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MalaMala Diary Entry: 21 October 1998

Buffalo viewing has been plentiful and more than 1 000 animals are encountered on the Reserve on certain days. This big number has mostly been as a result of a large herd of at least 600 buffalo which have moved onto the property from the Kruger National Park. This herd did the same thing a year ago - shortly after rains had fallen and there was a good sprout of green grass, the buffalo moved on. With the grass so short and tasty, the buffalo from all herds - the large herd of 500 which is mostly resident on Mala Mala, the small herd of herd of 70 which resides in the south of the Reserve, and the 'new' large herd - are not eating any old dry grass and are moving through the grazing areas at a fast pace, covering many kilometres a day in search of the tasty yet not very abundant succulent young shoots. This has taken its toll on the herd structure and as could be expected, the herds have on some occasions temporarily separated into smaller kinship groups. It has also taken its toll on some of the younger calves born towards the end of the last calving season and several of these have been found first lagging behind the herds and then dead. Lions too have found the scattering of the herds to their liking and 20 October at least three buffalo were killed by lions. Two of these young buffalo, less than two years of age, had been part of a small group which had separated from one of the main herds.

Lion viewing has also been good. Aside from the lion families typically encountered on Mala Mala, there was one sighting of approximately 10 lions - 3 adult females and youngsters which were eating a young giraffe. Although territorial, nomadic families of lions can be expected at any time, particularly when a flush of grass outside their territory attracts game out of their area and into another. A a shortage of food could then cause such lions to follow their food supply into the territories of other lions. Such incursions are usually temporary. Other lion families encountered on Mala Mala over the last 10 days or so include the Charleston, River Rocks, Styx, Marthly, Eyrefield and Emsagwen prides. The last-mentioned pride has been represented for at least a year by only one adult female, her other companions and cubs having been tragically killed over the last few years. Nonetheless, this solitary lioness is in fine shape. Since she resides alone and in an area, which in the dry season is not often traversed by game drive vehicles, she is not often encountered. Nonetheless, the last few weeks have seen several sightings of her, first when the Styx pride were out hunting and they chanced upon her and chased her away. Perhaps the chief problem for a lion living alone is not the hunting success limitations, but the defense of food and territory - larger groups of lions find it just so much easier to dominate. The Styx pride went on to kill three wildebeest that same evening - two adults and one subadult, enough meat to last them at least two or three days. At another sighting of the Emsagwen female, she was seen being accompanied by a young but nervous male lion - almost certainly a nomad from the Kruger National Park which is looking for companionship and is not accustomed to vehicles. This same young male lion has been seen in the area on other occasions and may well eventually settle down. It can be hoped that the Emsagwen pride lioness will eventually raise cubs and so ensure the future of this once very dominant pride of lions.

The rains have dispersed the elephant herds - females and youngsters - which were so common during the dry season. Although herds are still seen, they are nowhere as frequently encountered as a few weeks ago. Still, elephants are plentiful, particularly bulls. Some of these bulls have impressive tusks. Unfortunately for some of the older trees, the big knobthorn acacias in particular, the elephants have targeted them and have destroyed many. It could also be expected that they will soon concentrate on the tree bark, searching for the nutrition which at this time of year seems to occur from this source. The destruction of trees is something which in the end will negatively effect giraffe, currently very plentiful on Mala Mala and also taking a great delight in the new growth on the Acacia trees.

Leopard viewing has also been very good over the last few weeks with good sightings of several of the well-known Mala Mala leopards including the Toulon, Selati, Chellahanga, White Cloth, Harrys, Mlowathi and Hlabatini females. The Toulon female was seen mating with the Island Crossing male, indication perhaps that the suspicions that her last cub is dead are true. There is a good chance that this cub was fathered by the now almost certainly dead Jakkalsdraai male. There are similar thoughts as to the cub of the Mlowathi female. The Selati female still has a cub and there have been good sightings of both the cub and its mother. The age of the cub is estimated at about five or six months.

Also looking after her cub very well has been the White Cloth female. However, this young male has reached that stage where explorations are becoming the order of the day and ignoring his mother except when hungry is the rule. Last week the White Cloth female was seen frantically calling her cub which had been in the area finishing the remains of a bushbuck kill his mother had made. Unfortunately for the White Cloth female, the first animal to respond to her calling was one of the lionesses from the Eyrefield pride which stalked her and chased her up a tree. The relationship between the Hlabatini female and her two-year-old male cub is strange. Although they have not been seen much together as could be expected, this last week she was seen frantically calling him whilst he was out stalking the large herd of buffalo and being chased by hyaenas. The day prior to this they were also seen together and although he responded to her calling, he was only met with aggression when he did go up to her. It is very typical for a leopard cub to be abandoned at approximately 16 months of age, this usually when its mother is expecting the next litter.