Bush Bulletin – January 2025
It has been raining cats and dogs here in The Western Sector. This applies to both the weather and the sightings, as we have had an extremely wet, but productive, start to 2025.
Soar Like A Wahlberg
by Johan
It is always exciting to see the first Wahlberg’s of the season; it is a sign that spring is here, and summer is coming.
There are a few large brown eagles in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve but one of the ways to ID this eagle is that it does have a very distinct crest on its head.
The Wahlberg’s Eagle is a relatively small eagle, with variable plumage, that inhabits woodland and savannahs in higher rainfall areas, showing a marked preference for wooded riversides and their floodplains. These raptors follow a diverse diet, preying on anything from insects, frogs, reptiles and birds to mammals as large as hares.
Wahlberg’s Eagles breed in spring and summer, preferring to nest in tall riparian trees. We do have several nesting sites on the Leopard Hills property. These pairs are monogamous, and both partners work on the construction of the small stick platform, lined with green leaves and often used for several consecutive years, in which a single egg – rarely 2 – will be incubated for almost 7 weeks. The chick leaves the nest when it is 10-11 weeks old. Fully grown, the female of the species is much larger than the male and weighs around 1.3 kg.
The Leopard King
by Justin
If you want to start a debate between Rangers in The West at the moment, simply ask who they think is going to take Ravenscourt’s territory once the stalwart finally moves on. All you need to do then is simply sit back, grab a drink and some popcorn, and enjoy the show.
Of course, the first two names you will hear will be Thamba (below left) and Euphorbia (below right). Both these young males have cemented their presence as dominant individuals, and both currently have cubs on the reserve which they have sired. In the few recent interactions with Ravenscourt, both seem to be attempting to push further into his (Ravenscourt) territory, with Euphorbia pushing into the Northern side of Leopard Hills and Thamba even making it onto our access road.
However, as much as these two young warriors are attempting to squeeze the veteran out, he is still holding strong and showing very little sign of conceding his still rather large territory.
Only time will tell.
The Painted Dog
by Michael
It’s the 10th of January. The clouds are dark and filled with rain. As the midnight hours approach, the first drops fall, and we know what’s coming. Over the course of the next 2 days, we received 180 mm of rain. Which unfortunately means that the roads are closed as well as the river crossings. In the smaller scheme of things, anything north of the river stays north of the river. Including the wild dogs.
After about 10 days of not being able to cross, we finally begin venturing north of the river in search of any animals, like the wild dogs. Finally, someone spotted them making their way south and we were in business!
On the 22nd of January I finally got to see them for the first time in weeks. All 13 of them, 8 pups and 5 adults. They were slowly heading east in no particular rush, and then they stopped, got into format, and started sprinting. The hunt was on…
It wasn’t 30 seconds before they managed to bring down a big female impala, a meal that would give them all a full belly for the evening. Wild dogs can have very brutal methods of hunting, although it depends on who you ask. It’s usually a very fast kill and the whole hunt including the feeding can be over as quick as 15 minutes.
After big rains we never know what’s happening with the animals that we can’t find for a few days, so it can sometimes cause a bit of worry, especially when there are youngsters involved. Luckily this pack of wild dogs have done an incredible job at keeping everyone safe and well fed!
Monarch Madness
by Morné
Did you know that the Monarch species of butterflies is the only species known to do a two-way migration similar to some bird species?
Let me explain, both the African and American Monarch butterflies migrate closer towards the equator every Fall. Starting with a normal monarch butterfly, the first generation will travel north from South Africa for about 2 weeks. They navigate by means of their antennae, using them as built in compasses. These antennae are able to tell direction based on how the shadows hit their modified eye parts.
This first generation will live for about two weeks, in which they will reproduce, lay their eggs on the milkweed plant (their host plant) and then finally the larvae will form into a caterpillar, which after a few days will emerge as a beautiful butterfly and continue its journey towards the equator. This process will rinse and repeat itself up until they reach an area warm enough to go dormant for the winter. Living off of nutrients stockpiled from their journey. As they reach this area what we know as a generation X or super monarch will emerge which is twice as large and lives almost 4 times as long. This Super monarch will then fly back to the 1st generation’s origins in one trip. Reproducing and dying, thus resetting this amazing cycle all over again.
New Turf
The beginning of 2025 has come with some very interesting news. 4 young male lions have walked into the Western Sector and looks like they are making themselves very comfortable.
These males are called the Monwana Males from the Timbavati Game Reserve. They were recently chased out of that area and have made their way all the way to the Western Sector. At around 4 years old these boys come in full of confidence in regards to hunting and trailing buffalo herds and they have already tried to settle in with the Mhangene Pride.
You feel funny things when you get to see ‘new’ lions to the area. The unknown about them makes it even more special to see them. Myself and Advice tracked them the other morning and found them just as they finished a buffalo calf. Sitting and watching male lions walk up the road towards you gets everyone’s heart racing that little bit faster.
How will the Plains Camp Males tolerate their presence?
Exciting Times Ahead!
Keep your eyes open for some exciting updates on a few of our ‘famous’ female carnivores as they have given birth.
If you’re interested in experiencing an awe-inspiring South African safari, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our reservations desk at book@leopardhills.com.
Alternatively, click here and make use of the quick and seamless online booking process and start planning your ideal vacation today.
We look forward to welcoming you to Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve.