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WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA , SOUTH For the month of December, Two Thousand and Sixteen

Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 21°C (70°F) For the period: 134 mm Sunrise: 05h06 Average maximum: 33°C (92°F) For the year to date: 275.5 mm Sunset: 18h44 Minimum recorded: 18°C (64°F) Maximum recorded: 45°C (113°F)

We received our first heavy rains, including a few decent downpours throughout the month. A total of 134mm of rain fell in December. It has sprung the concession back to life in more ways than one. It has been amazing to see the instant transformation, splashes of colour and, of course, beginning of the lambing season taking place. With all the rivers, pans and Gudzani dam now completely full its exciting times at Singita Kruger National Park!

Our wildlife review for the month is as follows:

Photos by guest Monica Burkard

Buffalos:

There was a large herd of around 100 buffalo seen near Gudzani dam mid-month. We’ve had reports from the north of several large herds of buffalo moving southwards towards our area. There is a lot of lush green grass that has emerged after the rains, which will be an attraction for the larger herds found in Kruger.

Photo by Barry Peiser

Leopards:

Photos by Barry Peiser and Nick Du Plessis

The Xinkelengane female has without a doubt been in the spotlight this month, with seven of the twenty- one sightings being of her. She is definitely one of the most relaxed that we have in the area, and it is always such a pleasure to watch her. Due to her not hoisting her prey in trees as much, this has resulted in most of her kills being stolen by hyenas overnight. Although it is difficult to pinpoint why she seems to stay on the ground more than before, it is possible that, as she continues to age, it is becoming more and more difficult and inefficient for her to climb up trees, especially with a meal clenched between her teeth.

The Ndhlovu male, who is also one of our more relaxed leopards, has only been seen once this month. We can only hope that he will start to show himself a bit more in the new year.

One of the more exciting sightings this month was of an unknown female leopard and her two young cubs. On the afternoon of 21 December, Sean and Andrew found a drag mark crossing the road. Knowing that a drag mark may lead you to a leopard, it’s always an exciting track to come across. Without any hesitation, Andrew hopped off the vehicle and began to follow the tracks. About a half hour later, Andrew located the leopard and cubs along the Xinenene drainage line. Cheetahs:

Photo by Brian Rode

There are some vast plains along the H6 between the staff village turn off and the Sonop waterhole which is ideal habitat for cheetahs, and many of the cheetah we saw, were found there. There seems to be one cheetah that is spending time in the southern parts, just south of Xinkwenyana crossing. On 19 December as the sun was beginning to set, Joffers located two male cheetahs in the northern parts of the concession that were active and looking to hunt. Fortunately, the cheetahs were in no rush, which gave enough time for two other vehicles to join the sighting. Both guests and guides were in suspense, and all were hoping to be able to witness a hunt. Not too long after, the cheetahs began to run. In full sprint, they targeted one of the recently born and within seconds, it was over. The cheetah caught the , quickly suffocated it, and then began feeding. As there was not much meat on the new-born, only one of the two cheetahs benefitted. On 20 December, there were 12 different cheetahs that were spotted! To put that in perspective, that is exactly one tenth of all of Kruger National Park’s cheetah population, according to the most recent cheetah population estimates that suggest that there are only 120 cheetahs in the whole of the park. Another exciting sighting of cheetahs hunting was found on the S100 by Walter. The sighting was of a mother and her five sub-adult cubs. Over the next coming months, we hope to see even more cheetahs on our concession, especially as the plains of the central depression become filled with grasses that will attract various prey species.

Spotted hyenas:

The spotted hyena sightings have been very consistent during December, with the Nyokene Clan being responsible for the majority of the sightings. Following the heavy rains in the beginning of the month the clan was left with no option but to rotate between den-sites, and have moved further north in the Nyokene drainage system. The family is looking stronger than ever with the three sub-adults thriving and the youngest members now around four months old getting more inquisitive by the day. Photo by Barry Peiser Elephants:

Photo by Barry Peiser

We have been seeing several large herds of elephants feeding in the plains on our way to the airstrip, and have also noticed quite a few new-born elephant calves over the past weeks.

