it appeared that his one eye might be lost. However, the wounds left only scars and perhaps a lesson in fighting, but it did not deter the cub of the Newington female to continue with his claim to this area of land. During September he continued to be seen in this area, killing successfully and fighting off advances from another male - this time his efforts seemed to be directed at the two-year-old male cub of the Hlabatini female and for two days these leopards were seen pacing side by side and every so often tearing into one another. The actual physical encounters were minimal and most of the interaction was in the form of posturing and vocalising. On the second day of this challenge, two other leopards appeared on the scene, one another young male and the other the Mlowathi female in whose territory this was all happening. Following this encounter, the younger Hlabatini female cub went east. Later on in the month the Newington female's male cub killed a bushbuck and hauled it up a tall knobthorn tree to eat it at his leisure. The following day, the Mlowathi female was also at the scene and the two spent the day swapping positions - one on the ground whilst the other was in the tree feeding. It could be expected that a leopard would protect its kill from all but its own cubs, but in this instance there was hardly any aggression between the two - merely some soft and ineffectual growling as they passed each other between positions. Towards the end of September the wounds from the mauling which he had received in August were beginning to become less visible.

(no confirmed sightings in August or September)

EASTERN MARTHLY/ W EYREFIELD

(4 sightings of the female, 2 with her cub & 2 of the cub alone in August; 5 sightings of the female in September, none of the cub; no confirmed sightings of the young male)

The situation with the Mlowathi female and her cub is unsure - the female was certainly alive and well as of the end of September, but the last seen of her year-old-cub was by itself at the end of August. Hopefully though all is still well with this youngster - in the past it has been quite usual for the Mlowathi female to keep her cub away from prying eyes, except if there is a kill and the cub is brought to feed. The only kill seen during September, which involved the Mlowathi female, was when she was seen sharing a bushbuck kill with the male cub of the Newington female. The presence of a strange leopard, particularly a male, would not encourage a female to fetch her cub.

SOUTH WESTERN FLOCKFIELD/ NW CHARLESTON

(3 sightings of the female in August, all of these with the cub; 1 sighting of only the cub // In September there was one sighting of the female by herself and one of her with the cub)

As has been so often the situation over the last year and a half or so, there have been few encounters with the Kapen female and her cub, this almost certainly due to the fact that they reside in an area seldom worked extensively by game-drive vehicles. Nonetheless, what sightings there have been have indicated that both leopards are alive and well and that the Kapen female is still dedicatedly looking after her youngster. During September the Kapen female was seen killing a young duiker, hiding the kill in a ravine and then return to fetch her cub which was found with the mother in the area the following day.

CENTRAL SOUTH MALA MALA/ CENTRAL NORTH FLOCKFIELD

(In August there were 10 sightings of the female, 8 of these with her cub, 6 sightings of the cub on its own // In September there were 13 sightings of the White Cloth female, 11 of these with her cub; there were 2 sightings of the cub on its own)

The White Cloth female and her cub have become some of the most frequently encountered leopards on the reserve and consequently have provided hours of entertaining viewing. The last two months have been no exception with the female doing an apparently good job in looking after both territory and cub. With regards to territory, there has been some interaction from the Ngoboswan female which has for at least a year occupied the area to the immediate west of her. On one occasion the White Cloth female was seen leading her cub to a freshly killed female bushbuck, the area of the kill being on what has been regarded as a boundary zone between her and the Ngoboswan female. That afternoon, the kill had been hoisted into a tree, but the White Cloth female was looking worried and occasionally growling. The reason for this was soon made clear when the approximately 9-month-old female cub of the Ngoboswan female arrived on the scene and sniffed around at the base of the tree. At the time that this was happening, both White Cloth female and cub were some thirty yards away, seemingly aware of the cub, but doing nothing about it. Also, some several hundred yards away, the Ngoboswan female herself had been found, but was apparently not concerned about what was going on south of her. The female cub briefly wandered away, but then returned and approached the White Cloth female and her male cub which in turn started walking towards this young leopard. All leopards looked slightly puzzled and only when they were a few yards apart was there a brief bark of anger and the cub of the White Cloth female disappeared, the cub of the Ngoboswan female shot up into the highest branches of the closest tree and the White Cloth female herself stayed below, foaming at the mouth, growling and furiously marking territory. This was how things were left. The following morning the bushbuck carcass had disappeared, the White Cloth female and her cub had gone and in the area was a nervous adult male leopard as well as the Ngoboswan female and her cub. Several weeks later, the Ngoboswan female was found patrolling this same area, closely followed by the White Cloth female. Each leopard was almost certainly aware of the proximity of the other, but made no attempt to clash, each probably quite happy with the boundary established between the two territories.

