Rhino hunting lions
Reported by: ');> Ross Goode (5/15/2001)   

Winter is almost with us. The nights and early mornings are slowly getting colder and all the migratory species have left. Due to the diversity of ecosystems on Phinda, the game has a wide choice of food types and habitats to choose from between the seasons. Animals like the elephants have been moving from the Panicum maximum fields in Harrowgate to exploit the Ilala fruits in the Ilala palm savanna of the north, before returning to make the most of the last green grasses before winter. Rhino viewing in the north is a little difficult in the wet summer months and becomes easier in the colder drier months as they start utilizing the green grasses around the pans and in the woodland in the north. In just a short while from now, the game viewing in the north will become easier and easier as animals move into the north to fill stomachs with evergreen vegetation.

One late afternoon last week, a pride of lions was located at Antbear Pan along side a crash of four rhino. Mom was watching two cubs closely, as they were stalking the rhinos that were enjoying the fresh green grass around the pan. Low grunts kept coming from the lioness as if to try and dissuade them from attempting to hunt such huge creatures. However, one of the cubs charged the rhinos, which caused the rhinos to return the charge. As this happened, the lioness took off and at full stretch clawed one of the rhino on the rump. The rhino spun around just as fast as the claws sunk into its skin, which made the lioness fly through the air as if weightless. As soon as she hit the ground, the rhino was almost on top of her, which caused her to let out a loud grunt, and she charged aggressively. This carried on for some time until it was too dark to view.

Walter Khosa had an awesome game drive the other night when he located a male and female leopard and saw them mating three times. If that is not exciting enough, they then went on to view another two leopards that evening while on their way back to the lodge. The past few weeks have been fantastic in the north, as leopards have been crawling out of the woodwork. Female leopards were probably the most rarely sighted animal on Phinda until recently. Between three and five leopards have been sighted every night for the last two weeks in a row. Fifty percent of these sightings have been female leopards, with two separate mating pairs in the same week.

If simply reading about these scenes is not satisfying your need, try and make a visit to the northern sections of Phinda…..we will see you there.

Best regards,
ROSS

(PHOTOS BY ANDRE d’HOTMAN)

Tree-climbing lion and angry hippo
Reported by: ');> Ross Goode (5/9/2001)   

We are slowly reaching the end of yet another season, a very warm and humid summer. The leaves are slowly being abstricted from the trees to help them through the coming winter.

A pride of lions are still making game viewing in the north an absolute pleasure. The cubs in the pride are learning a lot of unusual habits from the lionesses in the pride that make Phinda lion viewing very special. Some of these special sightings include lions no less than five meters up trees. It is not unusual to see leopards in reserves like the Sabi Sands high up in trees, but tree-climbing lions have become a regular sighting in the North of Phinda (watch out Manyara). In one week the rangers in the north had six sightings of lions up trees, the lionesses generally initiate the climbing and then the cubs follow with some spectacular acrobatics for savannah cats.

Greg and Vanessa watched the pride the other afternoon killing a very large warthog boar. First the older lioness attacked the warthog and then the younger, but after some time the death hold was released by both lionesses. The warthog then stood up and tried to make a break for cover before the six cubs got hold of him and tried to execute the killing bite to the throat but the dominant lioness took charge of the situation and finished him off in style. All the games that the cubs play with one another and the lionesses are all very important lessons in the art of hunting and are showing in each of the cubs.

The female cheetah that had the shoulder operation last year has been sighted on a regular basis and showing some promising signs of maturity, but still has some unusual habits and is often seen stalking soaring swallows and other birds hawking insects on the wing. She provides some good laughs and interesting maneuvers for a cheetah as she plays with these birds on a regular basis. This has not been observed with any other cheetah on the property and could definitely be attributed to the fact that she left her mother at such a young age. Sightings of the two male cheetahs, which are the dominant males on Phinda, are providing much excitement.

