WILDLIFE REPORT SINGITA KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA For the month of September, Two Thousand and Eighteen Photo by Brian Rode Temperature Rainfall Recorded Sunrise & Sunset Average minimum: 18°C (65°F) For the period: 9 mm Sunrise: 05h33 Average maximum: 34°C (93°F) For the year to date: 261 mm Sunset: 17h51 Minimum recorded: 11°C (52°F) Maximum recorded: 41°C (106°F) September has been an incredible month here at Singita Kruger Park. Spring has arrived and the temperatures have started to soar again. One day we recorded a maximum temperature of 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit). The mornings have been mild and we are generally still wearing fleeces for the first hour of the drive, but then as the sun rises and it gets hotter and hotter we have had to peel off the various layers of clothing. The bush is still looking very dry and most of the trees are still bare. However, some trees, such as the long-tailed cassia (Cassia abbreviata), the weeping boerbean (Schotia brachypetala), the knob-thorn (Senegalia nigrescens) and the sneezewood (Ptaeroxylon obliquum) have been in full bloom and have been attracting lots of insects and birds. The weeping boerbean and the flame creeper (Combretum microphyllum), in particular, produce lots of nectar and have been attracting a lot of avian visitors. The grass is still golden in colour and we are only expecting it to green up once the rains arrive. Photo by Brian Rode Photo by Margaux Le Roux We are very fortunate that we still have thick swathes of grass in the concession, which has been providing good grazing for the animals. There is very little water left and the pans up in the hills have long been desiccated. There are still a few pools in the N’wanetsi riverbed and these have been attracting a lot of general game, particularly late in the morning and in the early afternoons. The water in these pools has been drying up and as they have gotten smaller and smaller the fish have been trapped there and have made it easier for the piscivorous birds to catch them. We have therefore had a few sightings of accumulations of storks at some of these pools as they feast on the fish. With the arrival of spring quite a few of the migrant birds (predominantly the intra-African migrants) have started to arrive back in the area. We have already had sightings of Klaas’ cuckoo, yellow-billed kite and even the pair of Wahlberg’s eagles that usually nest near the N’wanetsi River to the north of the camp have returned. This pair of eagles is quite unusual because it consists of one dark brown bird and one white bird (a rarer colour form of this species). We always look forward to their return as it heralds the changing of the seasons. We have also noticed a slight increase in the numbers of invertebrates and reptiles, and we’ve spotted a few scorpions hunting on the roads after dark. Fortunately, we do not see these creatures in the rooms or on the boardwalks. All in all, we have had some incredible sightings this last month. Some of these sightings and individual species are detailed in the report below: Buffalos: We have been very fortunate with buffalo sightings this last month. Buffalos are considered to be bulk grazers and require a fair amount of grass to eat (they are big animals – large bulls can weigh up to 800 kg). Buffalos can occur in large herds, even up to a thousand individuals, and therefore do require large stands of grassland in which to live. Grazing animals are usually water- dependant and require fresh water to drink on an almost daily basis. Since we still have thick stands of grass in the concession this has allowed herds of buffalos to remain throughout the winter months. The water that has remained in the pools of the river have attracted these animals into the concession and we have had regular sightings this last month of a herd of at least two hundred individuals and another herd of approximately 30 animals. We have also had a few sightings of the Shish Pride of lions attempting to hunt these big bovids, which are this pride’s favourite prey species. On the 1st of September, after a few days of unsuccessful attempts, the Shish Pride managed to kill a large bull. Towards the end of the month one of our guides witnessed the herd of buffalos returning to the area, where a few bulls and cows came right up to the place where the bull had been killed and stood there silently for a while, as if they were paying their respects to a departed friend. Photo by Brian Rode Elephants: A high number of elephant sightings have been recorded for the past month, the majority of these have been of breeding herds that were found feeding or moving towards the rivers where they were enjoying a drink or a swim. With the increase in summer temperatures, and with the only remaining water being around the fast drying pools of the N’wanetsi and Sweni rivers, the pressure on the last pools is increased by the thousands of animals and birds that rely on it to quench their thirst. Many of the pools are turning green with algae, and the massive crocodiles are lying in ambush ready to leap out at any suspecting prey animal that might not be cautious and alert enough when they come down for a drink. The evaporation of the water, has already caused vast sections of the river to turn into dry sandy patches, and to the untrained eye it might appear that there is very little water available for the animals to drink. Enter the biggest land mammal on the planet: the African Elephant. Elephants are known to have a very keen sense of smell, reportedly even greater than that of dogs, and it is this superpower of theirs that enables them to detect ground water that is found deeper underneath the surface of the earth. With their trunks they meticulously smell out the underlying water, before using their massive front feet and legs to dig deep holes through which the clean water can syphon. The trunk is then used to suck up the fresh clean water to drink. Occasionally they will even spray some of the excess water and wet sand over their massive bodies to help them regulate their body temperature. Many other species will benefit from this behaviour, and often zebra and impala will come to these holes after the elephants have left. Earlier this month, a young male leopard was found in close proximity to where the elephants were digging in the riverbed. We watched as he sat on the Rhyolite ridges, staring down at the grey giants as they were drinking from a freshly dug hole. After they had left, he cautiously snuck past the massive pachyderms, before disappearing into the hole with only the white of his tail being visible as he was lapping away at the fresh clean water, proving once again the importance that elephants play in the ecosystem. Photo by Brian Rode Spotted hyenas: Spotted hyenas are seen regularly in the Singita Kruger concession These are quite incredible, often misunderstood, creatures. They are often associated with death and there are, therefore, quite a few superstitions about these animals amongst the local people. In African myths and stories spotted yyenas (also sometimes called Laughing Hyenas because of the hysterical giggling sound they make when they are excited) are often creatures that are chosen by witch-doctors as “familiars”. It is even said that certain bad / evil magicians are able to change their form into that of a hyena so that they can travel long distances at night without being noticed. Spotted hyenas have incredible stamina and can travel long distances without tiring. In our concession we have at least four different clans. Two of these clans have had active dens this last month. The Nyokeng Clan are presently utilising a cave in the Granophyre Ridge as a den. This den is very picturesque and is fairly close to camp. We have had some amazing sightings of the young cubs playing around the mouth of the den this last month. The other known active den is in the far north of the concession. Here the Nongo Clan is utilising an old aardvark burrow in the basalt grasslands. There are presently three older cubs at this den. Unfortunately, this den is quite far from the camp and usually by the time we arrive in the area, in the morning, the heat of the day has increased to the point where the youngsters have already taken shelter inside the cool burrow. In the afternoons there is not enough time to get that far north into the concession. At the end of the first week of September the Shish Pride managed to kill a big male giraffe near the western border of our concession. This carcass attracted at least six hyenas and, once the lions had finally left the kill, the hyenas cleaned up and consumed the last remains. Photo by Brian Rode Lions: Singita Kruger must, in my opinion, be one of the best places in South Africa to view lions. We are very fortunate to have regular sightings of these powerful, apex predators. The two main prides that we see in the area are the Shishangaan Pride (also known as the “Shish Pride” or the “Northern Shish Pride”- (to differentiate it from the “Southern Shish Pride / Shishangeni Pride” which is another pride of lions that live in the south-eastern part of Kruger National Park, near the public rest camp known as “Crocodile Bridge”) and the Mountain Pride.