Photo by Brian Rode

WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA For the month of September, Two Thousand and Sixteen

Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 17 ˚C (62 °F) For the period: 3 mm Sunrise: 05h30 Average maximum: 30 ˚C (86 °F) For the year to date: 117 mm Sunset: 17h52 Minimum recorded: 14 ˚C (57 °F) Maximum recorded: 38 ˚C (100 °F)

Spring has arrived and many of the trees are starting to come into flower now. The knobthorns are one of the first trees to start blooming and many of them are now covered in fluffy cream flowers. Down at the weir the weeping boerbeans are covered with bright red splashes of colour. The flowers of this tree contain lots of nectar and this is attracting many birds. The fever trees were also in flower at the beginning of the month and were all covered with yellow pom-poms.

Photos by Brian Rode

We had a few drops of rain towards the middle of the month, although it did not register in the rain gauges, and as soon as the water hit the dry dusty earth it sank away into the soil. The water in the pools along the N’wanetsi River is still receding and the hippos are still taking strain. It is a good omen that we had a few drops and according to the weather bureau we are expecting normal rainfall this year. Hopefully, we will get some showers soon so that the grass can begin to grow. South of our area the grass has also disappeared and so we are starting to see more zebras and buffalos in the concession again as the grazers move northwards looking for something to eat. A few of the summer migrant birds have returned and we are seeing yellow-billed kites and Wahlberg’s eagles again. The reptiles are also starting to reappear and we have had a few sightings of snakes this month. One of the exciting finds was a mopane snake that was hiding in the wine cellar. It was very cold and I am sure it was quite happy to be moved out of there. The temperatures have started rising again, but towards the middle of the month a cold front passed through causing the mercury to drop and the guides to put their jackets back on. Since the area is still very dry and most of the trees are still without leaves the visibility is very good and we have had a great month of game - viewing.

Our wildlife review for the month is as follows: Buffalos:

Photo by Brian Rode

With the grass drying up to the south of our concession we have started seeing more zebras and small groups of dagha Boys (old male buffalos that have left the larger breeding herds). We have mainly been seeing these buffalo bulls in the far north of the concession. They seem to be drinking at the Gudzani East windmill, on the public road, and then heading back into the concession to graze. These are very impressive animals and are considered to be extremely dangerous to human beings. They have not been included amongst the “Big 5” for nothing, and during the time of the “Great White Hunters” they were often referred to as “Black Death”. These animals are often quite grumpy and could charge anything that they perceive to be a threat in an instant. They are often considered by guides to be one of the most dangerous animals to encounter on foot. Fortunately, the animals that we are seeing have been very relaxed with the vehicles and we have had great views of them.

Leopards:

Photo by Brian Rode

We have had quite a few sightings of these beautiful, elusive cats this month (at least 35 recorded sightings). The two individuals who have featured the most this month were the Ndlovu Male and the Xinkelengane Female. Both are very relaxed leopards and we generally get good views of them.

One morning we came across the Ndlovu Male close to the river near Croc View. We think that he had stolen an impala kill from a female leopard (based on the tracks in the area) and had hoisted it into a large leadwood tree. It was a great sighting. For the next two days he was in the same area nearby the carcass. We did not see him again for a few days, but just after mid-month Lawrence and Charles (two of our trackers) found his footprints and followed them until they located him in a drainage line near Ostrich Link Flycamp. Unfortunately, he spotted them (pardon the pun) and ran towards a nearby ridge where we could not follow. We could, however, still see him from a distance. He lay down in amongst the rocks and shrubbery and with his amazing camouflage he blended into the surroundings and was almost invisible. Fortunately, Margaux had seen him moving up the ridge to that position and we then had a difficult time trying to explain and direct the guests to his location. After dark we found him again to the east of where he was originally and we had much better views of him in the spotlight. We decided to leave him when we saw some impala up ahead as we did not want to put the light on him and give away his location to the antelope. The next morning Giyani was driving along Ndlovu Road when he found the relaxed male leopard with an impala kill in a flimsy tree. We had good views of him lying near the base of the tree guarding the carcass. In the afternoon Collen was passing by the area when he noticed that the kill had fallen out of the tree. Collen and his guests then had a fantastic sighting of him as he dragged the meat to another, larger Pod-Mahogany tree and climbed up it’s trunk with the impala in his mouth. Amazing! These are incredibly powerful animals. Imagine being able to hoist a large carcass, while climbing up a smooth tree trunk while carrying all that weight in your mouth!

The Xinkelengane female was also seen quite a few times this month. Towards the end of the first week of the month she was seen moving in the vicinity of Gudzani Dam. The dam is dry at the moment but the elephants have managed to dig a small hole in the sandy riverbed below the dam wall, which has exposed some of the underground water and this has allowed the impalas and other animals to drink there. Shortly afterwards we found her with an impala kill north of Warthog Pan in the Central Depression area. She remained with the carcass until all the meat was entirely consumed. Right at the end of the month we found her in the company of a shy, unknown male leopard. She was flirting with him and we assume that they were mating!

Towards the end of the month we found a female leopard near the area known as Butterfly Crossing. It was at night and she was very relaxed, spray-marking the large trees. We noticed that she was lactating. We were unable to identify her, but believe that she could be the Sticky-thorn Female. The next afternoon she was seen in the same area. The guides watched her as she climbed up one of the nearby ridges. When she got up to a particularly rocky area she started calling softly and the guides then heard some soft sounds coming from the rocks. Then, suddenly two tiny little heads popped out from a small cave in the rocky hillside. It appears that she has new cubs hidden somewhere on the ridge. This is awesome news!

We have also been seeing an unknown male leopard (the leopard in the photo above) in the western side of the concession. He was seen with a warthog kill nearby Gudzani Dam Wall and then later seen further north in the concession. The Mhlangulene Female was also seen once this month, as was the N’wanetsi Male.

Photo by Nick du Plessis

Cheetahs: We have had at least ten recorded sightings of these magnificent cats this last month. It is always exciting to see these graceful, elegant predators. We are very fortunate in that we have quite a few large open areas in our concession. Cheetahs are the fastest of the land mammals and require open habitats in order to chase down their prey.

Towards the beginning of the month we had a few sightings of a single male cheetah. We have also had at least two sightings of a coalition of two male cheetahs during September. On both occasions they had killed young zebras. Unfortunately, we did not witness the kills but found them afterwards with full bellies or already feeding. These two males have been frequenting the far northern parts of the concession.

We have also had a few sightings of two different groups of cheetahs, each consisting of an adult female and three sub- adults. On the morning of the 18th Danie spotted one of these groups near Gudzani East Windmill. They were walking in a south-easterly direction and were obviously looking for prey. At one point the cheetahs spotted a herd of impalas up ahead and they gave chase. Unfortunately for the cheetahs, and for us, the impalas had seen the cheetahs from a distance and started running away. The cheetahs sprinted after them but the impalas managed to escape. On the 26th we found the other group of four feeding on an impala kill near the Sticky-thorn Quarry. A spotted hyena had also seen them and came running towards them. The cheetahs got a fright and relinquished their meal to the hyena, who promptly stole the meat and ran away with it.

Elephants: Elephants have been seen on most drives this month. They often spend time in the hills during the morning, starting to arrive closer to the river and the last remaining pools when it starts to get warmer. Because of the lack of greenery, the elephants have been knocking over many trees in order to get to the roots and the cambium layer beneath the bark.

Photo by Brian Rode

Lions: We have had another amazing month of lion viewing. All in all, we have recorded over 130 sightings of these cats this last month.