Leopards have been sighted on a regular basis and more and more, these animals are being viewed up trees, again not unusual in other reserves but on Phinda, over time, the need to climb trees has become unnecessary due to the lack of predator pressure. Male leopard sightings on Phinda are quite frequent but females quite scarce. The blocks that these females live in are very thick and the secretive nature of female leopards make their viewing very difficult. Times change, however, and more and more females are being seen on a regular basis, sometimes also with cubs – a sighting which has also been a rarity in Maputaland.

Gavin Foster, Forest Lodge Head Ranger and Mentor, took a trainee walk with Sean and Thulani, our trainee rangers, to view buffalo. After following tracks from where they were last left on a game drive, they located the buffalo at one of the most beautiful pans on the reserve, which is amidst an Ilala palm savannah. They were viewing the buffalo when the resident hippo in the pan decided that the buffalo, which were already half submerged in the pan were not welcome, and were kindly asked to leave with typical open-mouthed gestures. A male and female reedbuck and a journey of giraffe joined the queue, but were also not welcome and got very similar treatment as the buffalo. The hippo then stormed out of the water to chase buffalo, giraffe and reedbuck away from the pan.

Lastly I have to mention Barbara Roth, our Food and Beverage Manager, who is well known on Phinda for the beautiful pancake stops and bush breakfasts which are set up in the bush, and who is even more well known for locating the animals that rangers and trackers in the field are unable to locate. This happens every time Barbara leaves the lodge to set up a bush function. This

Birds, beasts and babies
Reported by: Angus Burns (4/26/2001)   

Leopard and hyena viewing has been on an encouraging increase (both in the frequency of sightings and how relaxed the animals are becoming). Leopards were seen mating on a few occasions, and more and more relaxed hyena sightings reported. The close proximity of these hyena sightings to one another may indicate that there is an active hyena den in the area of Wildcat, Kevin’s Jetty Road and Nduzi. Only walking the bush in these areas will reveal where the hyenas are residing.

Great interaction between ‘Rock’ male lion and elephant bull. We were driving towards Ntabankosi gate with an elephant bull walking behind us. Caught between the elephant and the lion, we had to get past the lion, unfortunately making him stand up. Ahead of the two giants, we saw the elephant approach the lion to within a meter or two, oblivious. Initially, the lion just sat there, but eventually let rip with a massive growl (the elephant about to stand on him). The elephant wheel-spun, snarled, ears flapping and moved off a bit. It then decided this furry thing was not going to get the better of him, so proceeded with more caution towards the lion. More growling, ear flapping and blowing ensued until the lion decided to move off. The elephant, triumphant overall winner, carried on along the road and resumed feeding. A little further along the road we noticed the lion had left dung right on top of the elephant’s droppings – a clear message as to who thinks he’s “king”!”
– Bibi & Madide 24/03/2001.

The enlightening tale of the elephant and the king of the beats is only but a smidgeon of the entertainment and value we have had from game viewing in the south of Phinda in the last few weeks. Changes in season are clearly visible with some of the smaller watering holes drying up, the colors and shades of the ecosystem changing from greens to browns and yellows, and the portion of this season’s offspring that have survived are slowly showing more signs of maturity. The elephants are moving between the north and south restlessly, unable to make up their minds on which side the rapidly fading grass is greener.

Rangers are all waiting with baited breath to see where and when the south pride female will eventually allow us to see her new offspring, and in the meantime, she has often been seen hunting with the pride (her previous litter), recently seen with two kills on the Inkwazi floodplain (probably both wildebeest). On a moonlit evening (1 March), the three sub adult lions were seen stalking and playfully chasing four adult rhino, with the rhino chasing them in return. The faint call of the mother was heard not too far off, and they moved towards the call. En route to their mother, they spotted a male leopard (3-3) and the chase was on. The leopard went straight for the nearest but smallest tree and climbed it, followed by one sub adult lioness. The other two lions were right behind them at the base of the tree. After a few minutes of growling and snarling their mother called again, and off they went to find her. The leopard casually made its way down, but stopped half way on a branch to pose for photos. We thought he would sprint away as soon as he touched the ground, but instead he sauntered off, unperturbed by the whole episode, and having survived another treeing by the lions.