When it comes to feeding her cub the White Cloth female seems to succeed admirably and it is seldom that the youngster is seen without a full belly. Just two days after this interaction with the Ngoboswan female, the White Cloth female was found with the a large female impala carcass which she hauled up a tree to secure it from competitors such as lions and hyaenas. Such a kill should last several days, even for two leopards. However, by the following day there was no sign of leopards or kill. What could well have happened is that the kill fell out of the tree - or, rather, was knocked out by the naive and over-enthusiastic young cub - and was then stolen by a hyaena.. At his age the youngster of the White Cloth female is probably quite testing when it comes to such matters as positioning of kills and so forth, often thinking that it knows better and can do at least as well as its mother. As this stage of curiosity continues, so too will this young leopard's education. For instance, the approach of a large herd of buffalo caught his eye, but upon approaching them, he was chased, perhaps in the process learning a lesson about these large and usually intolerant beasts - not that it worried him very much; a few minutes after the buffalo had wandered off, the cub of the White Cloth female spotted an African wild cat which he proceeded to stalk and unsuccessfully tried to catch.

SOUTH WESTERN CHARLESTON/ NW TOULON

(In August there were 4 sightings of the female, 2 of these together with her cub. No confirmed sightings of either her or her cub during September. No confirmed sightings of her independent male cub)

The area in which the Toulon female resides consists mostly of dense riverine bush and so she is not often encountered. Although it was quite likely that she was seen during September, the sightings were such that there could be no confirmations on this. The fate of the cub of the Toulon female is also not known - as with the Mlowathi female, there have been no long-term kills found involving the Toulon female which would cause her to fetch the cub. Hopefully October's viewing will shed some light on these leopards.

CENTRAL MALA MALA

(no sightings of the Hlabatini female during August or September; 9 sightings of the cub in August and 7 in September)

The absence of sightings of the Hlabatini female over the past few months could well mean that she is again pregnant and has at last decided to abandon her young male cub. Few leopards could have had a better start to life than this young male; young leopards can expect to be left to their own devices from as young as a year of age (younger has been recorded), but with the son of the Hlabatini female, his mother continued to supply him with food for at least 22 months.

This month saw some interesting developments for this young male when he was seen squaring up to the 3-year-old male cub of the Newington female. This encounter continued for at least two days and involved the two pacing side by side, and once or twice for brief instances, tearing into each other. The result of this was victory for the older leopard, and the younger cub of the Hlabatini female moving back east, en route killing a young baboon which he subsequently hoisted into a tree and either forgot about or found too offensive to eat.

The fascination which this young male has had with big animals such as rhino and buffalo continues and one sighting over the last few months saw him come very close to being caught by the large herd of buffalo which pursued him ruthlessly until he managed to scramble up a tree. As soon as he was in the tree, he relaxed only a meter or so above the inquisitive buffalo, occasionally even reaching down to try and touch some of the bulls who were craning their heads up towards him. After an hour or so and when the buffalo appeared to be settling down all around him and a long wait up an uncomfortable tree appeared inevitable, the young leopard made a break for it and was again for a brief while hotly pursued by the buffalo before he reached the safety of a gully system.

EASTERN TOULON

(8 sightings August, 4 in September)

The Harrys female has continued to entrench herself as one of the mainstay leopards to be seen in the southern parts of Mala Mala. Towards the beginning of August there was a sighting of this young female mating with one of the nervous young male leopards, which are scrapping over the old territory of the Jakkalsdraai male. Interestingly, her mother, the Chellahanga female, was also at the scene of this mating, but soon wandered off. Since this incidence no other matings have been witnessed and it might well be that this young leopard is pregnant. If so it will be with her first litter. Sightings of interest involving the Harrys female included one where she was seen bringing down an adult male impala - this she subsequently lost to hyaenas - and another sighting when she was for a brief while treed by members of the Charleston pride lions.

