A video taken by Pondoro guide Rul of a tiny elephant calf during a game drive with guests. Elephants can give birth at any time of the year after a gestation period of 22 months. Newborn elephant calves can weigh up to 120kg. This is a time of huge excitement [...]
Lions hunting buffaloes: A video taken by Pondoro guides of the Kudyela pride of lions hunting buffaloes. Southern Africa is at present in the midst of the most severe drought in recorded history. We had some welcoming rains during the beginning of November, but not enough to bring relief and [...]
A video of the Mohlabetsi male lion coalition taken on the 25th of October 2016 as they patrol their territory. They are 8 in total, but the last few months a total of only 6 were seen together at any one time. The big dark Mohlabetsi male is remarkable in [...]
A recent video of the big tusker called Ezulwini taken during a safari drive at Pondoro Game Lodge. He is a gentle giant that frequents the western parts of Balule Nature Reserve and is seen regularly during drives. I first saw and photographed him at Ngala dam not far from [...]
A recent video of a lion fight at a buffalo kill during a wildlife safari at Pondoro Game Lodge. The frequency and severity of the fighting around the carcass increased, as always, as the meat disappeared into their ever expanding bellies and only scraps remain. Small kills like warthogs and [...]
A video taken on the 5th of August of hyena cubs tucking away away on a buffalo bone. Adults often carry leftovers of carcasses to the den site. Well developed muscles in their necks make light work of carrying pieces of skin or larger bones over fairly large distances. Hyena [...]
A video taken by tracker Eric of 2 black and white rhino bulls sizing each other up. A black rhino bull is about half to two thirds the size of a white rhino. Black rhinos feed on leaves and small twigs using their prehensile upper lips to grab the branches. [...]
Paternal instinct in birds: A recent video taken by tracker Eric of a male double-banded sandgrouse collecting and protecting his chicks. We saw a male and female double-banded sandgrouse sitting close to the road during an early morning safari drive. I then stopped the vehicle to give some more information [...]
Eric and his guests witnessed this recent sighting of a lioness chasing hyenas away from a buffalo kill. We are in the middle of one of the most severe droughts in recent memory. Although the condition of most of our herbivores are still good, they are definitely weaker. Our lions have [...]
Pondoro trackers: Andries and America A video taken by Rul, one of our guides, of a lioness feeding on a kudu and then dragging it into the shade on the 26th of June 2016. Everyone working at Pondoro Game Lodge knows where they fit into the greater scheme of things [...]
A video taken by ranger Sam of a lion kill as they were busy suffocating a buffalo on the 14th of June 2016. The Kruger National Park and surrounding areas are currently going through the worst drought in recorded history with 19991/92 being the previous worst season. This year was [...]
A video taken by tracker Eric of 2 young elephant bulls playing during a wildlife safari at Pondoro Game Lodge on the 22nd of June 2016. A lot of people often mistake such playful behavior as fighting, but real fights are seldom seen and only occur between mature elephant bulls [...]
A video taken by ranger Rul on the 9th of June 2016 of the Mohlabetsi pride with their lion cubs drinking at Deadend dam. The southeastern section of our traversing area forms part of their territory with the rest extending further east into the southeastern parts of Balule. The Mohlabetsi [...]
Great news! We have new hyena cubs. The tiny cubs were filmed by ranger Rul on the 7th of June 2016 as they emerged from their burrow to suckle from their mother. Hyena cubs can move with surprising agility after only 10 days of age and lose their distinctive black [...]
A video of an aardvark taken during evening safari on the 7th of June 2016. The guests that saw it must count their lucky stars as they are very seldom seen. Aardvarks only start to get active after 20h00 when our safari cruisers are already back at camp and hungry [...]