The gripping fishing antics of the Green Backed Heron fascinated viewers on a boat cruise, seeing these crafty birds dropping an insect into the water, standing dead still waiting for an unsuspecting fish to rise and take the bait – only to be pounced on from above with lightning speed. Small fluffy juvenile African Jacanas are abundant on almost all the reserve’s water bodies, amazing observers with their dexterity and independence as they hop around from lilly pad to lilly pad catching insects, overturning leaves, and scampering away nervously at many a strange scent or sound. Birding on the Mzinene has been as consistent as ever.

Regal fortnight of predation
Reported by: Angus Burns (3/15/2001)   

Game viewing in the south of Phinda in the last two weeks has reached an all time peak for this year, with almost surreal sightings of all of our predators. A nervous male and 2:2 female were seen mating in the area of Inkwazi camp in the evening, but only a day later the nervous male was seen limping very badly by Dumi Mpanza, and the 3:3 male and the 2:2 female were seen mating. Quite possibly the 3:3 male has successfully defended his territory and evicted the nervous male, probably with a very violent interaction causing the injuries in the nervous male.

Three of our rangers followed up on the mating pair, and while entranced by the somewhat primitive and rustic mating process filled with grunts, growls and snarls, three hyena came running in (“big hyenas, very exuberant” as Al put it) and the leopards vanished into long grass. Hopefully this mating will be successful and there will be new additions to the more relaxed leopard population on Phinda.

The pride lioness in the south is still heavily pregnant, leaving us all waiting in eager anticipation as to where she will finally have her cubs. The pride broke the peace of a bush dinner one tranquil evening, chasing a herd of zebra straight through the dinner sight, and eventually killing an impala close by. The 'Rock male' (a 4 year old male lion), still very much solitary in existence, was seen sniffing around a warthog burrow, and obviously sensing a nervous warthog inside the burrow, began excavating it with his giant paws. Dirt flying, and a rapid scurry was a futile attempt at survival on the pig’s behalf, resulting in the guests viewing an awesome kill right in front of the game drive vehicles.

The pair of jackals and their pups enthralled us. Still somewhat shy, we enjoyed almost daily sightings of the pair. Unusual jackal yelping broke the silence in the heat of the day with responses from one of the pups. With reports of extensive cheetah activity in the area in the morning, many of the rangers wondered if something had not happened to one of the pups. With baited breath we kept an eye open for the two pups. Three or four days later the two parents and one pup were seen on an impala carcass. Still wondering if the second pup was alive, I headed home. For the next two days the three were seen around the carcass, and once again on the way home late at night two days later I breathed a sigh of relief – four jackals were at the carcass, both pups were alive.

One night, a flurry of excitement ensued... binoculars jolted, bird books flattered, and gasps escaped our mouths as all three of us realized at once – Scops Owl!!! – perching only 3 meters away from us. This owl has very seldom been seen on Phinda, and is a really exciting sighting.

The cynic might read this and wonder if anything is left on Phinda to see after a regal fortnight of predation, but believe me, countless sightings of elephants swimming and splashing in dams and drainage lines; rhino mothers, calves and bulls cavorting in mud wallows with snorts, grunts and bellows; graceful impalas and sleek zebras exist.

Phinda Adventures - Horse-riding
Reported by: Bibi van Tienhoven (2/19/2001)   

Oh, the rains are coming! We had 100ml the other night – quite spectacular but a bit of a dampener on our beach and Flight of the Fish Eagle trips.

