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WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS #62 We had a few cold and wet mornings this past week but we have no regrets. The Strydom pride of lions were moving deep into the Kudyela pride’s territory during the week and even spent a day napping. Their time there was cut short when some of the Kudyela lionesses came to […]
Big 5 safari sightings for the week of 31 March – 06 April ’19 Sunday 31 March 2019 2 Leopard cubs at rhulans road heading east with Faka Nchovela 1 Leopardess at venture camp road 15 Elephants at xigalana dam 1 Buffalo bull at mangwa dam 2 Black rhino 1 Bull elephant feeding at koppie […]
Big 5 safari sightings for the week of 24-30 March ’19 Sunday 24 March 2019 1 Machaton male with 5 Kudyela lionesses and 12 cubs west of breite weg 2 Black rhino 1 Buffalo bull drinking at bush lodge waterhole 1 Female leopard south of boetabessie dam 35 Elephants feeding at main road 10 Spotted […]
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS #61 The lions took the spotlight this week with many incredible moments shared with Africa’s biggest cat. In the beginning of the week we had a mating pair of lions in the western sector that spent about three days in one area. Hopefully in the near future we will have little lion cubs […]
MEET THE LEOPARDS OF PONDORO. I thought it’s about time we introduce you to the elusive rosette patterned cats that roam within our traversing in Balule Game Reserve. How do we identify each individual? Well apart from obvious signs like scars in their face, maybe a few nicks in the ears, a short/bent tail or […]
Big 5 safari sightings for the week of 17-23 March ’19 Sunday 17 March 2019 1 Lioness with a kudu kill at mandleve road 1 Leopardess resting east of venture camp dam 3 White rhino Monday 18 March 2019 1Lioness east of gamma road 1 Male leopard at rhulans road heading east 2 White rhino […]
Big 5 safari sightings for the week of 10-16 March ’19 Sunday 10 March 2019 1 Leopardess east of danrock 4 Elephants feeding at mondzo road 1 Bull elephant west of huppel weg 1 Male leopard north of impalabos cutline 1 Male lion with 6 cubs south of mountain view 3 White rhino 6 Elephants […]
Big 5 safari sightings for the week of 03-09 March ’19 Sunday 03 March 2019 1 Male lion at nonwane cutline 1 Female leopard at waterkant with an impala kill 18 Elephants at huppel weg 1 White rhino bull 3 Black rhino 2 Spotted hyenas at mbonga road Monday 04 March 2019 1 Male leopard […]
Big 5 safari sightings for the week of 24 Feb – 02 March ’19 Sunday 24 Feb 2019 60 Buffaloes north of singwe river lodge 2 Lionesses at singwe plain heading south 3 Machaton males with 4 lionesses and 8 cubs at schorstein weg 3 White rhino 1 Machaton males at rome 4 3 Spotted […]
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS #60 The title ‘weekly highlights‘ fits this blog post slightly better than the previous ‘week in pictures‘ simply because we highlight the outstanding sightings of the week and no better time for a change than with the 60th edition. I think the sighting that got everyone from guests,guides and trackers to the lodge […]
The past and future of the Kudyela Pride. Back in the beginning of 2017 when I joined the Pondoro guiding team the Kudyela pride was split in two groups;(1) the three older females together and (2) the four young lionesses together with their two brothers and one singwe male, all under the protection of the […]
Big 5 safari sightings for the week of 17-23 Feb ’19 Sunday 17 Feb 2019 No game drives were done for the day. Monday 18 Feb 2019 40+ Elephants feeding at mondzo road Chavaluthu was heading east marking his territory from mondzo kaya Tuesday 19 Feb 2019 1 Bull elephants at gamma road […]
Pondoro guide Marius and tracker Eric’s guests were recently treated to a very unusual sighting. They were following two male lions of the Machaton coalition as they were patrolling their territory, when the wind made a sudden shift of direction and the lions immediately changed course and started speeding up. Marius quickly realised that they […]
WEEK IN PICTURES #59 “However long the night, the dawn will break.” – African Proverb The leopards definitely made it very challenging for us this week, we spent the better half of the week following only their footprints and signs left behind but to no avail. Luckily after circling back on our own tracks so […]
Big 5 safari sightings for the week of 10-16 Feb ’19 Sunday 10 Feb 2019 1 Male leopard at the drainage line west of dead end dam 1 Lioness heading south from van wyk 40+ Elephants feeding at river lodge main 3 White rhino bulls 1 Lioness at xintiwana road 20 Elephants at nonwane cutline […]