Photo by Brian Rode

Lions:

Photo by Brian Rode

With 71 different sightings of lions this month, Singita’s Kruger concession continues to be one of the best places to view lions. Lions tend to be one of the big cats that are most relaxed around vehicles. Although this is generally the case, towards the end of December, Solomon managed to find an unidentified lioness in the far north of the Singita concession that was very skittish of his vehicle and quickly ran away. Although this sighting was not of any photographic value, it is a great reminder of just how wild and pristine this part of the Kruger is. Also, it’s very exciting to find a lion that we were unable to identify, as it is highly likely that it has come from a different area of the Kruger National Park that is not accessible by vehicle. This is the beauty of being in an open system where are free to roam wild, where they compete with other species as well as their own kind, and where life and death is prevalent due to the struggle of existence. Apart from this one sighting, the vast majority of the other lion sightings this month were of relaxed individuals.

The Shish pride seem to be spending more and more time on our western boundary. Their dynamics are still very confusing at this point, as most of our sightings have been of only smaller portions of the pride. It seems that the sub-adult male lions (including the white lion) are spending a lot of time away from the rest of the pride. As these young males reach maturity, they will be pressured by the current dominant males of the area (Shish Males) and will most likely be driven out of the Singita concession. They will then have to venture into other dominant males’ territories all the while avoiding getting injured or killed. The fact that we are unsure as to what exactly is going on with the Shish pride at the moment makes every sighting of them a very special one, as it adds information to the ongoing puzzle of the pride’s dynamics.

The Mountain pride spent the first half of the month almost unseen. We believe that they had ventured into . On 10 December, Margaux and Lawrence found one adult lioness drinking from a pan in the Nyokene valley, and they believe it was one of the Mountain pride lionesses. On 20 December, we enjoyed a quality sighting of the Mountain pride with their three cubs along the Nyokene valley.

The Xhirhombe pride has been absent for most of the month, but Jacques and Sunday found the young Xhirhombe male and the adult Xhirhombe female resting next to the border of Mozambique.

The Shish males have been seen regularly throughout the month. On 17 December, Joffers found three unknown males around Nkayanini/Scotia. One of these males had a beautiful blonde mane, and we believe that this coalition came from an area west of our concession.

There have been various special sightings of lions this month. One of them was on 8 December, when seven lions of the Shish pride (including the white male) were found near Gumba Crossing in the morning. In the afternoon they were found hunting a juvenile hippo. After a couple of long hours, the lions brought an end to the struggle and the hippo succumbed to its fate.

Photos by Nick du Plessis

Other interesting news: Article by Brian Rode and photos by Jacques Briam & Brian Rode

One morning, towards the middle of the month, we woke up and it was raining. We received 43 mm at the camp and the Sweni River was in full flood. The water was rising quickly. The N’wanetsi was also flowing strongly. The water started to back up at the weir near the confluence and soon it was rising to the extent that it started pushing onto the landing where we normally have Sweni bush dinners. We heard that the water was then flowing over the weir in front of Lebombo Camp as well. We saw large dead trees floating down the river and then a herd of elephants swam across to the northern side. Mark Montgomery had gone out to see what the concession and the crossings were looking like. Mark had not even got a few hundred metres into the concession when he had been blocked by the water at Mbeki's Crossing and when he tried to turn around to head back the clay sucked the vehicle in and he was stuck. Fortunately, he managed to get out. The river crossings were all impassable. The next day the roads had dried out slightly and after my guests had departed a few of us went down to the weir in front of Lebombo to go and take a look. The water was gushing over the weir wall and many large trees were trapped and completely blocking the road. As we looked around we could see quite a few large crocodiles below the crossing. They had gathered to catch the fish that were washing over the wall and the other fish that were trying to head up- stream.