WESTERN MALA MALA/ NW FLOCKFIELD

(9 sightings of the female in August, 8 of these with the cub // 8 sightings of the Ngoboswan female in September, all with her cub)

The Ngoboswan female is a 'new' addition to the recognized leopards of Mala Mala. Although she has been known in the area for at least a year, her nervous nature has not allowed any form of study of her unique spot pattern so necessary to constantly identify each leopard. Now that her cub (previously there were two cubs - one a young male which disappeared) has grown up with vehicles being a daily part of her existence and is quite relaxed, the Ngoboswan female herself has at last started to become regularly viewed and for sustained periods of time. It has also been the presence of large kills which has kept the leopards at particular areas for several days at a time and with cautious approaches from vehicles, both have started to settle down. One such kill was an adult female nyala and its fawn, which kept the leopards feeding for nearly three days. In September she and the cub were found close to the Main Camp with a duiker kill and then the next day with a dead baboon which they did not consume and then, later that afternoon, the Ngoboswan female was found leading her cub to a freshly killed impala which she had hidden beneath a bush. The Ngoboswan female is a large leopard, particularly if compared with her immediate neighbour to her east, the White Cloth female, and is also dark coloured. As sightings continue and the cub matures, so it can be hoped that the Ngoboswan female will become as accommodating to gamedrive Land Rovers as many of the other Mala Mala leopards.

7 sightings in September of an adult male leopard, possibly the same animal, on W Mala Mala and NW Flockfield - the animal appears quite relaxed to the presence of vehicles when followed at night, but nervous if approached during the day. One of these sightings was of him at the scene of a kill ultimately contested between the White Cloth and Ngoboswan females and their cubs. In August there were 3 sightings of a male leopard in these areas - seemingly of same disposition and perhaps the same animal.

One sighting of a nervous leopard - August - Western Mala Mala; perhaps the above male or perhaps the Ngoboswan female.

2 Sightings of a nervous male - 1 on south central Marthly (August) and 1 on the SE Marthly/ SW Eyrefield boundary - perhaps of the same animal.

3 sightings of a nervous young male leopard - two sightings in August (NE Marthly and NW Eyrefield - duiker kill at this latter sighting) and one in September when the young male was attracted by the sounds of confrontation between the male cubs of the Newington and Hlabatini females respectively. All sightings potentially of the same animal.

1 Sighting in August of a nervous leopard (no sex determined) on the western Mala Mala Eyrefield boundary - perhaps the above young male.

4 sightings in August and 1 in September of a female leopard not entirely relaxed when approached by a vehicle - area of these encounters and the disposition of the animal suggests that it may have been the Ngoboswan female. One of these sightings was of the leopard in the vicinity of the male cub of the Newington female - leopards were calling to each other.

1 sighting in August of a relaxed female trying to mate with the male cub of the Newington female - sighting on SE Marthly

1 sighting in August of a relaxed adult female; southern Marthly - easily identifiable by the missing tip of her tail.

3 sightings of nervous female leopards - 1 on central Eyrefield, 1 on the southern Eyrefield/ Marthly boundary (both of these encounters in August) and 1 sighting on NW Eyrefield. All may have been of the same leopard. The last mentioned sighting occurred in September and involved this leopard having to contest a duiker kill with two young male lions. The male lions were followed one morning to a tree, which had in its boughs the fresh carcass of an adult duiker. After trying unsuccessfully to climb the tree, the two males went to sleep for the rest of the day. That evening the female leopard made a silent appearance and slipped up the tree, taking the kill still higher and starting to feed. One of the male lions again scrambled into the tree, this time very nearly reaching the kill. Upon realising that he could go no further, the male descended. When the lions were again at a distance she considered safe, the female leopard jumped down and slipped away. The carcass was not returned to and was ultimately probably consumed by birds.

1 sighting in August of a young male leopard trailing the large herd of buffalo on SE Marthly - perhaps the Hlabatini female's cub.

1 sighting in September of an adult male leopard at first thought to be the Eyrefield male which has not been seen for several months. Sighting was on NW Eyrefield and leopard was not particularly relaxed.