False Bay has been a phenomenal place to visit lately! I’ve taken a couple of rides that have been infinitely rewarding. Not only have the guests enjoyed themselves immensely, but we have also been seeing plenty – Marshall and Fish Eagles perched in trees right above our heads and even a surfing hippo (the day was windy and the hippo seemed to be bouncing out of the water, playing in the waves).

We’ve seen many crocodiles – big ones, little ones and hungry ones. After one ride, a four metre crocodile came right up to the water’s edge where we stop to picnic. Unlike the other crocs we have seen while riding, this one did not move off but came to have a closer look at the horses which we herded together and sent home. The croc hung around for a while and then slowly eased back into the water and slipped away.

I also nearly rode over a baby croc while cantering along the water’s edge. I heard a splash almost under the horse’s hooves so we stopped and waited. Sure enough, two beady eyes emerged from the water. The guests were thrilled to see crocodile and hippo while on horseback and commented on the sense of adventure they felt.

I recently took a couple riding who had never been on horseback before. We headed off into the rain and got muddy, wet and bedraggled but felt totally alive at the end of it. The rain even abated long enough for a quick fry-up of bacon and eggs. It’s hard to explain the sensation of being on a horse that is wet and steaming and smelling of, well, horse… Got to love it!

Naturally, we’ve had a couple of mad canters through the woodlands, and on several occasions I have taken the ride a little further so that we could do a run down the beach, splashing through the water, the best way to end off. The most common feedback from guests after a ride is how wonderful the horses are and how beautiful and diverse the ride is.

How to teach a young lion a lesson
Reported by: ');> Ross Goode (1/15/2001)   

Top news is that the female cheetah that was released into the bush after recovering from a hit-and-run accident a few months ago has been spotted in the north of Phinda. Although she has not rejoined her two brothers and mother, the 14-month-old cub appears to be doing well and managing to hunt.

The lion pride on the marsh – two seven-month-old cubs, four three-month-old cubs, two lionesses and a large male lion – has become a real asset to game viewing. The interaction among the pride is endless with energetic cubs continually rough-housing with one another and the adults in the pride. Recent sightings of the pride have been fantastic with large open grasslands resembling the grasslands in Serengeti.

A couple of guests from Vlei Lodge, a ranger and Prince, a tracker, enjoyed one incredible sighting. The cubs had found a wire snare and were fighting over it with the older cubs being more dominant. One of the older lionesses approached the cubs, growling at them. She put her paw on one cub’s head and gently removed the wire snare from its mouth.

She then walked off slowly and carefully with her head held high and dropped the snare about 20m away. The cubs then came rushing across, tumbling in their efforts to get to the snare first.

The reaction from the lioness was explosive as she lashed out at the cubs. She carefully picked up the snare again and gingerly carried it over to the big male, dropped it and lay down. Each time the cubs approached she growled, and they soon lost interest in the snare, preferring to wrestle away from the lioness and lion.

We were floored by the intelligence of the lioness not to let the cubs have such a dangerous toy. While stopping for a drink soon afterwards, Prince told the guests that the lioness saw four lions in her pride die in snares after Phinda first opened and there were still many old snares in the bush.

Phinda’s incredible birds have also been keeping guests and rangers alike busy on game drives. Wonderful birding experiences include sightings of more than ten Black Coucals, flocks of hundreds of Red-winged Pratincoles flying over the marshes, a sighting of a Woodland Kingfisher – not often seen here – and a Palmnut Vulture in Harowgate, seen by three rangers in the same area.

The season has started off well and looks like getting better.

First wild cheetah limb operation
Reported by: ');> Ross Goode (1/13/2001)   

The Christmas and New Year period was unbelievably busy and all rangers and guests had some spectacular sightings alike. A young female cheetah was the centre of attraction a few months back when she was hit by a car on the corridor road (a public road), which runs through the centre of the reserve. Carl Rosenberg was on the scene in a couple minutes and the cheetah was immobilized and put into a boma. After a lengthy operation by Dr’s Carl Aadnesgaard, from the Zululand Vetinary Hospital, and Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Cornie Herbst, the first limb operation was performed on a wild cheetah, to try and fix the shattered limb, with the hope of returning her back to the wild. A lot of positive and negative thoughts were milling around the lodge, about the possibility of the release being a success.