We decided that we needed a tractor to help us move the trees. Mark waded into the water to check what the road surface was like and whether we could in fact bring a tractor in. The water was pushing hard and there were places that he could not stand due to the force of the water going over the wall. I decided to help him and also waded in. We realized that if either of us lost our balance or were pushed by the water that the crocodiles would very quickly get a bigger meal. This was not good. Using the tractor as a barrier we managed to get to the large trees and tied a chain to the first one. As we tried to pull it we saw that the tree was firmly wedged behind the wall and the chain snapped. Fortunately, no-one was nearby when the chain broke. We decided that the only way forward was to try and chainsaw the logs. Mark went and got the chainsaw and then started to cut some of the large branches. Fortunately, all went well. Using the tractor, we managed to get all the trees out of the way. At one point, we were trying to push the logs off the road but they were lying close to the edge and would not budge. We were worried that that the water would push us over. Margaux, JP and Chantelle waded in to help us. Mark grabbed hold of the trunk while I held him by the belt and Chantelle, Margaux and JP all held the person in front of them, forming a chain so that if any of us slipped the others would be able to secure them. All went well and we managed to get the remaining tree trunks off the road. The whole time we had constant encouragement from Collen, Given, Exon and Jacques. It was a great team effort. Thanks also to Isaak for his superb work driving the tractor. All in all, a great day and none of us became food for the crocs! Since then the weir has become a photographic paradise with lots of water-birds, crocodiles and terrapins.

Antelope of the Lebombo Concession, part 2 – diminutive or dwarf Photos and article by Brian Rode

In our concession we find four diminutive / dwarf . These are: • Steenbok ( campestris) • Sharpe’s grysbok (Raphicerus sharpei) • (Oreotragus oreotragus) • Common / Grey / Bush / Grimm’s (Sylvicapra grimmia)

These are all very small, cute antelope and when guests initially see them they tend to think that they are baby antelope.

The steenbok and the Sharpe’s grysbok both fall into the tribe of antelope known as the tribe. These are both small antelope (the maximum weight of a steenbok has been recorded as 13 kg and the Sharpe’s grysbok as 9 kg) and are reddish-brown in colour. Grysbok have white flecks in amongst the reddish hairs and therefore have a more grizzled appearance than steenbok (the word grys is an Afrikaans word meaning grey or grizzled and refers to the white flecks of hair). Steenbok can be further differentiated from Sharpe’s grysbok by having a white belly and a straighter back (the back of a grysbok tends to be more rounded). In both species, only the males have horns (the record length for a steenbok’s horns is 19 cm, and that of a Sharpe’s grysbok is 10 cm).

The name ‘steenbok’ comes from Afrikaans, meaning stone antelope, and it is likely that it was so-named because of its habit of lying flat and motionless, often with ears flattened, particularly when it sees a predator and therefore it looks very much like a rock. The species name campestris comes from the Latin word ‘campus’, meaning an open or plains. Literally, they are therefore ‘the small antelope of the African plains’. Steenbok tend to be seen singly, but are known to form monogamous pairs. They are highly territorial and are one of the few antelopes that bury their droppings (like a cat they scrape sand over the dung after depositing it), supposedly to minimize the possibility that predators may track them down after finding the droppings. They tend to live in open, scrubby vegetation and are widespread throughout . They are selective browsers feeding mainly on forbs and other leafy vegetation.

Male steenbok Photo by Brian Rode

Sharpe’s grysbok are very similar in appearance to steenbok. They are slightly smaller and tend to occur more in rocky habitats, particularly in the foothills of rocky ridges. This is an antelope that is quite shy and is not often seen. There are not many lodges where one has the chance to see these beautiful, tiny, secretive antelopes. We are very lucky to see these elusive antelopes regularly in the Lebombo Concession. Sharpe’s grysbok was named after Sir Arthur Sharpe who described the species from the first recorded specimen collected in Malawi. Sharpe’s grysbok are browsers that feed predominantly on forbs and the leaves of small bushes. They tend to occur singly, but are thought to form monogamous pairs. They are highly territorial and mark their areas with dung middens and by rubbing secretions from their preorbital glands on prominent branches.