The Shishangaan Pride includes the famous “White Lion of Satara”. This pride is often seen on the public roads that border the concession (the H6, the S41 and the S100) and a quick search on the internet will show quite a few videos and photos of this particular individual. Many people come to the Satara and N’wanetsi area with the hopes of getting a glimpse of this special cat. Fortunately for us much of this pride’s territory lies within the Singita Concession. This particular pride was once one of the mega-prides of African and it numbered over 30 individuals. It became so large that they were having difficulties feeding all the members and so the pride split into two distinct groups. We refer to these groups as the “Smaller Portion of the Shish Pride” and the “Larger Portion of the Shish Pride”. The white lion is usually seen with the “Larger Portion”. The last few months have been quite difficult for both of these groups as they both contain young sub-adult male lions that are of the age when they should be kicked out of the area (by the larger males). These sub-adult males have been trying to avoid contact with the larger males, as they stand a good chance of getting killed if the larger males find them. As a result, both of the portions of the Shish Pride have split up and some of the young sub-adult males are now missing, and have possibly been killed. Towards the end of the month it appeared that members from both groups re-joined and seventeen lions were seen together near Dumbana feeding on an old hippo carcass.

The Xhirombe Pride also seems to have split up now. This pride consisted of one adult lioness, one sub- adult lioness and one sub-adult male. They are often seen in the hilly areas near the Mozambique fence- line to the south-east of camp. The young male is looking stunning and his mane is growing well. Just the same as with the sub-adult males from the Shishangaan Pride, he is also in danger of getting attacked by the older males in the area. Sadly for him the two females of the Xhirombe Pride have been seen flirting with the larger, adult males from the Southern Pride (who have been making forays into the area near the lodge). The sub-adult lioness was seen mating with one of these Southern Males near the spring in the gorge east of camp. The Xhirombe Male has, thus, left the two females and is walking around alone now .

Photo by Brian Rode

There have been a few changes in the Mountain Pride this last month as well. One of the adult Shish Males has been seen regularly with the Mountain Pride. This is the male that we know as “the Grumpy Shish Male”, because of his habit of growling and charging towards the game-drive vehicles. A few months ago he was badly injured on his rump and back legs and is now seriously limping. He has been hanging around with the Mountain Pride and has been stealing the kills that the lionesses have made. This has meant that the lionesses and the cubs have often not had enough to eat and their conditions have deteriorated. Their immune systems have been obviously lowered as a result and lionesses and the cubs are now looking thin and mangy. The cubs, in particular, are looking very bad. At the beginning of the month one of the cubs was left behind near Pony Pan and we presumed that it has died. Towards the middle of the month we found the carcass of a second Mountain Pride cub being fed upon by vultures. The rest of the cubs are now skin and bone. This is very sad news. There is some good news though – In the last week of September Nick was tracking down the Mountain Pride in the Central Depression and as they approached the riverbed they discovered three tiny, new-born lion cubs. They must have been born from the third lioness the night before! We have now zoned the area where the cubs are hidden as a no-go zone until the cubs grow up a bit. We are hoping that they survive and that we will be able to view them from the beginning of November.

The other three adult Shish Males have been seen a few times this last month, but we think that they have spent most of the month outside our concession.

One morning we were standing at the main area at Lebombo Lodge, watching the sun rising over the Lebombo mountains and waiting for the guests to come for coffee and breakfast, when we noticed vultures sitting in a tree near the granophyre ridge. Once the guests had arrived and were ready for drive Brian went to go and investigate what was going on. There he found the two Rogue Males feeding on an adult female giraffe that they had killed. Both of these lions are quite shy of vehicles and we assume that they come from Mozambique, where they do not see vehicles.

Spotted hyenas: We have had regular sightings of spotted hyenas this last month.

Unfortunately, right at the beginning of the month two male lions coming from the south went past the den and found one of the hyena cubs and killed it. It was quiet at the den for a few days afterwards but then we started seeing the hyenas again. The four remaining cubs are growing up rapidly and are quite curious with the vehicles now. Sometimes they come right up to the cars. We have to be very careful when deciding to leave the den and we need to make sure that they are not right behind or resting underneath the car in the shade. They also like to drink the water that leaks from the melting ice in the cooler boxes on the back of the cars.