In August a female leopard was seen mating with the Island Crossing Male in the Sand River on NW Toulon - mating occurred for at least three days. In September there were three sightings over 4 or 5 days of perhaps this same leopard, also accompanied by the Island Crossing male, but this time further east, on the northern bank of the Sand River on north central Toulon.

One sighting in August of a relaxed adult male, probably the Island Crossing male, on the eastern bank of the Sand River on Western Charleston. On this same day there was a sighting of two adult leopards in the Sand River in this general area - good possibility that they would have been the Toulon female and the Island Crossing male.

Several sightings in August and September of leopards which were probably the Toulon female (6 sightings) and her cub (1 sighting).

1 sighting in August of a relaxed female in the Sand River on the Charleston Flockfield boundary; 1 sighting in September in this same area of a relaxed female and her female cub - in this instance they were seen losing a kill to male lions. Leopards involved were almost certainly the Kapen female and her cub.

1 sighting in September of a relaxed adult female leopard on eastern Charleston - probably the Chellahanga female.

1 sighting in August of two leopards in the Sand River opposite Harrys Camp - perhaps the Harrys female and a male, the latter possibly one of several.

1 sighting in September of a relaxed female leopard on central/ east Toulon - probably the Harrys female.

Sighting of a nervous female leopard on Eastern Charleston - probably the same female, which has for the last few months being pressurising the aging Chellahanga female for this territory.

One sighting in August of a relaxed adult male leopard on the eastern bank of the Sand River on SE Toulon - possibly the Flockfield male. Another brief sighting of a male leopard on the western bank of the Sand River on SE Toulon - also perhaps the Flockfield fale; this sighting in September.

10 sightings in August and 8 in September nervous male leopards in the area of South Eastern Charleston/ central Charleston/ Toulon boundary and NE Toulon. Sightings have usually been brief and some have been called as adults, others as young adults. There is a potential that there may be at least two leopards of this disposition which are contesting for the eastern parts of the range of the old Jakkalsdraai male.

3 sightings in August of leopards on E Toulon and NE Toulon - no sex determined; may have been (one) of the nervous males lately of this area or perhaps the female which has quite recently started pressurising the Chellahanga female in this region.

ESTIMATE OF NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LEOPARDS ENCOUNTERED

CHEETAH

4 Cheetah - 1 female and 3 approximately 15 month male cubs: these cheetahs were seen during July. They were only seen once during the August game report period, this being on NW Eyrefield. Towards the end of August and throughout September, there were several sightings of a group of young males (1 in August on NW Mala Mala and 6 in September on NW Toulon). It could well have been that these young males were the same ones seen with their mother earlier in the month. Cheetahs will, on average, spend approximately 16 months with their mothers before being abandoned. It is also quite typical for brothers to stick together in coalitions for their entire life. The time of abandonment is for all animals a stressful time. However, the condition of the three young cheetahs is superb and they have been seen hunting successfully. Their biggest enemy of course remains competitors such as lions, leopards, wild dogs, vultures, hyaenas and even jackals. This was witnessed with these three young males in September when they were driven from a kudu kill by some hyaenas.

Adult female assumed to be the same - 5 sightings in August , 2 in September - Mala Mala and Eyrefield.

Sighting on Mala Mala in August of 2 very nervous cheetahs - ran when approached by game-drive vehicles.

Sighting in September of 3 nervous subadult males - central Flockfield. This sighting was close to a recently burned area. Such areas attract prey animals such as impala, which seek out fresh green grass shoots. These then attract the predators, particularly cheetahs, which prefer such open areas.

Sighting in August of a single male cheetah on NW Toulon.

Single sighting on NW Mala Mala in August of 3 cheetahs - 2 males and a female - suffering from mange. Later in August there was a a single female encountered on NW Flockfield also suffering from mange; she may have been part of the initial trio. These same cheetahs were seen in July and then it was mentioned that they may have been recently weaned subadults and the stress from this period had proved too much for their immune system and mange manifested itself.

8 sightings over August and September of probably the same mother - cub pair, these sightings being on Flockfield, Charleston and Toulon The age of the cub was estimated at 10 months.

WILD DOGS

The pack of wild dogs, which denned on Mala Mala during July, left the property in late July and there have been only 8 sightings in the last two months of game report period. Nevertheless, these sightings have been memorable as can be expected with these hyperactive creatures. One of the last sightings of these dogs before they moved out of the den which they had occupied for so many weeks was of the pups playing with a pangolin which they discovered crawling around close to where they were waiting for the adults to return from a hunting expedition. During September this same pack was seen several times with all 10 pups still alive. Such a survival rate is good, perhaps better than can be expected in this area of high lion densities. At one of the sightings the Charleston pride lions were seen chasing them and at another sighting they were being harassed at a duiker kill by 4 hyaenas.

There has hardly been a pride of lions which has not made an attempt at the large herd of buffalo over the last two months. As far as can be ascertained none have met with success and all lions have been sent scurrying for cover. At one stage, however, four young males eventually caused the large herd to panic and move at least 15 kilometres in 24 hours whilst being followed by the lions. Still, the buffalo are generally in good condition and they should be quite capable of making it through to the next rainy season. For the week buffalo there will of course be little chance, but that has always been the case. In August there was a single calf born - this is very late even for buffalo which usually have an extended calving period. As could be expected, there was little hope for it and it was last seen just prior to the frantic flight by the large herd when pursued by the four young male lions. Towards the end of September the large herd of buffalo discovered the short new grass on the recently burned area of Mala Mala. This area was burned as a standard management practice, but the new grass has proved irresistible to grazers such as buffalo. The problem is that once they have tasted such grass they are reluctant to go back to the older less acceptable grass still standing from the last growing season. Given the fact that the new grass is so short, there is usually little quantity and the buffalo move at pace through such a burned area, consuming this grass at a rapid rate. Under such conditions it is not unusual to see large herds split into smaller units, getting together only when quantity of grass no longer limits them.

In the south of the reserve the small herd of buffalo are still using the Sand River for part of their winter grazing and drinking routine. During those years when the flow of water stops in lower reaches of the Sand, this small herd heads for the bigger Sabi River and spends its time there.

Rhino viewing has continued to be good with the Sand River proving a draw card for far-off rhino. Spoor often indicates that such rhino will walk in all the way from the Kruger National Park to drink at certain places and then return to their grazing grounds. Still, the best viewing has been provided by those animals, which have remained resident on the reserve - both territorial males as well as females and subadults which found the conditions to their liking. Now that large tracts of land have been burned in controlled management fires and green grass is starting to sprout, it can be expected that there will be a large influx of rhino into these areas, this even more so when rains arrive to both speed this growth up as well as to fill up mud-holes so necessary to make rhinos happy.

Elephant viewing has not changed much in the last few months; herds of females and youngsters have been plentiful and some gatherings of anything upwards of 80 elephants have been witnessed. These get-togethers are but temporary affairs and generally close to watering points. With the grass still plentiful in many areas but of generally low acceptability to elephants with their unique ability to access nearly any type of food source, it is the trees which have borne the brunt of the incredible appetite of these large pachyderms. Some areas on the reserve appear to have been hit by furious storms so great has been the attention to this food source. Hopefully the oncoming rainy season will encourage the elephants to again spread out and seek food further afield. One sighting of interest in August was a newborn calf. Vultures were seen descending to eat the afterbirth when the calf was found. The herd into which this youngster arrived was fortunately very habituated with vehicles and good viewing ensued over the weeks following this birth.

Birds encountered on Mala Mala and not yet on the Mala Mala checklist include the whitebreasted cormorant, greencapped eremomela and the capped wheatear. Redchested cuckoos were heard calling in the last few days of September.

Animals seen over the last few months which are typically seldom encountered on Mala Mala include aardvark, pangolin (1 found by cheetah, another by wild dog pups), sable antelope (at one sighting the Styx pride lions nearly caught one) and sidestriped jackal. A thick-tailed bushbaby frequently seen along the banks of the Sand River close to the Main Camp was killed - not sure of what killed it, but only the head was found lying in the road. A caracal was found with a monkey kill - at an earlier sighting a caracal was spotted by a troop of monkeys

which immediately started chattering in alarm.

The eastern half of Charleston and Flockfield were burned off in a controlled management fire in mid-September.

Male lions seen trying to steal leopard kill from tree; also lion territorial and takeover interactions witnessed (see section above on lions)

Several interactions seen between leopards - male - male, female - male (mating as well as the sharing of food) and female - female (see section above on leopards).

Report of jackal pups born mid-September (black-backed jackals).