Female Sharpe’s Grysbok Photo by Brian Rode

The Klipspringer also falls within the tribe of antelopes known as the Neotragini tribe (dwarf antelopes), although some scientists believe it is different enough to form its own tribe (Oreotragini). They are small antelopes with a maximum mass of up to 10 kg. The name Klipspringer come from the Afrikaans words ‘Klip’ (meaning rock) and ‘Springer’ (meaning jumper). The English translation is therefore ‘rock-jumper’. The scientific name is derived from the Greek words ‘Oros’ (meaning a mountain) and ‘tragos’ (a he-goat). are small, golden coloured antelope that have a rupicolous life-style (live on or amongst rocks). They are specifically adapted to their rocky environment. They have relatively short legs and therefore their centre of gravity is lower than most other antelope. This helps them in maintaining balance on high cliff ledges. Their hooves are also very small, so that they can grip onto even the smallest footholds. Their fur is hollow, which not only insulates them from extreme temperatures (which often occur near the tops of mountains), but also cushions them in case they bump against rocks or take a fall. They are sexually dimorphic and only the males have horns. The record length for a klipspringer is 16 cm and the horns stand straight upright. They are highly territorial and mark their territories by defecating in middens (toilets) and by rubbing their preorbital glands on prominent branches thereby leaving a sticky, smelly substance on the branch. They form monogamous pairs. They are browsers and feed predominantly on forbs and the leaves of small bushes.

Female klipspringer Photo by Brian Rode

Although there are at least 22 species of duiker found in Africa only one occurs in the Lebombo area i.e. the common / grey / bush / Grimm’s duiker. Two other are found in viz. the Natal red duiker and the blue duiker, although both occur predominantly in the forested areas near the east coast. Natal red duikers were reintroduced to the Kruger Park, but are very rare and are generally only seen in the thicker vegetation near the hills of Pretoriuskop Camp, near the southern part of the Kruger Park. Duikers are generally forest specialists, although the is an exception in that it prefers savanna woodland.

The tribe’s name ‘Cephalophini’ comes from the combination of the Latin word cephal, meaning head, and the Greek word lophos, meaning crest. This name is derived from the fact that most duikers have an obvious crest of hair on the top of their heads. The common name ‘duiker’ comes from the Afrikaans word duik (which means ‘to dive’), and refers to way that duikers frequently dive into vegetation for cover, when alarmed. The genus name ‘Sylvicapra’ is derived from the Latin words ‘Silva’ (which means a wood or a forest) and ‘’ (meaning a she-goat). The species name ‘grimmia’ comes from a German scientist named Dr. Hermann Nicolas Grimm, who originally described the duiker.

The common duiker is a small antelope that can attain a maximum weight of 21 kg. They are generally grey in colour (although they may appear reddish in northern and ) and have longer legs than most other duiker species (because they do not live in forests). They are sexually dimorphic and only the males have straight, upright horns. The record length of the horns of a duiker measured 18 cm. Duikers tend to have large preorbital glands, in a shape of a slit, which they rub on the ends of branches to leave a sticky gum-like substance which acts as a territorial marker. They are generally browsers although they will also feed on fruit, leaves, flowers and even, on occasion carrion or small vertebrates and invertebrates. They are generally solitary in nature and prefer areas where there are thickets in which they can hide when approached. They are generally shy antelope. They do not have a set birthing season and a single lamb is born after a gestation period of 6 and a half months

Male duiker Photo by Brian Rode

December moments in time

Photos by Barry Peiser

Photo by Nick du Plessis

Photo by Nick du Plessis Photo by Nick du Plessis

Photo by Jacques Briam

Photo by Barry Peiser

Articles by Jacques Briam, Nick du Plessis & Brian Rode Photos by Barry Peiser, Brian Rode, Jacques Briam & Nick du Plessis Singita Kruger National Park, South Africa Thirty-first of December, 2016