One morning Nick found another hyena den far to the north of the concession. We are now wondering whether these hyenas are from the Cassia Clan or whether they are unknown hyenas that have just moved into our area. We are presently referring to this clan as the Nongo Clan until we can figure out whether they are individuals from the Cassia Clan or not. The photo shows two of the youngsters from this clan cuddling up on a cold morning.

We have not been visiting the H6 den much, but the den further along the same road (closer to Satara) is still active and has at least one pup that is still black in colour. Many of our guests get to see these hyenas either on the way to or from the airstrip.

Photo by Brian Rode

Other interesting sightings:

Photo by Brian Rode

The following is a description of a particular sighting that Brian had one morning this month:

“We had been visiting the hyena den near the Nyokeng Valley and had had a fantastic time watching the cubs playing around the car when we heard on the radio that Collen had located two cheetahs in the far north of the concession. Sightings of cheetahs are not that common and the guests on my vehicle had expressed that they would like to see them if anybody found one. I told Collen that I would like to come and see the cats, but that I was still very far away. He told me that he would wait with them for a while and so I decided to try and get to the area. The quickest route was along the Mozambique fenceline and so I told the guests that Collen had found of the cats that they were particularly interested in and that if they would like to see them we would have to speed up a little and would not be stopping for anything until we got a bit closer to the area. The guests were quite excited that there was a possible opportunity to see these beautiful felines and so we headed northwards along the border. We needed to cover quite a distance and along the route we passed quite a few zebras, impalas, giraffe, another clan of hyenas and even a herd of elephants. Each time we passed some animals I checked with the guests if they wanted to stop, but they were very keen on trying to see the cheetahs and so we carried on driving. Collen was very patient and at long last we arrived at the area, and there they were… two stunning male cheetahs! They both had full bellies and looked quite happy with life. We had great views of them as they walked through the open plains. It was wonderful. One of the cats then lay down on a termite heap and we managed to get some nice photos of it. While we were watching the cheetahs I noticed a lot of vultures descending to the north of us. When the guests had managed to get some good shots of the cats and were ready to leave them Charles (my tracker) and I decided to go and investigate what was happening in the area where we had seen the birds descending. When we got there we came across a group of at least eight black-backed jackals together. Nearby we also saw a huddle of vultures, scrapping over a carcass of a young zebra, which we assumed that the cheetahs had killed and fed upon earlier. There were many vultures around and it appeared that with the large number of scavenging birds at the carcass that the jackals had been chased away from the meat. It is always great to watch vultures descending, like fighter planes, to a carcass and then fighting to get a space at the feast. We were enjoying the scene, watching the vultures squabbling, when one of the jackals plucked up a bit of courage and came charging towards the kill. The vultures got a fright at the approach of the jackal and backed off a bit. The jackal then started feeding on the meat, but the vultures decided to join in again. The jackal was not going to be pushed away from the banquet again and as the birds approached the carcass the jackal ran towards them and nipped at the big birds. He then ate a bit more from the zebra and the vultures tried to advance once again. The jackal chased them away, but as he was running after the vultures some of the other birds took advantage of the fact that he was not at the meat and started to feed again. This encouraged the other vultures to come back to the carcass. Soon there was a huddle of birds over the dead zebra and the jackal tried to intimidate them again, but this time they had decided not to move away. The jackal kept on chasing individual birds, but soon realised that he had better feed now before the vultures consumed the entire carcass. He started to eat again, with the vultures all around him. He snapped at the birds closest to him, but the others just continue d to feed on the other side of the zebra. A yellow-billed kite flew overhead and then dropped down to the carcass and snatched up a piece of meat, which it took to a nearby perch and fed. Two lappet-faced vultures then arrived. They are the largest and most impressive of our vultures in southern Africa and they have formidable beaks. The other vultures moved away from the carcass as the two larger birds approached and the jackal tried to chase them too, but realised that they were not worried about him in the slightest. The two larger vultures fed alongside the jackal for a while and then left the area. The other vultures then stormed towards the carcass and surrounded the jackal, who by now already had a full belly and so decided to leave the remains to the birds. It was already late in the morning and we had had such a good time watching the interaction between the jackal and the vultures. We were hungry ourselves and so we left the area, with the vultures still arguing amongst each other, and headed back to camp for our own lunch”.