The cheetah was released with her mother and two brothers. However, they moved off and the young female cheetah, although fit and strong enough to follow, decided to stay behind. Her one brother stopped and made the distinctive call that cheetahs make when trying to locate each other, but the female did not follow. She was located a couple of times after the release and then not seen again for over a month. All in the lodge thought she must of died because there was no sign of her for so long. Just recently, however she was located on charcoal clearings in the north of Phinda. Carl Rosenberg came out to the sighting to check on her progress. For now, all is going well.

Magical turtle sighting under a lunar eclipse
Reported by: Andrew Mortimer (1/11/2001)   

You may have heard about the remarkable turtle trip which had a full moon rising over the Indian Ocean, a still, balmy summer night and a turtle nesting – absolutely perfect. Everyone said it could never be beat. Everybody was wrong.

At 8.45pm on the ninth day of the first month of the first year of the new Millennium, there was a lunar eclipse which was visible from the eastern hemisphere of the earth. It was also visible to four guests and two staff on a turtle trip at Sodwana Bay. Imagine sitting on a sand dune on a deserted beach in northern Maputaland, watching an adult Loggerhead Turtle lay her eggs in the sand.

As an animal which has evolved to life in the sea, it was remarkable to watch her defy all the odds, dragging herself up a lonely beach to lay her eggs and ensure the survival of the species. Despite long absences of up to 12 years spent swimming the world's oceans, turtles will unerringly return to within 20km of where they were born when it’s time to lay eggs.

But even as she laboriously excavated a hole in the sand, an equally exceptional phenomenon was taking place above. Darkness began slowly sliding across the face of a full moon, the shadow of the earth in a full lunar eclipse.

Over the next few hours, six stunned people witnessed something that people might never experience again. As the moon turned a brilliant red, the turtle finished laying and carefully, covered the nest with beach sand and disguised it before dragging herself slowly back to the safety of the Indian Ocean.

Winged insects drawn to the light
Reported by: ');> Ross Goode (12/28/2000)   

Heavy rains in late November and early December were a small reminder of the floods which we experienced at the beginning of the year. The Munywane River was in flood again so access to the southern section of the reserve was not possible for about a week.

The Sand Forest is slowly beginning to look like a rain forest, which it shouldn’t, being one of the driest sub-tropical forest types in the world. Telling guests this results in a look that suggests we don’t know what we’re talking about. Although the rain has made game drives challenging, sightings have still been good, with most interesting sightings taking place near the lodge.

The ecology of Maputaland is dependant on the presence of the giant sand castles, built by termites throughout the north of the reserve. These fungus-growing termites take advantage of the wet weather to send out the future kings and queens of new colonies en masse to ensure the survival of just a few.

The lodges have little lamps, which light up the paths to rooms at night, so that one does not have to venture in complete darkness at night, and the lights are a favourite attraction for insects and especially the winged alates. It was amazing to just sit and watch certain animals take advantage of the feeding frenzy at these light posts.

First on the scene were thick-tailed bush babies, using their little hands and mouths to take in as much food as possible. After a while, a couple of large spotted genets came along and chased the bush babies away and ate their fill.

In the morning, our first sighting was a red duiker that did not even budge when we walked past it on the path – it just carried on eating the remains of winged alates. Then, on my way from a staff room in the forest, I saw one of our forest specials, a pair of Green Twinspots. I stopped to watch these two little birds and realized they were feeding on the remains of winged alates under a path light. After flying up to a nearby vine, they both cleaned off their beaks with the typical side stroking action that is practiced by most birds after a good meal. What is special about this is that Green Twinspots are seed-eating birds and, as far as I know, have never been seen eating insects by anyone who works here.