Some sightings of smaller creatures:

With the lack of leaves and grass in the area the visibility has been fantastic and we have had quite a few sightings of the smaller creatures. The guides reported seeing at least one caracal this month and one night we were lucky enough to even get good views of a serval. These are lovely looking spotted cats, slightly similar in looks to a small cheetah. They tend to occur in areas with fairly long grass, often near marshes. Although we do not have much grass in the concession or even any marshy areas, we do, on rare occasions see them here. We have also had at least one sighting of an African wild cat that was flushed out of a thicket by the Mountain Pride lionesses. Fortunately for the smaller cat the larger felines did not notice it running away. Other smaller creatures seen occasionally on our night drives include scrub hares, both large and small-spotted genets, African civets, porcupines and we have even had a few sightings of thick-tailed bushbabies.

As spring has arrived we have started to see more reptiles and frogs out and about. For two or so days there was a pair of rock monitors mating in a tree nearby the access gate. Collen found a rock python, on a morning drive, that had obviously fed on something and had a large bulge in its belly about the size of a scrub hare or a francolin. Chantelle was also lucky enough to spot a juvenile boomslang in the road one day. At night, if one stops at the weir before coming into camp, one can hear the harmonious calls of the painted reed frogs and the plain grass frogs from the reeds at the edge of the water.

The hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)

The hamerkop is one of the more unusual birds in our area. It is a rather nondescript bird, with drab, brown plumage, the only really distinguishing physical feature being the backward-pointing crest which gives the bird’s head a hammer-like appearance – and hence the name hamerkop (an Afrikaans word meaning hammer-head). In the Shangaan language the hamerkop is referred to as “thekwaan”. It is a medium-sized wading bird (up to 56 centimeters in length), with a weight of just less than half a kilogram. The hamerkop’s feet are partially webbed and its middle toe is comb-like (pectinate) and is used to groom its feathers.

Photo by Brian Rode

The hamerkop is a bird that frequents areas near rivers and lakes (fresh water) and can be found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, wherever the habitat is suitable for it. It can also be seen in Madagascar.

They feed predominantly on small fish, tadpoles and frogs. They are often seen foraging by wading in shallow water, stirring the mud with its feet to disturb prey items, which they quickly grab with their vertically flattened, stout bills (which are slightly hooked at the tip to enable them to grab hold of slippery prey species). They have also been seen to slowly fly low over the surface of the water and quickly grab platannas (clawed frogs) as they come up to the surface to breathe. When they catch frogs they often wash the frog in the water to get rid of the slimy and often poisonous skin secretion, before swallowing it.

Hamerkops are generally monogamous and like to pair for life. They tend to be sedentary, but some may move into other suitable habitat during the rainy season, when temporary pans and pools fill up. They are also quick to take advantage of artificial wetland habitats such as dams, ponds and canals. They are very unpopular with people who breed ornamental fish such as Koi as they may decimate the fish populations that are trapped in small fish-ponds!

Photo by Brian Rode

Until fairly recently the hamerkop was classified as a form of stork, and it was only recently placed into its own family, “Scopidae”.

The nest of the hamerkop is amazing. It is huge and is possibly one of the largest domed nests of any birds. The nest often measures one and a half metres in diameter and two metres from top to bottom. Inside the nest is a hollow chamber, lined with mud, with an entrance hole usually facing downwards. The nest is usually built in the fork of a tree or on a ledge of a cliff, typically over water. The finished product can weigh between 25 and 50 kilograms and contain a few thousand individual sticks, weeds, grass, sedges and other pieces of material. Hamerkops often add other odd things to the nests. These often include man-made materials e.g. pieces of material, bits of plastic, and other trash that they find lying nearby the rivers. The nest can take anything from six weeks to a few months of hard work by both sexes to construct, and can easily support the weight of a man.

Hamerkop’s nests are often taken over by other creatures, e.g. various owl species, Egyptian geese, comb ducks, African rock pythons, monitor lizards, genets and bees. A nest in northern Botswana was even used to hide a pair of baby leopards! The fact that the nests are often taken over by other creatures has led to the Setswana saying “Bopelonomi bo bolaile Mmamasiloanoka” – kindness killed the Hamerkop!

The female Hamerkop may lay a clutch of up to nine eggs (although not all will hatch), which are white in colour but soon become discoloured by the mud that lines the chamber, turning them brown. The eggs usually hatch approximately thirty days after being laid, and the chicks fledge approximately one and a half months after hatching. They are incubated by both the male and the female, alternatively.

Photo by Brian Rode Photo by Brian Rode

It has the unusual behavior to gather in groups of up to ten birds and run around in circles, calling loudly and raising their crests. They also often perform what is referred to as “false mounting”. This involves one bird standing on top of another and appearing to copulate, however, neither are mates and copulation does not actually take place. On some occasions there may be three birds involved in this balancing act. This bizarre ritual seems to have nothing to do with mating, but may be a means of social interaction. The performance is accompanied by a loud calling. False-mounting is often preceded by head- bobbing and wing-beating ceremonies, similar to those used in courtship.

The hamerkop is listed as “least concern” on the IUCN Red List and it is estimated that there are over one million of these birds worldwide.

There are many superstitions regarding this bird amongst the various tribes in Africa. Some tribes believe the Hamerkop to be the lightning bird (the impundulu), which is said to summon thunder and lightning with its wings and claws, and many of the Kalahari Bushmen believe that people that are hit by lightning are being punished for trying to rob a Hamerkop’s nest.

According to superstition only a witch-doctor can safely touch a Hamerkop and they may utilize an extract from the bird's flesh or fat from the bird to prepare a magical remedy to trace down thieves. The impundulu is known to be a confidant of witches and is widely feared as a witch’s familiar. It is said that if a witch doctor dispatches an impundulu it can cause illness and bad luck to a person.

Many people of the tribes of Southern Africa believe that a Hamerkop bird can see reflections of the future, and knows who is shortly going to die. When the bird sees the image of a person with death overshadowing him, it will fly to the home of the doomed, and utter its three warning cries. Therefore, if a Hamerkop flies over a person’s home and calls (particularly in the late evening) that it is a very bad omen. The inhabitants of the house can avoid this only by burning the house down and moving elsewhere!

Photo by Brian Rode

The Hamerkop is also the symbol of vanity and excessive self-pride in many tribes in Africa. This is as a result of the bird’s habit of standing still, seemingly staring into the water and admiring its own reflection. It is also said that one of the worst things that can happen to a person in southern Africa is to dream about a Hamerkop flying in the sky or wading through water. This will mean that a great disaster will follow that person.

Many Zulu people believe that if they see a Hamerkop’s feather floating down a stream that it is an extremely powerful symbol of futility, being carried away by time. It supposedly reminds human beings that they are really nothing, and are only transient beings on this planet.

People in Madagascar believe that they may get leprosy if they destroy a Hamerkop’s nest and believe the bird to be evil.

Some farmers in South Africa believe the opposite and say that if a hamerkop is seen flying upriver while calling then it is an omen that there will be goods rains coming.

Photo by Brian Rode

September moments in time (Photos by Brian Rode)

P.S. Since our August report came out scientists, according to the most inclusive genetic analysis of giraffe relationships to date, have divided the single species into four separate species. Those four species are:

Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) - of which the Kordofan, Nubian and West African giraffes are subspecies Southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa) - of which the Angolan and South African giraffes are subspecies Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata) Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)

Photo by Brian Rode

Photo by Brian Rode

Articles by Brian Rode Photos by Brian Rode and Nick du Plessis Singita Kruger National Park South Africa Thirtieth of September 2016